Engine height and output shaft angle

[stexag]

Guys, I am having an issue with the the angle my 5.3 is mounted on my truck.

I have a 68 C10 that I removed the 6 from and am installing a 5.3/4L60E combination. I swapped the front crossmember from an 80s truck for the disc brakes. Other components include:

CPP sheet metal engine stands, Dirty Dingo Sliding adapter plates, & Energy suspension 'low & wide' SBC engine mounts

For a transmission mount I used the Early Classic 63-72 Auto trans xmember

The engine sits incredibly steep. With the frame level and the transmission mount (energy suspension) sitting right on the X member it was about 8*. I shimmed the transmission up almost an inch to get it to 5* but it is pretty high. I haven't set the cab on yet but I suspect I will have clearance issues the way it is now because I already have a problem at the middle crossmember with the driveline. I have checked this angle on the back of the output shaft and on the front crank pulley and they agree. I have heard the CPP engine stands can leave the engine a little high but I am currently just 1/2" between the pan and the steering link. If I could get the engine down that 1/2" I think I'd really need to do the same in the rear - still maintaining my 5*.

Has anyone had similar issues or does anyone recognize where I may have mismatched some components that could have contributed to such a steep engine mount? thanks.

[mongocanfly]

not knowing exactly how you have it setup (pics would help) I would put the cab back on and see where your at....keep in mind your driveline angle needs to match your rear diff angle...if you have -5 on the trans you need +5 on the rear...just keep them the same...but without the cab on its hard to say...

[stexag]

I will take better pictures today. I have these on my phone now... the engine mount/Stand combo



Here’s my clearance at the oil pan/steering link. Not a lot to drop?



Posting from my phone - please excuse typos/bad code

[Ghost's68]

Following this.... I also have the same mounting setup as you, DD sliders and CPP stands. I’ll be dropping the engine in on Sunday.

[mongocanfly]

hard to tell from pic but it doesn't look like you can go any lower...id put the cab back on before I made a decision...

[62chevy302]

Im having the same problem.
I have 78 c20 mounts and dirty dingo 73 up sliders. I have a pol transmission crossmember and my driveshaft yoke is almost touching it. Do i have my crossmember upside down?
Are my engine stands too high? My frame is sitting with the nose down and engine is still not level. Help

[Steve Cole]

Originally Posted by 62chevy302

Im having the same problem.
I have 78 c20 mounts and dirty dingo 73 up sliders. I have a pol transmission crossmember and my driveshaft yoke is almost touching it. Do i have my crossmember upside down?
Are my engine stands too high? My frame is sitting with the nose down and engine is still not level. Help

Post a good picture of your tranny crossmember so we can see what you have. That other pic is so close up, we can't tell what you are working with. Take a step back and post another one. Engine mounts too.

[62chevy302]

Ok this is the trans crossmember. Yoke is almost touching the crossmember. The crossmember wont go the otherway because it hits the tailshaft.

[62chevy302]

Here is my engine mounts and the second pic is angle gauge reading 7 degrees

[62chevy302]

Front view of engine. I moved clamshell to lower holes in stand. It helped some but 7 degrees is too much and need to do something about tranny crossmember

[Steve Cole]

Can you flip the tranny crossmember 180 side to side? I.e. Bolt the side currently bolted to the left frame rail to the right frame rail instead. That will either raise or lower your tranny depending on how it is currently mounted, (I can't tell from the pic). Also, you can get a taller tranny mount "cushion", (or shim it) maybe you have the wrong one? Lastly, you can slide the yoke out of the tranny a small amount if you need the extra room. Not sure about the engine mounts, how much room do you have between the oil pan and steering linkage?

[62chevy302]

I dont have the crossmember bolted down. It cant go 180 because it will hit the tailshaft.
It will be the same height though either way

[Steve Cole]

It shouldn't be. Is the bracket welded on dead center of the cross brace? My bracket is towards the bottom of the cross brace if I recall correctly. Maybe POL can help figure this out? From the view of the pic, it doesn't appear that the tail shaft would hit, but I will take your word on that. Can you shim up the tranny mount "cushion" ? How much more room do you need?

[62chevy302]

Im not sure how much a transmission mount can flex but i only have 1/8 of clearance. The pol crossmeber upside down would be over 4 inches taller. Im gonna line up my engine at 3 degrees and space the trans to that i guess? ? ?

[mongocanfly]

flipped your engine pic

[mongocanfly]

pretty sure you have your trans mount upside down.......if the mount pad is flush with the bottom of your crossmember...keep the crossmember in the same position from side to side..just roll it 180 deg putting the mount tab on the rear side and it will be flush with the top of the crossmember... pic is so dark I cant see the details

[mongocanfly]

if you are looking at the crossmember from the end does yours look like the blue one with the red being your trans mount ? if so flip it to look like one of the green ones

[Ghost's68]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

pretty sure you have your trans mount upside down.....it need to be where the red lines are...if the mount pad is flush with the bottom of your crossmember...keep the crossmember in the same position from side to side..just roll it 180 deg putting the mount tab on the rear side and it will be flush with the top of the crossmember

this!

[mongocanfly]

I can see it even better in this pic now that im on the big screen...crossmember IS upside down...mount tab is on bottom

[mongocanfly]

needs to look like this...mount tab needs to be on top

[mongocanfly]

just realized weve got 2 different truck pics and issues in the same thread...this may cause some confrusion....I know I am...

[62chevy302]

This is the crossmember. If i flip it over as mongocanfly suggests it will be in the bottom of the cab. The nose of the engine will be facing down. It is made to be installed as i have it . Im sure it is made for an auto trans not a nv3500.

[mongocanfly]

ok ...now I see how its made and your right...that cant be flipped like I suggested...there was a issue with another build awhile back and his crossmember was upside down...I was thinking might have the same issue
is this the one you have?....https://www.performanceonline.com/19...n-Crossmember/ it does state its for auto trans...you could cut that mount tab off flip it over and reweld it....

one like this might work better if the width is the same...

[62chevy302]

I think i will cut off mounting tab and weld it like you suggest if my engine sits at 2 degrees

[mongocanfly]

before you cut it take the bolts out of the trans mount and jack up the trans to the position it would sit if you flipped the mount and check your angle...
if you didn't want to cut and weld you could make a spacer from tubing and use longer bolts...