|
Case 2: Righting
Wrong Motor Mounts
About three years ago, I purchased
a pair of motors mounts from the Crites company designed to
fit a 429/460 motor into a 1973 Gran Torino. It wasn't until
a year later that my fellow Torino buddies pointed out that
my motor was sitting way too low in the chassis. Being an
objective guy, but not a sucker, I began some correspondence
with the manufacturer to investigate. In the back of my mind,
I knew there might be a problem trying to return or exchange
a product purchased more than three years ago and after 500
miles of use. After 3 or 4 email exchanges with the manufacturer
and no clear solution, I rationalized fixing the mounts on
my own. Yes, I successfuly placed the burden of fault onto
myself so I could just make the car right. At some point during
the situation I decided that having the motor mounted correctly
and quickly was more important than prevailing in a consumer/vendor
issue.
This is the passenger side motor mount with the header
removed. |
|
Here is a shot of the driver-side header resting on the
front cross-member. |
| |
|
|
The result of the "low" motor mounts were some
flat spots on both the driver-side and passenger-side
headers. |
|
With the motor mounts detached from the chassis, I supported
the motor with jacks stands and a block of wood. |
| |
|
|
These mounts were not easy to remove. |
|
Fish on! I mean... got one! |
| |
|
|
Here's a shot of the goods required to make these mounts
right. A carbide blade meant to fit a standard 10"
miter saw and some hearty strip iron from Home Depot. |
|
With the carbide blade fixed in the saw, I made very gradual
cuts through the strip iron. |
| |
|
|
These are the cut pieces ready for drilling. |
|
After a wack with a center punch, I drilled the correct
size holes in the strip iron. |
| |
|
|
Next, I tack welded the pieces to the motor side of the
mounts. |
|
This is the finished product. Not pretty but the problem
appeared to be solved. |
| |
|
|
After installing the modified mounts and setting the motor
back in place, the header-to-crossmember clearance was
improved. |
|
|
Case 3: Correcting
Automatic Floor Shifter Linkage
In the FordMuscle article Column-to-Floor,
I added a Hurst QuarterStick floor shifter to Project Torino.
In that article, I was forced to make some mods to the shifter
cable bracket. I thought that job was done. Nope. Once the
vertical position of the the motor was increased an 1/8"
per the steps shown above, the shifter linkage was impaired.
Take a look.
Here's the shift lever conflicting with driver side header.
See video sample in right sidebar demonstrating the problem.
|
|
To solve the problem, the dowel attaching the cable to
the lever was ground and I cut down the threaded cable-end. |
| |
|
|
Can you tell what side was ground down on this dowel?
Answer: The flat side.
|
|
This is the shifter lever operating after the linkage
was modified. See video sample in right sidebar demonstrating
corrected linkage. |
|
|
Conclusion
When having a recent conversation
with a local mechanic, he mentioned to me that any time a
customer asks him to install a part described as a "bolt-on",
he doubles the estimated labor. Sure, this an extreme example
but they are words from a professional that support the three
cases I outlined in this article. The next time you think
that a "bolt-on" project can be wrapped up in one
day, setting lower expectations is one way to prevent disappointment.
Afterall, can a manufacturer be expected to create a part
that fits a project car perfectly when that project car is
most-likely an assembly of aftermarket parts from various
manufacturers? 
|
|
|
Posted by wildosvt01, 03/07/07 04:25am:
I would imagine those are Crites mounts? From my "bad" memory, The Ford mounts are a little bit taller.
So I would bet the headers would fit more properly with the Ford mounts. But hey, Who makes them anymore......
Posted by gearhead440, 03/07/07 04:32am:
Thanks for showing that things dont go together as easily in the real world as they do on "TV".
I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who ALWAYS experiences problems when modifying
a project car from stock, even with "factory direct" replacement parts or those from the aftermarket
that promise "bolt-on" convenience. Every hot rodder knows that it takes ingenuity, perseverance
and my greatest enemy, patience, to get a project complete. And let's not forget how quickly the cubic dollars
invested in the project might raise a critical eye from a loved one if things take longer than we first estimate.
Real-world examples, practical approach, excellent information.
Posted by strtcar, 03/07/07 06:20am:
3 days ago it took me 4 hours to get one bolt in my motor mount.
Yea sure just unbolt the old one, and bolt
the new one right up, yeah right.
Posted by marzz22, 03/08/07 12:42pm:
I did the same with the TCI converter. The instructions clearly state that you must tap the holes to fit 7/16. I didn't do it because at mock-up, they fit. Once the tranny is up you'll see that the studs can be off by an 1/8. Worse thing was the fact that the first time I was putting up the tranny, I had two helpers. Second time around I was alone. I know how you feel man...
Posted by qtrhors, 03/09/07 03:41pm:
There is no such thing as a direct bolt on...anyone who has played with this stuff long enough knows this.
Tim
Posted by morgan, 03/12/07 11:09am:
Very well written article of what most people go through when dealing with aftermarket parts. I used a lakewood scattershield in my Cobra with a four speed top loader. Since I used an external slave cylinder it was important the hole lined up so the lever operated properly to work the throwout bearing. The holes was not even close and I had to cut another 6" to enlarge the opening so I did not have any interference. When I contacted Lakewood the tech said I must have done something wrong. Of course I found out later that this is a common problem.
Posted by oldtim, 03/12/07 06:46pm:
I can relate! I have to redo my engine and transmission mounts on my Falcon. What a pain Bolt on and plug and play Hah!.
Posted by 707172gts, 03/23/07 04:18am:
For anyone with the motor mount problem, an easy fix was to machine some aluminum spacers and place them between the existing mount and the engine block and then just replace the bolts with new ones that are longer to accomidate for the spacers used. Another benefit of doing it this way is that you can do one side at a time simply by removing the existing bolts and jacking the motor up on one side using a piece of wood and a small jack. Be sure to use the proper grade replacement bolts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Shifter Linkage: Problem and Solution
Video Samples
The following two videos correspond with the information
in captions 1 and 4 to the left.
|
|
|
