Thread: engine/tranny angle

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I am installing a sbc 350 w/ TH-350 in a model A ford. Have the engine angle at 3-4 degrees with the front side higher than the rear. I have always been told that this is a good angle....however, when the tranny is mounted, the tranny pan has an obvious downward slope toward the front of the tranny. Is this ok? It doesn't seem right to me. I have tried spacers at the motor mounts and dropping the tranny mount lower, but it still slopes pretty good and I don't want to go at too steep of an angle for the motor. Any comments, advice, otherwise would be helpful. Thanks.

The 3-4 degrees sounds okay. What's the drive shaft angle?
I'll look at my 30 model tonight and let you know what it looks like. I had to lower the rear mount to gain a little more floor clearance but don't remeber what the tranny pan looked like afterwards ... it's working okay.

Look closely at your intake manifold. The carburetor mounting pad is likely milled at an angle. That is there so the carburetor will be level when the engine is at the proper angle. So, put a level on the carb pad and adjust until the pad is level with the ground.

The key element is to have the carburetor mounting surface of the intake manifold level from front to back, when the full weight of the engine is resting on the suspension. (which is about 3 to 4 degrees of engine angle). Don't worry about the angle of the tranny pan---it is made to work with the engine mounted at that angle.

I beat you by 9 minutes but I didn't have a cool picture to go with my explination.

I posted the picture because it is a model A Ford chassis with a small block chev engine (the roadster pickup I am currently driving).

Ok, thanks. I was just concerned with possible fluid starvation in the tranny. Out of curiousity, what type of motor/frame mounts did you use with your frame? I used a set from Speedway Motors and I think they are junk.....which is what I am finding to be the case with most items from speedway.

Do you have any closer pics of the mounts? I thought that these would have been easier to install than the others I have done....their not.

I always fabricate my own mounts and brackets. It is way cheaper, all you need is to look at someone elses finished car, make some cardboard patterns, get out the torch and grinder, and go----

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thanks. Yeah, I should have gone with that type. Instead I went with the Biscut type since they made it sound like the kit was made for an A frame. Guess I learned my lesson about speedway. They have also screwed up my last two orders and send me a bunch of stuff that damaged in the mail. I wrote a couple emails and they didn't even have the nerve to reply.

I have almost the same setup in my car and the trans pan does tilt forward when you compair it to the motor. The car has a nose down rake and the trans pan sits level with the ground. the engine tilts up in the front and the carb is level.
I can take some pictures if you like but it looks like you'v got it right.