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Ive got a 57 with MII suspension. Im putting a 302 and C4 in the truck so im going to need to fab up some engine mounts. Thats not the part im having trouble with...the part im finding hard is figuring out where i need to put the mounts on the frame! Ive got a tranny mount bolted to the tranny and its sitting in the frame. Then ive got the engine held up by a engine hoist. Ive got the rad support bolted to the frame and im just about to put the cab on. Then im going to move the engine back and forth until i get it to clear the firewall and rad support. Then im going to have to tilt the engine until i get it right. If i put a compass on the top of the intake it should be at 0 degrees and if i put it on the front by the water pump it shoulld be at 3 degrees right?. Im pretty sure thats what ive heard somewhere before.
This is my first time doing this so im pretty much just asking all you guys if ive got this planned out right and im also hoping some of you out there with the same setup as me have some pics so i can get some ideas and point me in the right direction. Thanks
You want the intake close to level. I never heard of the water pump measurement before. Just get the engine to fit the best under the hood and weld the mounts in.
Ive got a 57 with MII suspension. Im putting a 302 and C4 in the truck so im going to need to fab up some engine mounts. Thats not the part im having trouble with...the part im finding hard is figuring out where i need to put the mounts on the frame! Ive got a tranny mount bolted to the tranny and its sitting in the frame. Then ive got the engine held up by a engine hoist. Ive got the rad support bolted to the frame and im just about to put the cab on. Then im going to move the engine back and forth until i get it to clear the firewall and rad support. Then im going to have to tilt the engine until i get it right. If i put a compass on the top of the intake it should be at 0 degrees and if i put it on the front by the water pump it shoulld be at 3 degrees right?. Im pretty sure thats what ive heard somewhere before.
This is my first time doing this so im pretty much just asking all you guys if ive got this planned out right and im also hoping some of you out there with the same setup as me have some pics so i can get some ideas and point me in the right direction. Thanks
You get Better performance out of an original 312 Y-block, you'd not have to worry about clearences or welding anything as it already fits nicely & they make adaptors to mount a C-4 to them.
Last edited by Col Flashman; Aug 14, 2007 at 12:44 AM.
I mounted mine the same way you are approaching yours. Use the top of the intake manifold to level the engine side to side and front to rear. Be sure before you start leveling the engine that the truck is perfectly level. I had to put 2x4s under the front tires to make my truck level before I started the engine leveling process since I had smaller tires on the front at the time.
....Be sure before you start leveling the engine that the truck is perfectly level. ......
Well, that's true only if your truck is level when at ride height. What you really want to do is set your frame at the desired ride height and level side to side. Then set your engine's up so the intake manifold surface is level in both directions.
Right, I was gonna say that the final "rake" is a factor, too. So to add to this, does anyone know the degrees of the top of the frame at the steering box (only as a reference pt.) on a stock truck? I don't have my front suspension on the truck yet, the PO drove the kingpin bushings into the spindles so mounting them is out of the question, other parts are still missing, and I want to get everything lined up before sandblasting/painting the frame, so I'm not at stock height, but would like to be before I set the engine mounts in. I think knowing the angle would help, as I can tweak it from there. IIRC, I measured 4 degrees with the 9" rear on, and the front beam on a dolly.
You get Better performance out of an original 312 Y-block, you'd not have to worry about clearences or welding anything as it already fits nicely & they make adaptors to mount a C-4 to them.
I would like to respectflly disagree with you on the 312 vs 302 performance. I have a 48 F1 with a built 306 in the 375-400 HP range with a T-5 5 speed manual transmission, and I have never personally seen an original 312 that would come close to it.
Well, that's true only if your truck is level when at ride height. What you really want to do is set your frame at the desired ride height and level side to side. Then set your engine's up so the intake manifold surface is level in both directions.
Bruce,
I respectively disagree. Unless you will have a severe rake in your final stance IMOHO it is better to level the truck to set mounts. You may change your tire and wheel setup many times during the life of the truck and you only want to do engine mounts once. A few degress of rake due to big and little tires or a lower front than rear suspension will not be a problem if the truck is leveled prior to setting mounts...
I have not done this on an Effie (I am the Explorer guy) but I have on a 55 Chevy Wagon. Remember that you will only need to be close to level because the tranny can be raised or lowered to move you a couple degrees each way.
Your mounts will have play in them
I BOLTED in my mounts then checked everything over and over,,,,steering box clearance (depending on your steering system), oil pan, etc.
Then I tack welded it and checked everything again, on different days!
also, ensure it is straight front to back, side to side. (obvious)
Are you using one of those aftermarket 'tube' mounts?
I respectively disagree. Unless you will have a severe rake in your final stance IMOHO it is better to level the truck to set mounts. You may change your tire and wheel setup many times during the life of the truck and you only want to do engine mounts once. A few degress of rake due to big and little tires or a lower front than rear suspension will not be a problem if the truck is leveled prior to setting mounts...
OK.....but if you know what your ride height or rake is going to be why would you level the frame instead You would automatically be off unless your rake is level.
OK.....but if you know what your ride height or rake is going to be why would you level the frame instead You would automatically be off unless your rake is level.
If you knew for a fact that the stance would never be changed in the future then you should set the mounts with the current rake considered. But, as we all know these old trucks are a constant work in progress and what we do to them today may not be what we want a year from now. You might want a different rake later due to a different set of tires or suspension changes. I'm just saying if you level the truck now then those kind of changes later will not be a significant factor.