Help to find the center line

[1958]

I need some info on how to find the center line on my 58 truck it has the old front mounts and we are installing side mounts when we got the truck it had no engine or tranny so just wondering what to do. Also when I went shopping for a tranny cross member they had two or three different kinds. one with a 4 inch drop down and one that was 6 inches and one that was 8 inches never new there was that many to choose from so which one is right for a turbo 350. Thanks

Chris,

[OrrieG]

frame rails are parallel, so simple to measure from side to side on each end and place a line. Make sure to check that the frame is square, with the rivets it can sometimes be tweaked a little. Pick a front spring shackle mount point and rear shackle mount point, they are same side to side and measure the diagonal distance. Best to drop in the engine and trans to check firewall, tranny hump and drive line clearance before setting the engine mounts permanently. I placed my engine, trans and transfer so the front drive line did not need modified. That gave me the clearance I needed front to back to firewall. Then raised everything up, keeping intake carb surface level, until bellhousing and drive line output were good. Had the read drive line made to fit. After I started driving it I found that the front drive line would hit the original second cross member when the passenger spring was fully compressed, so I had to notch it. Steering and exhaust manifolds or headers should be figured out also to minimize conflicts in that area.

[octanejunkie]

I installed new engine and trans cross members and had a clearance issue up front to fit my cooling fan and aftermarket aluminum radiator; I needed to move my engine as far rearward in the engine bay as possible. I was having a custom drive shaft made so maintaining that measurement was not critical to me.

I did similar to what OrrieG outlined above regarding measurements. I used an engine hoist to suspend the engine in the bay and supported the trans from underneath with a jack and inched everything rearwards, then marked where the engine mounts centered on each frame rail. I triple checked measurements and setup the new cross members to level the carb in both directions, etc.

One thing worth mentioning, the vehicle should be at the stance (suspension and tires) that you want to drive it when you set the carb flange on the intake manifold level. Minor tweeks can be made by adjusting the height of the transmission cross member once the engine is locked down - which I why I landed the transmission last.

[Iceman_70]

I was recently browsing the web looking how I should level my engine and came across the below article, where they are installing an engine and trans in a F**d ... I know it's not our preferred brand, but still usefull...

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/...on-level-best/