Does anyone make motor mounts to lower an engine?

[YerDugliness]

I'd like to use a high-rise Performer RPM Air Gap intake manifold and my current K&N X-Stream filter on my Cobra replica ( http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...x?Prod=66-3150 ), but there is only about 1/8" clearance between the top of the air cleaner and the underside of the hood scoop right now with the Edelbrock Performer intake and Edelbrock carb. I guess I could use a drop-base air cleaner base, but I'd rather be able to use the stock Edelbrock base, which is only slightly raised but nicely radiused. The current base is not raised or radiused.

Does anyone make motor mounts that will lower an engine? I've thought about having new brackets welded to the frame to fit standard motor mounts, but if anyone knows of mounts that lower the engine, I'd rather try them first.

In the past I was successful in slightly lowering a 351-C that I stuffed into a Maverick by slotting the holes for the mount bolts, but I don't think that will be enough this time.

Just FYI, the current motor is an 8.2" SBF, a 1989 Mustang GT 5.0 that has been switched from EFI to carb.

The rear end is a Ford 9" mounted by a parallel 4-bar system. The bars all have adjustable ends, so the pinion angle can be adjusted rather easily if need be.

Thanks for any information you can provide or any suggestions you might have.

Cheers from Dugly

[PANAVIA]

This gets tricky, if you lower the engine, you either need to also lower the trans or your pinion angles get goofy.

If you indeed want to do this, I would suggest figuring out exactly how much room you need, then add a margin for error.

Make friends with a local hotrod , motorcycle or truck shop. They should be able to help you weld up some custom sub mounts to accomplish your goal

[Excaliber]

I'm running a high rise and the intake/carbs/air cleaners JUST barely fit. I've tried a couple of things. Raising or lowering the rear trans mount can work all right, pinion angles change very little. But the difference in that rear carb hieght sure changes! Depending on the trans (top loader or TKO600, I've run both) I had to ADD hieght to the top loader and REMOVE hieght for the TKO.

Where it really gets tricky is the side pipe exit through the hole in the body!! With engine torque the headers can rub the lower portion, so you might have to consider solid engine mounts.

Try this: Simply unbolt the trans mount or remove it for more clearance and useing a floor jack move the rear of the trans up or down to see what you get. Thats what I did, and then took some measurments for the trans mount "thick sleeve of aluminum" between the trans and the mount. Or, remove the "shim" or modify the trans mount to get it lower (which I had to do for the TKO). I never messed with the motor mounts at all.

From what I've seen, trans mounts are not always the exact same hieght, it depends on who made it and where you got it, I guess...

[CHANMADD]

That sounds like a lot of work on the bottom when the problem is at the top.
Trim the base of the airfilter by 1/4 inch and it will atill have nice Radius.

[Clois Harlan]

I believe the motor mounts (engine and transmission) on a convertable are about 1/2" lower. But, keep in mind the issues raised in the above threads will come into play. Make sure your pinion angle is not compromised.

Clois

[mikeforte]

Hi Dugly,
From what I read below your trying to get more hood clearance. I sell a 14" x 3" tall filter assembly that is about 1/2" above the air hord of a Holley carb. This filter assembly almost covers a Holley carb it is so low.
I stock these and can post a picture from work on Monday.

Originally Posted by YerDugliness

I'd like to use a high-rise Performer RPM Air Gap intake manifold and my current K&N X-Stream filter on my Cobra replica ( http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...x?Prod=66-3150 ), but there is only about 1/8" clearance between the top of the air cleaner and the underside of the hood scoop right now with the Edelbrock Performer intake and Edelbrock carb. I guess I could use a drop-base air cleaner base, but I'd rather be able to use the stock Edelbrock base, which is only slightly raised but nicely radiused. The current base is not raised or radiused.

Does anyone make motor mounts that will lower an engine? I've thought about having new brackets welded to the frame to fit standard motor mounts, but if anyone knows of mounts that lower the engine, I'd rather try them first.

In the past I was successful in slightly lowering a 351-C that I stuffed into a Maverick by slotting the holes for the mount bolts, but I don't think that will be enough this time.

Just FYI, the current motor is an 8.2" SBF, a 1989 Mustang GT 5.0 that has been switched from EFI to carb.

The rear end is a Ford 9" mounted by a parallel 4-bar system. The bars all have adjustable ends, so the pinion angle can be adjusted rather easily if need be.

Thanks for any information you can provide or any suggestions you might have.

Cheers from Dugly

[Excaliber]

Buying a new air filter assembly or modifying an existing one isn't always the best solution, hence, the suggestion concerning the trans mount to gain clearance vs the motor mounts.

[Jerry Clayton]

You can gring off some material where the mounts fasteb to your block---since the 302 mounts are square to the world vs at an angle you can easily and safly take 1/4 inch off there--you might have to use shorter bolts so as to not bottom out in the holes

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by Clois Harlan

I believe the motor mounts (engine and transmission) on a convertable are about 1/2" lower. But, keep in mind the issues raised in the above threads will come into play. Make sure your pinion angle is not compromised.

