Hot Rods 54 Ford Customline help

Thanks, it’s a good start...has a family history. Hopefully my location shows, wasn’t sure how to set this thing up...but I’m in Texas, Houston area.

 

Photos are very good.

Phil

 

Hopefully that lowered center/drag link is my answer.. and it’s easy pickings to fab that verses altering the oil pan or firewall.

 

Jeff, No the oil pick-up is just fine you don't have to do a thing to it. In one of your post you mention an inch is all you need, sorry but that is just not the way it works, you will need more than an inch. Also the dropped link you show in that picture is the Hurst dropped center link. I looked for one for over a year with no luck. Welding on your stock center link and dropping it is not going to be for the faint of heart. It will require a little more than just dropping it. The tie rod ends that connect to it will also hit the pan if you just drop your stock center link.

From what I have found the Hurst center link came in a kit, it is more than just the center link. Going the pan route is not that big of a deal...

 

I was wondering about that because in that pic, it looks like the tie rods are bowed a bit. So I wasn’t sure if that was something that also was needed to clear something. You would happen to have a pic of the pan you fabricated?

 

Jeff, I din't really do the picture thing when I was building all of this crap. Now with that said I will be happy to take pictures for you tomorrow and post them up. I will take some of the underside as well, it is still on the lift and shows a little better the problems, I will also take some of the pan I sacrificed as maybe that will help as well.

 

Thanks, that would be awesome, I also did find a moroso part #20212 that is a notched rear sump pan that may work. But it would be cool to see what you did. Might save a bunch of money to just buy a new, raw, unpainted pan and just do the fab work.

 

Jeff, The Moroso #20212 pan is sadly not going to work either, you see you need the room in the very bottom and rear of the pan. The Moroso is in the front of the pan. Now what you may be able to do is slide the motor waaaay back get it real low and then maybe that pan would work. Now think about how you are going to rebuild the firewall and the tranny hump and some of the floors if you get the engine far back enough to use the Moroso 20212. Man I'm telling you It's that damn center link!!!

Jeff I am telling you I researched this engine swap for almost a year trying to figure out how to deal with that center link. I have looked at every oil pan every made for a Small Block Chevy. It's cut and dice I am afraid.

 

Curious to see how you deal with this, I have a friend with a '54 and a huge pile of Chevy parts that wants to swap also.

 

I have in the past(like 30 years ago) fab a new center link. I did rework the pan a few times but when I got a good final fit, it would leak. Maybe it was because I was using a dipstick for a welding rod.

 

Exactly ford in a ford.

 

This thread has some info, see post #7:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/shoebox-ford-dropped-center-link-help.695301/

Phil

 

Jeff; No I didn't alter my pan on this car. I went Nova on the chassis, seemed to cure many issues all at one time. Wish I had photos from a few jobs from years past. I have built my own dropped center link many times as well as a mod to the pan to do this swap. Along with the center link mod I would wedge the side of the pan to gain turn radi. back. It also required a short oil filter or remote unit. I also seem to remember something about the Starter. Maybe that was the turn limiter, maybe I'm remembering a different project. When the M-2 fits all junk first started I installed a few of them but I expected more than just a height change, I wanted the Cars I built for Customers to handle well also. M-2 does not fill the order. Wish we had had all this digital stuff 40 years ago.

 

Here is a do it yourself dropped center link "how to":
http://grannys.tripod.com/centerlink.html

Phil

 

Post #11 has some good photos of link you need to have fabricated:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/shoebox-ford-dropped-center-link-help.695301/

Phil

 

In 1961 the chevy swap into his 54 would have made sense, in 2019 not so much.

 

The 53 and 54 Ford front suspensions are entirely different.

I have used a lot of Chevy engines in early Fords over the years simply because they fit and ease of instillation and that's precisely why I used a Ford 302 in our '54, ease of installation, so ease my granddaughter could do it. HRP

 

L.o.L, We do what we do because that's what we want not because it makes sense.

 

I guess I didn't phrase that right, huh?
The two comments weren't connected- I meant that putting a GM clip would solve the problem, not putting the older Ford clip in. Then I went on to point out the lack of availability of parts for his car.

 

The sub frames & clip threads don't last long on the hamb, the moderators will delete them in a heart beat. HRP

 

This is the reason I don't go into details about my 51 Vicky. Also, the main reason for what I did to it was that the Frame I used had taken a Hard hit and then left to the elements. This was the most sensible solution next to letting it remain Scrap Iron.

