Yes T5 conversion Crossmember.....

I guess I should have included this detail.....I had the rear of the trans supported by as Floor Jack as we were sliding it in place, this was VERY difficult due to it touching the floor, when it eventually went in, it was time to install the Crossmember...........it was floating above it by at least 1/4"


I need to know how to lower the engine, if possible.....do they make different size Motor Mounts?  Is there Play or room for adjustments on the factory style ones?

 

Yes, looks pretty good, but it is an aftermarket Aluminum Rad....

everything Looked great up until installing this T5 using the adapter plate......It HAD a 'RUG A' Toploader fully rebuilt which came from a Galaxie.....to my knowledge (but I did not inspect) it did not touch the floor.......

the only other possibility is when it was retored, they installed the Floors a 1/2" (or less) too low/incorrectly??  could that be possible?

either way, it needs to Drop, so Can Anyone simply Answer if this IS POSSIBLE using factory materials? (Mounts/Bolts/Cables/brackets whatever the heck is on it that determines engine height)

M1Mustang69 wrote:

I need to know how to lower the engine, if possible.....do they make different size Motor Mounts?  Is there Play or room for adjustments on the factory style ones?

The Ron Morris adjustable mounts are available in 1/2 inch drop. Because of the design of the engine crossmember, that'll be mighty close to hitting the oil pan.

If you only lower the motor, I'd be concerned with its angle corresponding to the rear end pinion angle.

I wouldn't recommend it, but I lowered both my motor and trans by ~3/4", but it of course required several other mods. I did it to fit the shaker height to the hood, and thought it would be easier than milling the carb plate on the intake manifold. Nope.

Due to their cost, I made my own Ron Morris knock off mounts, and modified the trans mount to have a shorter rubber cushion. With the motor lower I had to move a header tube to clear steering linkage. Since the oil pan now interfered with the cross member,  I made an engine cross member to clear the pan. The radiator fan no longer fit in the shroud and interfered with the lower radiator hose, so an electric fan was added. With the extra electrical load a bigger alternator was added.  With the 7-1/2 qt oil pan hanging low out front, I built a skid pan to avoid disaster if it hit something. There may be other mods I had to do. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Have you considered clearancing the tunnel where the trans hits?

I agree.......whats crazy and doesnt make sense is about it being the adapter plate is the fact it Sat and Seated on the Trans perfectly, then also snapped into place on the Bell perfectly (holes aside).............I was under there this morning and its butted up tight and even.

the only way for the plate to cause this issue is if it were "wedge shaped" ......now I did not measure every surface, but by eye it was solid billet AL that looked true......

I wonder if the Floors were not installed correctly, as in 1/2-3/4" too low?????????
 

Sorry I dont follow the question.........Gearbox to the crossmember?  my steering box?

the car was rebuilt entirely and Im assuming floors too which is why I was suggesting that.....everything looks incredible, but looks could be decieving....

well, it drives and seated up......The Rebuld shop knew it was going into a Mustang........So am I CERTAIN, no, but ?????

The engine mounts are just about at the center of the mass of the engine, balancing the engine atop the mounts.  There is some minor movement allowed in the engine mounts, but when the hoses and the exhaust are connected, the engine cannot move.  Especially the exhaust.  THAT will hold an engine in whatever position it was in when the exhaust was bolted up.  Have you disconnected the exhaust system to allow the engine to drop into position?

There is no way a bellhousing or transmission can be honked up enough to hold the transmission up in the air higher than it belongs.  Since the shaft going into the bellhousing and through the transmission enters and exits in a straight line, if something was OFF the shaft would not rotate.

All T5 crossmembers are not created equal.  Some from ebay are junk and not made to any particular specification.  Some, such as California Pony Car version, have mislocated holes and do not bolt up readily.  The ones made by Glen Buzek and those sold by MustangSteve have some adjustability built in and will position the T5 so it just clears the tunnel.

I would advise against trying to lower the engine.  There just is no reason to do so, and it can screw up hose position, fan shroud clearance and exhaust clearance.

It was never mentioned about your exhaust system, but I am reading between the lines enough to figure it is probably what is holding up your engine/tranny, and your progress.  There is nothing else that could be holding the engine and tranny assembly in its levitated state.

 

MS you nailed it!

I talked extensively to the Tranny Guy and hes been trying his best to help out via the phone......Last night he mentioned the exhaust, to which it is all Custom and well assembled.....it was not in the way for the install so I did not think to unbolt the long tube headers!

this morning I went back under the car, loosened the header-to-exhaust flange bolts, removed the Trans Mount Nuts, loosened the Crossmember and Motor Mounts............

I then started the car and gave it a couple shots of fuel to rock the drivetrain to wherever it wanted to go.....it was then seating on the crossmember.........so I removed it and had to remove some material on the mounting holes.....Looks like it dropped itself a good 1/8" - 3/16"......it is not touching the in those areas anymore....

fancy this though, as you said, I tightented the exhaust before the tranny mount and it raised it again slightly XD
 

M1Mustang69 wrote:

MS you nailed it
 

 
👍🏻

Just bolt it up and drive it.
The mind is a beautiful thing, but sometimes it can get in the way of progress.