Engine location with motor plates

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hemicbx

hemicbx

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I've got a 70 dart drag car. It's a 440 car with elephant ears mounting the engine to the frame rails. There's nothing wrong with the setup and it has run very well in the 10.0 -10.3 neighborhood this way for years & years.

This winter I pulled the motor and one ear was cracked at a water pump bolt hole. No problem, I had it welded up.

However, a few weeks ago another FABO member had a one piece motor plate for sale that I couldn't pass up. It's a nice piece and it's going to work fine for me. I like the idea of the one piece plate across the front of the engine.

Now, I could just lay the individual ears on the new plate, transfer the height and the holes and be very comfortable with that. Like I said, it's run fine for years & years with the motor where those ears had it.

But I just can't help but wondering where the engine really ought to be and checking it. Does anyone have any official crank centerline measurements of where it should be side to side? Or any other guidance, theories, rules on engine placement?

Any input is appreciated.
 
Look up the instructions for TTIs headers. They have the crank centerline instructions. I don't recall offhand.
 
All of the info that you're looking for is in the Mopar chassis manual. When I did my motor plate that's where I got all of my measurements from.

Ted
 
If your headers and steering/chassis stuff clears now then just transfer the dimensions of what you have to the one piece plate. You only really need to worry about exact factory location if you are trying to shoehorn big TTI headers in with a big block. My 499 sat 1/2" higher than stock, per a set of 2 piece mounts I got from Mazzolini. The headers cleared torsion bars and they are huge. I tried a set of 2 1/8" proparts and they would not fit with that plate.

I am in the process now of using those Mazzolini ears to put the motor back in and check that the oil pan, which has a window for the center link to pass through, clears. Then I will cut up a new one piece plate and look for headers again.
 
I like the AR-Engineering plate, it looks really good and seems to automatically put the motor where it needs to be as the plate barely fits between the frame rails.
 
Crankshaft center line is offset 1.25 inches to the passenger side, and 5.25 above the k frame to the center of the crank.
 
there is a reason the ears fell out of favor for the one piece plate years ago. you found it out by the cracked bolt hole. the motor moves from the torque and only the one piece stops it.
 
Your plates cracked from the weight of the engine and tranny being thrust rearward on launch. And then the engine thrusts forward when you let off and get on the brakes. These plates given enough time and stress will fail. Solution? Forward thrust eliminator bars. A mid mount plate helps but it is also working in the same plane as the front engine plate. Front to rear movement has to be eliminated.
 
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I just locked it all in there this weekend. I used the tti instructions as suggested. I redid the steel mount tabs on the frame as well.

Also, as was noted, that hole likely cracked from flexing. I now have lateral limiters from plates on the block mount pad down to the cross member.

Should be doing a first fire up of this motor this weekend then T&T!

Thanks all
 
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