Hi Guys I'm new to this site I've recently purchased a 28 model A sedan on a boxed 32 chassis. I've gone with a sbf instead of the usual Chevy I've installed the motor and transmission my problem seems to be the radiator support rods! One is closer to the air cleaner than the other by about .5 inch I've measured everything cannot figure out what's going on here I'm thinking possibly frame is not square I was looking for any help ? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Thanks I've never built a hot rod like this so I'm learning as I go along! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
If the engine is not perfectly level left to right in the frame, it would not take much to make the air cleaner off center by half an inch.
I have a 64 dodge on the lift now and it is an original. The engine is offset 2 inches to the passenger side. That was a common practice.
Thanks for all the responses I will go over everything again I know something is not right. This is the way you learn . This car has no hood or fenders. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
When you installed the engine and transmission, did you offset it to one side a small amount? It seems like an odd thing to not know if you were there. The best thing to do is look at the car from the front, your eyeball will most likely be able to spot what is going on. Use the very center screw hole in the firewall for reference and run a string to the very center of the top of the grille shell. If the string intersects the center of the carburetor, the engine is centered, if not, you should be able to see which way it is off. This should also tell you if your radiator/grille assy is off to one side. Not that moving the engine towards the passengers side is a bad thing. I do it a lot on my cars because there is usually a starter, steering box and header all fighting for space. Keep the engine crank shaft 90 degrees to the rear end axles and you are still cool even if it is schooched over an inch or so. A pic would help bigtime. -Abone.
i bet the body is off a little to one side and/or the shell a little off. if you were using a hood and had aligned it the discrepancy would have been obvious.
I have marked the center of the body, frame x members and shot them with a laser (no sharks) many bodies are not square, and rarely are they perfect side to side cross measure the frame, then measure the engine centerline its very easy to have a body off square with the frame had to shift many of them for hoods to fit, crap I have pushed them over with porta powers for stuff to line up
I took on this project to learn things I never needed to do before. It's easy to walk into a parts store and order 69 Camaro motor mounts and they just bolt in and then you just drop the motor in and your basically done! This is totally different takes planning and mistakes to get this right I'm totally into this to make it right it's not gonna be a ridler car but just a everyday cruiser that I can say I built that with my son and be proud! So taking the time and asking the questions is something I'm good with that's why I joined here thanks guys you have been a tremendous help and I will post pics soon! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
It may not be the engine offset, it could be that one chassis engine mount is lower than the other, (have you tried a level across the inlet manifold??) might only be an 1/8''- 1/4'' or so and that would also put the filter closer to the rad support at that height as well.. Just shim the mount..
Oh dear lord. it all becomes obvious now You never mentioned you had great big funnel things on top of the carbs with air cleaners on top of them. And that's about all I'm gonna say.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when I first started doing engine swaps as a business, questions soon sent me to various car lots etc. with a tape measure, where I found that engines were seldom centered in the frame. I think the most corkscrewed vehicles I know of were first generation 4x4 Dakotas. X, Y and Z are all off a lot. Some suspensions are set up that way, too.
Looks fine to me, - that motor may move a little when running though. Is the air cleaner centered on the motor ? That may be the problem.
Having the engine off center may be a good thing, as some have said. More room for steering, starter etc. on one side. Also, people interested in performance will think about weight distribution. With a big fat driver in the left seat and no passengers on the right, moving engine and transmission over to the right may balance things out a bit. No huge diffrence, but every bit helps.
if the supports rods are the same length, then the radiator/grill shell is crooked. there is more thread showing on the one side.
I wouldn't worry about that little bit.Hell, when you take it apart for paint and re-assemble it , it'll line up different anyway
I would not worry. Take the big flower pots off and put lower air filters on and problem will go away. Obviously you have a good eye for detail.
Chevys don't do that! LOL I just couldn't help my self... Naw, it looks like the rad might be a little off center by the picture.
.... move rad. 1/8' one way ,body 1/8' the other and you done ???? You may have hit on the answer when you said too picky ..I would drive it .. but then again , that just me ...
.... move rad. 1/8' one way ,body 1/8' the other and you done ???? You may have hit on the answer when you said too picky ..I would drive it .. but then again , that just me ... I agree with Larry W. It's not enough to get excited about. If I were to guess where the discrepancy is I would say in the radiator mounting. Again it will probably change when you disassemble, paint and reassemble. Don't worry about it it won't make that much difference..
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