shift rod to engine bar clearance problems, tailshift to sideshift conversion Options

[mightyohm]

My car is a 72 with a sideshift conversion (done long before I bought the car). The engine mount bar originally had the ends chopped down to raise the motor, apparently so that the shift rod would clear the bar in 4th/5th gear. I need to lower the motor to get my 2.0L airbox to fit, so I am putting in a stock engine mount bar, and now the shift rod rubs a little bit when I try to shift into 4th or 5th.

Do the tailshift cars have the shift rod up higher on the firewall than sideshift cars? I had never heard that before but bondo says he thinks he has heard of this issue before. I can't imagine that I am the only person to run into this clearance issue if this is true.

I managed to bend the rod a bit by pulling down on it but I'd like to get a little more clearance. I'm not sure how easy it will be to bend the shift rod more without making a jig to keep the ends in the right alignment. Has anyone done this before?

[Brando]

Did you get a side-shift engine bar? they are significantly different between side-shift and tail-shift bars.

[mightyohm]

Did you get a side-shift engine bar? they are significantly different between side-shift and tail-shift bars.

Both bars are definitely sideshift.

[Dr Evil]

Did you get a side-shift engine bar? they are significantly different between side-shift and tail-shift bars.

Both bars are definitely sideshift.

Oh? Do they have the hole that the bar passes through? You should not be having this problem if all the parts are right, maybe you need to bend yer bar?

[Dave_Darling]

Do you still have the rubber mounts on the outer ends of the bar? If so, you might want to replace them with the stock late-style metal mounts. (Just some U-channel cut so it fits in the "pod", with a hole in the middle and holes for the two mounting bolts.) The early rubber mounts drop the bar too low and you get interference with the shift rod.

Clay tells me you can get more clearance by turning the rubber mounts upside down. No clue if it works, but that's what he has said. Should be cheaper and easier than buying or fabbing the metal ones.

BTW, it was good to see you and Kylie this weekend! Lisa says hi, too!

--DD

[rhodyguy]

huh..the late style rubber mounts have a squared portion of the threaded shaft where they fit into the engine to bar brackets. the inboard rubber mounts are the same thickness no matter what orientation you have them in. the squared portion locks the mount to the bracket so you can tighten the top nut. if you don't have the correct brackets that could be your prob too. rear rod goes thru the large hole in the mount bar. you need all the correct items to make the conversion work smoothly. the solid outboard mounts are pretty cheap @ the bird. why mess with used ones that are more often than not all bent up, with wallowed out holes? they can cock the bar. i like new when ever i can afford it. the less hassles the better.

[Dave_Darling]

The ones you would turn upside-down are the outboard ones at the ends of the engine bar. The same ones that were, in stock later cars, replaced with solid metal bits.

--DD

[rhodyguy]

ok, now i get it. i wonder if both style mounts are being used at the same time? time for jeff to investigate. given the price of the early bar outboard mounts, i would avoid having to use them like the plague.

k

[mightyohm]

The inside mounts are stock. The outside mounts have been upgraded to the late style U channel type (no rubber mounts) and appear to be correct. I don't want to raise the bar since I need the clearance in the engine compartment. The PO had hacked off the uprights at the ends of the bar in order to raise the bar (and the motor) relative to the chassis, this created the needed clearance for the shift rod.

Last night I ended up taking the shift rod out and putting a very small bend in it. Now it clears just fine and I can still hit all gears so I think I did good. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

It's possible that my shift rod was bent to start with and that is why I am having issues. But after talking to Royce (bondo) he had me convinced that the early cars have the shift rod coming out of the firewall at a slightly higher position and this was a known issue for V8 conversions.