 

OK Jeff lets try and do this picture thing.


This picture is from the front showing were the center link is as compared to the oil pan. Notice that is the stock tranny cross member in the stock location for the three speed that was in this car. All I did there was box it and add the mount for the TH350.



This one shows the center link tie rod end at full lock, as you can see it is very close to the pan. The post by pprather showing how to fab a dropped center link just will not work in this case, there is just not enough room.



Here is the drivers side tie rod, here this is quite a bit more room at opposite full lock.



This one shows the center link in reference to the pan when the steering wheel is pointed straight ahead. Picture is a little deceiving but there is a minimum of 3/4" clearance all around the link.

 

Ok some more pictures I was running out of room in the other post.

This picture shows how close the center link is to the flex plate at full lock. You can see there is no room to move the engine any further forward.



This is the pan I sacrificed in figuring out were to make the cuts. Must have trimmed and cut this thing a dozen times before I got it right.





This is the inside of the pan the shelf is pretty close to the oil pump body on the bottom, the pick-up when installed is in the exact same spot in the sump as stock.

Hope this give you a little bit of an idea of what is and is not. Now I got to pull all of this stuff clean it up paint and get ready for the finale install.

 

some great info there. the only thing I would do is clean up a spot on the old drag link and shoot it with a PMI gun to analyze the material of the original link. I would find it hard to believe that they used a standard carbon steel to make the original. I bet it is at least a forged high carbon or a 4130 material to handle the stress. I'm sure it would have to be hardened, to keep it ridged and not bend? but that defiantly looks like a good way to go. and I bet you could lower the inner tie rod holes to keep them from causing a lack of steering movement. from the pic I posted earlier, it looks like the drop link will clear the pan but not a lot of room before the inner tie rod hits when turning the wheels all the way.

 

that's a good way to go as long as I wouldn't need to alter my pick up. for some reason messing with pick up locations bother me. with your engine in that location, can you fit an HEI distributer in you firewall?

 

Jeff, I could fit two HEI distributors in there if I wanted to. Plenty of room from the firewall.

 

Laughable...Fighting to get around (even eliminate!) the Ford tube member and superior suspension/steering.
F-E sits right on the mounts, 80 lbs. heavier than the Chevy that doesn't fit.
"Graft a Mustang ll???" Might as well slide a VW under there...
Do some reading about Fords '54-'60. The design of the chassis is light years ahead of 'Shoebox Tech'.
Imitate Hot Rod Primer's '54. It's just right.

 

Just break down and out a damn ford in the car like it came out and you would not be having any issues. Buy a roller motor 302 out of an explorer and be done. They will run forever and have plenty of power. Like I've said Ford in a Ford.

 

This can be a scary driver doing this . I would advise against this at any costs . The steering angles are serious handling issues if incorrect . If you do decide to do this study and verify you retained correct geomentry . Safety First

 

Got it, ford in a ford...but that is the beauty of hot rodding...I can do what I want to whatever I want..its all about making what you have work. I don’t have an endless budget and I’m using the motor I have. I’m sure some of the purists get upset about a non matching combo but so be it....I’ll stick a Chevy motor in a shopping car if I feel it’s cool and makes me happy..I have run Chevy motors in every build I have done because I grew up on them, like them and stick with them. It’s part of the challenge of building a rod and the fun of a challenge that not everyone would t

looks like you have a good fix by altering the oil pan. I’ll have to figure out the route I want to go. The oil pan is definitely an option and I’m also considering the drop drag link. However, the drop drag link worries me only because it puts the center/drag below the crossmember and it is prone to dragging on the ground. I spoke to a guy who did it in the past and he fabricated a skid plate on the crossmember to avoid damaging the drag link in the event of bottoming out. I don’t see how changing the shape of the drag link would change the front end geometry as all the holes for the steering arm, tie rods and idler arm remain in the same location. So I guess for now I’m down to 2 options and depending on the amount of work and expense verses practicality, I will have to see what wins out. I’m still waiting to hear back from Butch’s In Ohio. His kit for putting the Chevy in the 54 requires dropping the drag link an inch. Maybe because it’s more simple than cutting the pan? Not sure. Both seem like a viable option...