The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Help with engine and linkage

I am working on a 50 Chevy 3100 Truck. Putting in a Vortec 350 and a new steering column with a column shifter, so shift linkage will be in front of the firewall and behind the engine block. I also have a frame mounted brake pedal, and mustang 2 rack and pinion steering. My question is has anybody ever used this combination and if so how did you do your steering shaft and linkage to clear the engine, since the engine has to sit so far back towards the firewall? Any help would be appreciated.

You can drive a truck thru that space. Don't see any problem. Seems like a "simple" from-to linkage design. If I'm looking at your actual situation. Be sure to tell us someday if it's an automatic or stick shift. Looks like automatic which is the easiest of the two by far.

Steering? Is this a picture of your truck? Is the steering shaft just hanging there? Is that your motor and is it already mounted?

You may have to use a couple of u-joints on the steering. No problem, it’s been done thousands of times. As bartamos said the shift linkage has tons of room.🛠

Yeah this is the truck. Sorry, it is an automatic yes. And the linkage is not just hanging there. Problem is the motor is gonna have to be set back further towards the firewall in order to get the radiator in. Which changes things.

It’s an automatic. And the motor has to be push back towards firewall in order to get radiator in.

My steering column will be an issue once the engine is set back closer to the firewall.

You are going to have a tough time getting your steering to work around with those headers.
I am also curious why there is a giant gap between the block and firewall. Where is your radiator located?

My steering column will be an issue once the engine is set back closer to the firewall.

The engine needs moved back for clearance for the radiator. And the radiator goes up in front of engine like normal. But once we move engine back it creates a problem with the steering.

Myself and many others have small block V8's in our AD trucks. Mine is a 52 panel and I have enough room for the big distributor and room to get my hand around it.
Did you fabricate a cross member seeing as how you said a stang II rack and pinion??
I used a motor mount kit from Classic Parts and ran my steering shaft thought my inner fender to a steering box I mounted on the outside of my frame.
Some folks use a 265 header on the driver side to get around the steering issue and there may be other remedies. If you can see photobucket pics check out my panel link below my signature line....or the other one is a google link that you can see.
I'd suggest doing a little more research before you have firewall/engine problems.

(FYI...I used my straight axle and put on power steering. Works great)

The shift linkage is simple- - - -use a cable from the column bellcrank to the transmission. Now, take those headers off and throw them as far away as possible, and get a set of rams' horn exhaust manifolds. It will make the steering shaft much easier to route.
Jerry

Don't understand showing a pic that is not accurate to the question. Wait until you mock in the motor and tranny to the exact location and then plan the ancillaries. You will have lots of issues just doing that.

We don't see the destination of the steering shaft at the rack. You don't have to worry about the steering. The motor must go in, and you have a rack and column installed, so you WILL find a way.

You don't know what fab is needed until you see how much room there is to design. The first step is to MOCK it all up. Then think and ask. Take off the shaft and Ujoint and save for later.

Sorry about the pictures. It will not let me fix them now. Thanks

Be very careful about angles in the steering shaft U joints. I did a pre-purchase inspection on a ridiculously expensive resto-mod project that an overseas buyer was interested in, and the steering tried to lock up every half turn of the wheel because they got the angles too extreme on the steering shaft. They were trying to clear a set of block hugger headers. Just because you can flex a universal joint into an extreme angle doesn't mean it will work that way.
Jerry

Biggest problem is brake pedal clearance to the back of the engine.

The gap is due to the fact the engine still needs to be moved back. Radiator of course will be in front where it should be. Biggest problem is brake pedal clearance.

Motor is obviously getting moved back. Biggest problem is brake pedal clearance.

Trying to up your post count? Posting the same statement 3 different times with a word or two changed is really not necessary.

If you post pics of whatever "frame mounted brake pedal" you have, we can offer help. We don't know if you have stock or aftermarket. You my have to offset motor 1 1/2" to passenger side. You need to start placing motor near final location to be able to consider your options. It's good to anticipate the issues. But to get answers, suggestions and ideas, you must locate motor and trans by hanging off a cherry picker or any other method. You may have to bend brake linkage, relocate master cylinder or redesign somewhat. Keeping the motor high, as long as pinion angles and radiator centering are OK, is gong to help. So get busy and post plenty of pics.

I got news for you, your brake pedal is not your biggest challenge.

What is your experience level with mechanical items and V8 swaps?

Right now you are trying to figure out things before you have anything to measure. Before you see the magnitude of each challenge.

As Jerry says, the nice chrome headers may not be possible. Take them off during motor location.
What exactly is this Mustang II steering? Did you graph in a mustang front end or what? Where is the pinion connection relative to motor/exhaust? Lets get the information flowing on your end.

http://www.borgeson.com/Designing/basic.html

No not at all Sir. Some aren’t reading what the post says. Wow

Thanks! It’s notmletting me post another pic

OK, Bye Bye now. Y'all have fun.

Not sure why you are unable to post another photo. It’s time to slow down and take a deep breath. Help is here but as you have found out it will save a lot of back and forth if we can address one issue at a time. It’s much easier to address one issue per thread ie; steering in one thread and brake pedal in its own thread. Much less frustration on everyone’s part. Once you get the big parts located where they are going to live then try photos again. If you have to, start a google photo account or Imgur account and post links.

If you are having an issue with clearing the stock brake pedal, then you do not have the engine located properly. Probably too high.
I am guessing that you may have bit off a bigger chunk than what you are able handle at this point. Mustang front end, hugger headers, engine not located properly. That is a lot.
I wish that I could help you more, but it is hard to do via communicating across fricken outer space on the Wild Wild World of Web.
All I can do is suggest that you take a step back, take a deep breathe through your nose and exhale through your mouth, and throw a tool or two.
Number one - get the engine located properly. It should be low enough so that the transmission just clears the original riveted on crossmember (assuming you have an automatic). And you should just be able fit your hand between a full sized HEI distributor and the firewall.
Number two - lose the headers and go with either ramshorns (the small ones, not the Corvette ones), or 265 manifolds. You need more room for your steering.
Carl