drag link issues with charlies oil pan and girdle

[stage3]

ready to install new motor in my 1963 plymouth , currently a 68 440 block no girdle with appx 1/4" clearance between drag link and charlie's oil pan thru oil pan hole..New motor with girdle will drop it down appx 3/8 inch..no good.

what have u guys done ? mill the drag link .250 on top ? install a differant drag link with a differant offset ? aluminum oil pan..thanks. picture is for referance only but its still the same.

 

[R413]

On motor plates? Raise the engine to clear? Causes other problems, I realize.

Headers
Scoop
Weight transfer
Driveline angles
Etc. etc.

easier to get a pan made, or modify that one.

 

[BanginGears]

Shim up the motor plate on frame rail. I used metal shims.

 

[stage3]

motor plate is already welded in where as i'm just swapping in new engine and the new heads already raise the intake a 1/2".. so its either modify the pan tunnel or like someone else has done, mill .250 off the top of the drag link ... mostly street driven car..if i do that i would be inclined to weld a V shaped stiffener to the bottom side of it...was wondering who else mite have done any of this...

 

[BanginGears]

Motor plate should be bolted in place not welded in place.

 

[stage3]

The motor plate mounts r welded in by previous owner. not the plate itself..........

 

[Endangered Species]

Stage III This is grasping at straws but did you try rotating your drag link? If I remember you can put them in two different ways.

 

[R413]

Stage III This is grasping at straws but did you try rotating your drag link? If I remember you can put them in two different ways.

Not happening

The drag link only goes on one way, the holes are tapered for the studs to go through.

If you did flip it over it would get Higher in the car.

 

[dvw]

How close is it? Can you add a shim between the trans and the the mount? Would have to reset pinion angle. But that's no a big deal.
Doug

 

[stage3]

the drag link is in correctly, u shape facing down and forward..removing headers today to get a more presice measurement on the clearance it has now with No girdle,,With a pan gasket installed now, it looks like its slightly more than .250..so if i install the pan with No gasket, just silicone it mite clear..maybe run a grinder across the top drag link removing minimal material to be sure ? i thought about raising the rear transmission mount also,,,but to correct any pinion angle wouldnt that require cutting off the rearend pads again ? thanks.

 

[dvw]

the drag link is in correctly, u shape facing down and forward..removing headers today to get a more presice measurement on the clearance it has now with No girdle,,With a pan gasket installed now, it looks like its slightly more than .250..so if i install the pan with No gasket, just silicone it mite clear..maybe run a grinder across the top drag link removing minimal material to be sure ? i thought about raising the rear transmission mount also,,,but to correct any pinion angle wouldnt that require cutting off the rearend pads again ? thanks.

You can shim the rear axle pads with tapered shims. In my experience moving the trans mount doesn't change the pinion angle very much. The rear angle nearly follows the the front because the front of the driveshaft is being raised.
Doug

 

[stage3]

up date,,headers r now removed for engine extraction tomorrow morning,,with them out of the way was able to mic it,,.490 clearance between drag link and top of pan tunnel with pan installed with a gasket on old motor,, ,,so as far as the new motor setup leaves enough room for the hughes .250 girdle (which is siliconed directly to the block,no gasket) and probably my cometic pan gasket which is very thin, rubber type coated steel. Or no gasket also just silicone ? being its coated steel i dont think it would be any easier to remove than no gasket........... thanks.

 

[BanginGears]

How close is it? Can you add a shim between the trans and the the mount? Would have to reset pinion angle. But that's no a big deal.
Doug

By doing that I think it's going to make the clearance even worse He needs to go the other way. Unless I'm missing something.

 

[dvw]

By doing that I think it's going to make the clearance even worse He needs to go the other way. Unless I'm missing something.

The drag link is hitting the upper portion of the draglink clearance hole. Therefore the hole which is attached to the engine needs to go up.
Doug

 

[BanginGears]

The drag link is hitting the upper portion of the draglink clearance hole. Therefore the hole which is attached to the engine needs to go up.
Doug

Correct so if you shim the transmission mount,it's bringing the engine and transmission down making it worse.

Edit... if you are raising the transmission, it's lowering the engine .
If you are lowering the transmission, this will in deed raise the engine and give you more room in the centerlink.

 

[Fran Blacker]

The engine plate is the center of the axis and you raise the trans mount how does engine and trans go down beats me.

 

[stage3]

if i shim the rear of transmission in the cup holder it will raise it up...which is what would need to happen..but i think i am o.k.,,,i think i need to find a paper thin gasket though if i ever want to remove the pan again.cometic says no sealer needed, am i gun shy on this 1 ?

 

[Gabby63]

if i shim the rear of transmission in the cup holder it will raise it up...which is what would need to happen..but i think i am o.k.,,,i think i need to find a paper thin gasket though if i ever want to remove the pan again.cometic says no sealer needed, am i gun shy on this 1 ?

Hello , might also be smart to check full turning radius before calling it good . Turn complete left & right motion to also make sure it clears . Gary

 

[stage3]

Hello , might also be smart to check full turning radius before calling it good . Turn complete left & right motion to also make sure it clears . Gary

did that,,when it turns left and right the drag link goes lower thru-out the turning radious...its at its highest when centered...thanks.

 

[dvw]

I've used Ultra grey on pans with no gasket. Seals fine but tough to get apart later.
Doug