Thread: What do I do now?

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I just got my tremec 3550 in, and it's mounted to my 351W dummy motor. I've got the engine as low as it can go without hitting the front crossmember. I don't see how I can get my engine at the recommended 3 degree down angle without having the output shaft above the frame. About the best I can do is 5 degrees. I'm about to go home and recheck all my measurements and make sure the frame is at the correct ride angle (since the body is removed, and the tires on the front are bigger than final size).

I'll make some pictures and post them tomorrow. Maybe that will help with visualization.

Andy, I'm a little confused about what you're describing, so the pics should help. But your comment about the tires causes me to tell you that they shouldn't matter. What you want to do is level the frame itself for your setup process. Since the carb pad should be "level" with the ground at ride heighth some would argue that tire size will matter, but it's been my experience that if you work from a level frame that any slight variation caused by tire size will have little to no affect on the float angle.

I guess I didn't explain it well. I wasn't able to make pics last night, but I'll try to explain it again.

At this moment, my engine and tranny is sitting in place on the frame. The engine is mounted and sitting as low as it can go without hitting the front crossmember. I have a jack under the tail end of the tranny trying to determinewhere to place the tranny mount, and at what angle.

Without the weight of the body on the frame, it isn't as obvious how the frame will sit when complete. I did take some measurements before I removed the body and sheetmetal. I mentioned the tires because the ones on the front are junkyard specials and are larger than what will eventually be on there, so I have to take that into account. Usuing those measurements and adjusting for tire size, I believe I have the frame sitting at (or close to) the final ride stantz.

With all of this determined, a 3 degree down angle would still put the centeline of the output shaft just above the top surface of the frame.


If I level the frame as you mentioned, it will really put me in a bind because that makes it worse.


I hope I cleared some things up.

You need to get a rear sump oil pan.

I already have the truck-style reap sump pan.

It's probably no more than 7", but I will measure this afternoon.

I will post pics this afternoon if I can get my USB to work.