Oil pan hitting the center linkage.

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xLURKxDOGx

xLURKxDOGx

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Just dropped a freshly rebuilt 225 out of a 65 dart into my 63 valiant and the back end and front drivers side corner are hitting. Ive read somewhere that a center linkage from a similar year V8 will work. Does anybody know what year or car that would work for it, im trying to do everything i can to not take it out and get another pan.

Thanks,

Jake
 
I believe the center links are the same size. Most likely it's your pan. I had this problem in my 69 valiant. Turns out the pan is from a truck or something. My temporary solution was to dent the pan so it would fit, but only barely. Now that my engine is out, I'm putting a different pan on.
 
Otateral said:
I believe the center links are the same size. Most likely it's your pan. I had this problem in my 69 valiant. Turns out the pan is from a truck or something. My temporary solution was to dent the pan so it would fit, but only barely. Now that my engine is out, I'm putting a different pan on.
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I thought about doing the same thing but knowing my luck id really F-bomb it up. I have a pan from 198 but im not 100% that it will work. The funny thing is that my girlfriend bought the 63 2 years and was told it was a 225 but it turns out after buying an actual 225 from a 67 dart it was actually a 198, which from my understanding wasnt made until 7 years later. So, im wondering is it possible that they put a different k-frame or just a different oil pan to get it to work on there?
 
There were many different oil pans for the slant 6 to fit in the different bodies.
 
Yea, early ''A'' body 63-66 require a different pan than say 67-72 then 73-76 slight changes have beem made.
 
there is a later model pan that will work (369 ?)-- also you can shim the passenger side motor mount & that will raise the engine up a bit to clear ,while your looking for the center link-- what happened to the pan on the engine removed? -- good luck Lawrence
 
VDART said:
there is a later model pan that will work (369 ?)-- also you can shim the passenger side motor mount & that will raise the engine up a bit to clear ,while your looking for the center link-- what happened to the pan on the engine removed? -- good luck Lawrence
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X2, I made several small square 1/8" thick steel shims for the mounts in my E-body a few years ago, put a couple in each side - made just enough difference to allow clearance.
 
VDART said:
there is a later model pan that will work (369 ?)-- also you can shim the passenger side motor mount & that will raise the engine up a bit to clear ,while your looking for the center link-- what happened to the pan on the engine removed? -- good luck Lawrence
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Its funny you mention the shim. I bought a new motor mount from summit like 8 months ago when i was changing the oil pan gasket on the 198. It turned out that it was almost 1/4" to short, so i had my maintenance guys make me a plate to shim it to about the same height. Can you only shim the passenger side or is it possible to do them both? I feel like shimming it you would put pressure on the drivetrain.

The oil pan on the 198 is all fucked up and is far worse condition than the newer pan. I live in AZ and we have one of the best vintage junkyards that have about 25 A bodies from 62-75. I found a few pans that would work but theyre on the high side (80$) as far as can see but when youve got a monopoly on the market thats how it goes.

Thanks for all the replies!!!
 
How much clearance do you need? If we're talking 1/8 or 1/4 inch to give enough clearance, I'd think shims on both sides would be ok. Can you lift/move the engine while bolted to the mounts and get enough clearance?
 
I had this same problem with a 318 in my 64 valiant. I heated up the pan with a torch and gave it a few solid whacks with the ball peen, problem solved.
 
had that problem im my 66. couple smacks with a heavy ball peen straightened it right out. another option would be to get the right motor mounts. the earlier mounts were taller then the later ones. for some reason when you search them they all say they are/were the same. thats not the case. look up these part numbers on rockauto.com for the right mounts. they will match what was in there originally. A2304 , A2303 you may be able to take these numbers to your local parts store and have them order them.
 
DJC said:
How much clearance do you need? If we're talking 1/8 or 1/4 inch to give enough clearance, I'd think shims on both sides would be ok. Can you lift/move the engine while bolted to the mounts and get enough clearance?
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I ended up shimming the passenger side first and it was real close to clearing so I added another one on the driver side and it cleared by about 3/16. Thanks for every ones responses, it made all the difference!!!


Jake
 
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