I'd really appreciate any advice on getting a proper alignment for bolting on motor mounting brackets.
The car is a '54 Champion. The PO had a small block Chevy and unknown manual transmission in the car. I bought the car without the drive train. I have just about finished rebuilding a 289 V8 which I want to install with a T85 transmission.
When I bought the car the motor mounting brackets were still bolted on the front cross member. From looking at the parts manual, the brackets are the original stock Stude brackets, but the PO appears to have switched sides with the brackets so they were more forward oriented, and drilled new holes in the front cross member and in the top of the brackets to accommodate the Chevy engine. I have measured the Stude engine and I think if I switch the brackets back to the original sides, and move them further back on the front cross member, they should work with the V8.
Unless someone has a better idea (I'm all ears!), what I thought I would do is bolt the rubber motor mounts, the brackets and the bell housing on to the engine, then use my engine hoist to lower the engine into the engine bay, and bolt the bell housing to the bell housing cross member. Then I'll lower the engine until the mounting brackets contact the front cross member, and mark and drill the holes in the front cross member. Basically, I'm using the bell housing and its cross member to align the engine.
Is there a better way to do this?
I should note there don't appear to be original holes in the front cross member for the position that the brackets would need to be for the V8. Since the car is a Champion, maybe the Stude factory only drilled holes for the mounting of the straight 6?
Thanks
John
John
1953 Commander Coupe
1954 Champion Sedan
1963 Lark
The car is a '54 Champion. The PO had a small block Chevy and unknown manual transmission in the car. I bought the car without the drive train. I have just about finished rebuilding a 289 V8 which I want to install with a T85 transmission.
When I bought the car the motor mounting brackets were still bolted on the front cross member. From looking at the parts manual, the brackets are the original stock Stude brackets, but the PO appears to have switched sides with the brackets so they were more forward oriented, and drilled new holes in the front cross member and in the top of the brackets to accommodate the Chevy engine. I have measured the Stude engine and I think if I switch the brackets back to the original sides, and move them further back on the front cross member, they should work with the V8.
Unless someone has a better idea (I'm all ears!), what I thought I would do is bolt the rubber motor mounts, the brackets and the bell housing on to the engine, then use my engine hoist to lower the engine into the engine bay, and bolt the bell housing to the bell housing cross member. Then I'll lower the engine until the mounting brackets contact the front cross member, and mark and drill the holes in the front cross member. Basically, I'm using the bell housing and its cross member to align the engine.
Is there a better way to do this?
I should note there don't appear to be original holes in the front cross member for the position that the brackets would need to be for the V8. Since the car is a Champion, maybe the Stude factory only drilled holes for the mounting of the straight 6?
Thanks
John
John
1953 Commander Coupe
1954 Champion Sedan
1963 Lark
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