Clois

Thanks for this info, Clois! It may well solve my problem without necessitating adjustments to the parallel 4-bar rear suspension to re-orient the pinion angle. I do have an inclinometer somewhere, so I can make the adjustment if needed, but lowering the engine and transmission equal amounts may well negate the need for that. I have asked a friend from the GT40's forum to pull parts at the Ford dealership in which he works and see if there is indeed a difference between a sedan and convertible.

Originally Posted by Jerry Clayton

You can gring off some material where the mounts fasteb to your block---since the 302 mounts are square to the world vs at an angle you can easily and safly take 1/4 inch off there--you might have to use shorter bolts so as to not bottom out in the holes

Thanks for the suggestion, Jerry....this was the route I used when I lowered the 351-C in that Maverick.

I've done the math and according to Edelbrock's pad height formula I need 0.775" additional clearance to switch out the intake manifolds only. If I can get 0.5" from the convertible motor mounts and 0.25" from grinding some material off the motor mounts, perhaps there is enough clearance to make the switch....I can grind off a new set of motor mounts and put them on the Cobra without removing anything and check the new clearance dimension with some modeling clay before I even need to order the manifold.

Just curious, I do have a Holley 600CFM vacuum secondary carb....does anyone know off the top of their head whether the Holley carb is "taller" than the Edelbrock? If the Holley carb is "shorter", I could gain additional clearance by switching out the carb...I just hate to do so if I don't need to absolutely do so, the engine runs so strong with the Edelbrock, no bogging, no problems of any kind.

Originally Posted by mikeforte

Hi Dugly,
From what I read below your trying to get more hood clearance. I sell a 14" x 3" tall filter assembly that is about 1/2" above the air hord of a Holley carb. This filter assembly almost covers a Holley carb it is so low.
I stock these and can post a picture from work on Monday.

Thank you, Mike....do you also stock a 9" dropped filter model? Actually, all I would need would be the dropped base plate as I already have the 9"X3" K&N filter and the X-Stream filter top. I have resisted using a dropped base b/c I figure it will result in increased restriction, requiring the air to make a sudden change of direction, but if all else fails I think I might well be able to manage with the additional filter area of the K&N's X-Stream filter top. The current filter really fills out the area under the hood scoop, so I'm not sure how much flow I can count on from the X-Stream filter top with it being so close to the underside of the hood scoop.


I'll have to check out what effect the 3/4" drop has on the headers....that may be a problem or it may not. I can shim the "rear mount" where the back of the headers attach to the frame easily enough.

Thanks for the suggestions and information, all....anyone else have any ideas?

Cheers from Dugly !!

[mikeforte]

Hi Dugly,
The drop based 14" air filter assembly is the smallest it can be. The size of a Holley dual feed carb requires a 14" filter assembly for the drop based filter to fit over the carb.

[YerDugliness]

Thanks, Mike....now I understand. I really think that there might well be a small Holley double pumper with center-mounted floats in the future for this engine, so your point is well taken.

If the motor-mount suggestions don't work, I may be getting in touch with you. I have a good deal of $$ invested in the current 9" K&N (this one: http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...x?Prod=66-3150 ), so I'd like to use that, but a 14" drop base with a K&N filter and one of their 14" X-Stream filter-tops might well do the trick http://www.knfilters.com/universal/X-stream.htm . I've been using the current 9" b/c it fits between the sides of the hood scoop, allowing it to sit up in the hood scoop. I was hoping to take advantage of the more vertical airflow allowed by the X-Stream filter-top. A new filter will certainly be cheaper than taking the Cobra to a shop and turning them loose with cutting torches and welders!

Thanks. You may well be hearing back from me, yet!

Cheers from Dugly

[Barry_R]

When you're only looking for another 1/8 of an inch it's sometimes easier to find .040" in three places. Consider milling only .040 or .060 from the carb pad on the new intake - nominal if any impact on carb mounting or performance. Thin carb .030 gaskets are readily available - lots of guys normally run the nicer thick ones, but they are .060 or more. Air cleaner gaskets are the same way. The plastic/foam uppers and lowers on air cleaner elements are ripe for trimming with zero impact on filter sealing or function. There have been more than a couple cases where I found a cheap, quick and easy 1/4 inch or more for guys with combinations that "did not fit"....

[YerDugliness]

Like the idea of getting a small amount milled from the carb pad! If the motor mounts are really worth .5" and grinding another .25", then all I need is .025"....that's practically NOTHING, and might be possible with the aircleaner/carb gaskets.

Keep in mind that the .775" is just what I need to be able to mount the Air Gap manifold with the current Edelbrock carb and X-Stream filter, but not using the raised/radiused base that came with the X-Stream, using a different flat/not radiused base. I might be able to get that K&N air cleaner base in with all these hints....

Thanks, and keep 'em coming, guys!

[Edit--getting closer! Current filter is 2.75" tall, and I found a 9" diameter K&N filter in a 2" height...not listed on the X-Stream page, but when I did a search by dimension I found this:

http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...px?Prod=E-3527

So, things are looking up!]

Cheers from Dugly