Center link rubs oil pan

[Warhorse]

Friends,
Just noticed the center link on my Charger is rubbing (slightly) on my 6-Qt oil pan. Wondering if I can shim the center link or find a dropped center link. Shimming the motor mounts is NOT an option since hood clearance is already minimal. Ideas?

 

[Kern Dog]

Which 6 quart pan hits?
This is a repro HEMI pan from Mancini.

 

[Kern Dog]

I have easily 3/4" to 7/8" with wheels forward, at turns it closes up to about 1/2".
I'd rather swap pans than to modify the steering. Your motor mounts may be old and sitting a bit compacted?
To do as you suggest in terms of shimming, you theoretically could shim the top bolts of the steering box and then oval out the lower bolt hole for the idler arm. This would allow the center link to clock away from the pan. This will affect the bump steer of the car.

 

[mmissile]

dent the oil pan.

 

[67belvedere/225]

if it can't be fixed with a hammer , it's an electrical problem!

 

[Cornpatch MO]

dent the oil pan.

Then you have trapped oil on the other side of the dent, when you change oil.......................MO

 

[Cornpatch MO]

I had the same problem after installing a 6 qt oil pan. New, but origion unknown. 1/4 " shime under the motor mount does not work. Since it is mounted at an angle. that does not raise the engine 1/4" and the studs out of the rubber part, become to short.
I suggest you get the correct fitting oil pan and save yourself a lot of headache. .............................MO

 

[Cornpatch MO]

I had the same problem after installing a 6 qt oil pan. New, but origion unknown. 1/4 " shime under the motor mount does not work. Since it is mounted at an angle. that does not raise the engine 1/4" and the studs out of the rubber part, become to short.
I suggest you get the correct fitting oil pan and save yourself a lot of headache. .............................MO

BTW, I had fits trying to get the dipstick tube back into the block all the way to get accurate oil level readings. I'm not exactly a rookie, but this simple thing had me so bad, I got someone elses eyes look at it. Turned out to be , the new oil pan rail was partially blocking the dipstick tube hole !!! ..........................MO

 

[Warhorse]

Which 6 quart pan hits?
This is a repro HEMI pan from Mancini.

View attachment 395056 View attachment 395057

My Charger is a fresh resto-mod using a '78 440 and 6-Qt OEM style oil pan Milodon. Since I'm using MOPAR PERF Stage VI heads with an Edelbrock Torker II single plane intake and Thunder Series AVS carb, I have virtually NO hood clearance. Therefore it seems shimming the motor mounts would not be an option. What if I added shims (washer) to the centerlink mounts (idler/steering arms & tie rod ends)? I haven't seen this as an option for some reason.

 

[68bigblock]

My Charger is a fresh resto-mod using a '78 440 and 6-Qt OEM style oil pan Milodon. Since I'm using MOPAR PERF Stage VI heads with an Edelbrock Torker II single plane intake and Thunder Series AVS carb, I have virtually NO hood clearance. Therefore it seems shimming the motor mounts would not be an option. What if I added shims (washer) to the centerlink mounts (idler/steering arms & tie rod ends)? I haven't seen this as an option for some reason.

View attachment 396263

i can't see in your pic but I've seen the center link installed wrong, end for end which puts it high towards the motor.

 

[khryslerkid]

As far as useing a shim for lowering the center link, it would have to be at the idler arm and pitman arm. They both use a tapered fit and a shim there would disrupt a tight fit that wouldn't be good.
See how squashed your mounts are. Maybe look at the trans mount to shim as long as it wouldn't change the driveshaft angle too much.

Looks like you have the same pan as I'm useing in my '62. Not looking forward to having any issues reading about this here and there. I haven't installed the engine yet.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Running into similar situation on the red GTX. Centerlink is hitting the Miloden 7 quart pan at full lock right turn. It actually pushes the engine forward an inch or so. The steering would go left 2 and a half turns from center. Then 2 turns right from center. Well that was an alignment issue and an alignment was done. The center link still hits the pan and still shoves the engine forward. On another note just installed new upper control arms. But that should have nothing to do with it since it was doing it before.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Don't know if anyone suggested this shim the trans mount?

 

[steve340]

The centre link should be parallel for the steering to work correctly. Start there.
Try a measurement from the torsion bar to the steering, it should be the same measurement.
It looks wrong in your pic you may have the wrong bend on your idler arm.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

He brought the car by today I had another look. Here is the kicker.. I installed the upper control arms. Each was marked L and R when he got here I looked again. Apparently CPP stamped the L one wrong. I have two right hand control arms the bump stop pad on the passenger side lines up with the bump stop. The driver side is on the back side of the control arm. I feel like a dumbass for not noticing that at the time. The control arms were purchased through Summit.

 

[khryslerkid]

He brought the car by today I had another look. Here is the kicker.. I installed the upper control arms. Each was marked L and R when he got here I looked again. Apparently CPP stamped the L one wrong. I have two right hand control arms the bump stop pad on the passenger side lines up with the bump stop. The driver side is on the back side of the control arm. I feel like a dumbass for not noticing that at the time. The control arms were purchased through Summit.

View attachment 774717 View attachment 774719

Just read almost the same thing happening to another member on here. They got installed on the wrong sides. But that was a Mexican garage. No joke!

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Just read almost the same thing happening to another member on here. They got installed on the wrong sides. But that was a Mexican garage. No joke!

Well they were marked left and right. I just failed to notice the bump stop landing. Until he brought it back over..

 

[miller]

I can't tell by your photo, so I'll ask. Looking at the center link, from underneath, the way the bends are, center of the center link should be towards the rear. Is it?

 

[ckessel]

Are the two arms new replacements? They may be the culprit. On my 65 Coronet, 440 w/2" TTI's, everything cleared until I put a fresh Firm Feel box in, to replace the old mushy leaker, plus added a new standard replacement MOOG arm on. The arm hit the headers. Didn't have that issue before. Had to do the two hammer thump on one tube. Your arms may be a different length or bend which may be your interference issue. Plus what one of the other posters said, it might be flipped or that pan may not be spot on.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

From the back of the pan rail to the sump area it is 8 inches. On my 440 with the 187 oil pan I have 11 inches from the back rail to the rear of the sump. His 440 with that I think Milodon pan is ridiculous. Those extra 3 inches would clear with no problem. Hell hes not a racer so why have that goofy pan on the car anyhow.