I'd like to know that the engine carrier is straight. I'm not sure how easy it is to twist. Is there a way to dimensionally check it?

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One more question, I also noticed on the right side of the engine bay where the mount is good, there was a 1" depression. The car is not plumbed for AC but this engine had the AC pulley installed. When the compressor was on the engine, would they push this are in the engine bay for any extra clearance? I'm just wondering if the engine had the compressor on it when they pushed it in.


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Thanks,

Dave

@daveb

I clamp the center section in a firmly mounted vice. I put two bolts thru the motor mount holes. Then two sections of threaded rod in each of the end of bar bolts. Sight from each end bolt to the center bolts. Bend as needed with a pipe wrench or a pipe slid over the endof the bar. They are soft iron and not that hard to bend. If it is twisted you can spot it. All of the bolts should be in line.

that does not look right.

(and given what else you have discovered with the car ---- whoa).

its an interesting piece of metal. cast? hard to straighten i think?
hard to know what exact process was used originally to make.
perhaps its forged given what it has to do.
you need a welder mate or a metal man to tell you before you go at it.
i'd ask my father for you but he has left the building sadly. a top ticket welder.

Thank you Bruce for this information. I don't think that my bar is bent, but now I know how to check it, and fix it if it is!

A question on the sighting and alignment. What you are saying is to align all 4 mounting points in a straight line. If this is the case, then this carrier is really off. I took a straight edge to the end points and you can see that the motor mounts are about an inch off that center line.

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Are you sure the motor mounts are not offset by an inch? If not, I'll lock it down and align the 4 mounting points and true out the carrier.

Thanks,

DaveB

The holes for the mounts are centered. Most bars are bent. Maybe from the force of braking on the center of the bar.
And i forgot the end holes are 10mm.

And sometimes I clamp the bar at the bent part in the vice and use the leverage of the bar to bent it back. They do not have to be that straight. There is a lot of slop in the holes to the end brackets and to the body holes..

They are soft cast iron. The parting line for the mold is obvious.

As has been mentioned, Its bent~
but not that big of a deal to correct

So how many people have actually straightened the engine bars of this type successfully?
I have two bars in hand that need to be corrected, and a couple more that need further checking. Indeed, many or most seem to get bent.

Straighten hot or cold?

I have straightened many sucessfully. It really does not matter it they are totally straight if the four holes line up in the end.

@davep