very nice

Sam

 

I took the engine and transmission to the car wash today.

Before:



After:



Got home and put the new rear sump oil pan on and tried to hang the engine in the engine bay. Notice I typed 'tried'. Sorry, I got frustrated and didn't take any pictures of it. My hands were filthy from the trans leaking oil on me out the tail shaft and I didn't want to deal with washing them to take a freaking picture...

The oil pan hits the rear edge of the IFS crossmember and the trans mount hits the rear edge of the upright on the trans crossmember where it didn't before.

The bottom of the IFS crossmember needs to move forward and I think by rotating it forward I will solve a couple problems. If the bottom rotates forward it will give clearance for the oil pan and trans mount and allow me to keep the rear end a little higher than the front without C-notching the rear.

So... It looks like I get to remove and re-install the crossmember now. It's a good thing I haven't C-notched the rear end yet. This weekend it looks like it's back to the old grind. Literally!!

I am afraid to ask; "What's next??"

 

Sorry can u explain that again? Bottom of the ifs hits? And the tranny hits?

Ok I see the ifs part. Many have to notch the member to make room for the oil pan. It's easier than moving the whole thing.
I've got a pic of the tci ifs notch. attached is the bet side view pic of the crossmember notch I have.. (the 5.4 is sitting on top of the tci cross member right now, so I can't get a better one)

And you'll have to move the tranny mount bar

Sam

 

Oh No!! Don't rotate the crossmember. Notch the back of the crossmember to give the needed clearence. You would have thrown the anti-dive set into the suspension all out of whack. A-arms are mounted in certain spots for a reason and none of those spots can change in any relation without really messing things up. There are alot of projected imaginary lines within the mounting points of the suspension links. These lines must travel in certain ways, some must intersect, other not, for the suspension to work properly.
Bottom line is never modify the suspension system to install the engine. Modify the crossmember and leave its suspension mounting points where they belong.
Just my $2 worth.

 

When the engine is pretty much in the right spot to mount the front sump of the pan should be above or slightly in front of the rack. Give yourself an inch or so clearence and make the motor mounts.
I have notched the trans crossmember on each side to clear trans pans too. With a plasma cutter, anything will fit.

 

He is using a rear sump pan, so it can't be in front of the rack.

Sam

 

Let's see if I can clarify this. First off, the front edge of the rear sump here:



hits the rear edge of the IFS crossmember here:



and that makes the rear edge of the trans mount here:



contact the upright lip in the back of here:



as shown by the grease rubbed off. The trans mount never hit this before.

I believe this was caused by the location of the crossmember. If you read the beginning of this thread and into the body of it where I welded the crossmember in you will remember that I followed the instructions and ended up installing the crossmember parallel to the frame so the frame would have to be level for the lower control arms to be level to the ground.

If I rotate the bottom of the crossmember to the front it will allow me to raise the rear of the truck to keep the lower control arms level and that would get me back to the ride height I wanted in the first place.

Moving the bottom of the IFS crossmember forward would allow me the clearance I need and let the engine come forward about 3/8 inch or so letting me raise the rear end 3 inches and keeping me from having to C-notch the rear end and move the trans crossmember.

The step Heidt's left out of the instructions was to have the lower control arms level with the ground when the truck is at ride height front and rear. I had mocked up ride height and then welded the crossmember in tight against the frame the way they said to in the instructions which put the control arms slightly sloped with the rear raised. Lowering the rear brought the control arms level but would have made me C-notch the rear of the frame.

 

I hear you, but..

1. why don't you move the tranny crossmember back a little?
2. the amount you will move the MII forward is like 1/4-1/3 inch, not really enough.

yes, you will have to shorten the driveshaft.

you already have to fix the shift linkage.

Sam

 

Dam that ifs looks tempting.its purdy.you make it look easy an dim sure you will tackle this issue no problems

 

I have decided the only thing to do is remove the whole thing completely and re-install it properly with clearance and the correct angle for the lower control arms at ride height.

I just found out tonight that one of the upper control arm mounts is 1/8 inch back from the other.

I am going to do this one by myself and be real careful this time. This is the last time I trust someone else to do something major to my truck.

 

An 1/8" difference is not going to make any difference.
You are really making this into more than it is.

 

I did read he was using a rear sump pan I just assumed it was the Fox body pan that fits properly. Didn't realize he was building a race truck.

 

You will still have to move the tranny cross member back. Plan on it.

Careful cutting and grindIng

Sam

 

I am not building a race truck. I just want it to handle safely and be precise on the road. Too many years of driving it with steering wander and bump steer. You say 1/8 inch won't make the truck crab walk and wear the tires out early? Can they adjust that out and keep the caster and camber within specs?

Maybe I am making more of it than there is. If I leave it as is I still need to notch the rear end to bring the rear down and make the lower control arms level.

If I reinstall it, why would I still need to move the trans mount as well? Is it to keep the wheels centered in the wheel well? If so, then I don't need to move it more than a half inch or so, do I? Would 1/2 inch be enough clearance?

Maybe moving the trans mount and notching is the easiest way to go.

Oh, and the pan is the street/strip rear sump pan by Canton. Heidt's told me the Fox pan wouldn't work, that the front drop was too big and would hit the steering rack.

 

it was the big canton oil pan that made him say that. they are really huge!

if you reset the front cross member. (and you already moved it foward the 1.25 inches after setting it back at 20.5 inches from the front hanger mount center), then you are only going to move the cross piece MAYBE 1/4 inch to accomplish the chassis rake change. definitely less than 1/2 inch. the hats shouldn't move and the top edge of the cross member shouldn't move front back, but rotate a little bit.

so, this isn't gonna be enough room for the engine/tranny combo to sit right
you should have at LEAST 1/2 in clearance to the oilpan.. the engine moves..
and the tranny mount also should have at least a 1/2 in flex room.

so, based on what you showed in your pics, I think the tranny mount should go back an inch at least. you can't make that up with the engine crossmember reset.

part of the problem with the canton oil pan is the vertical face of the sump. if at some future time you need to pull the engine, you might trap the engine/trans combo behind the cross member. I don't know how much vertical lift room to the cab you will have. but you wouldn't want to force yourself to pull the tranny first (from below! ugh) to get the engine out.
I'm about to start doing this positioning with my engine tranny combo this morning myself.
and you haven't even found where the engine mounts are yet, but I think that will want to push the engine back just a little more too.

I'd at least experiment with moving the tranny cross member.. should be a few bolts and slide. see where the engine needs to be, cab is to tranny bell housing
(it will be closer clearance than it was before all this work)

and looking over your config, the 289 with the dual sump pan and the thick/wide crossmember and front mount rack are indeed a pain. I hate the dual sump pans.

Sam