The Ford Barn

PC/SR · 01-02-2022, 02:16 PM

I bought a 29 RPU with a disassembled engine . I completed the rebuild and installed the engine, but it sits too high in the engine compartment. The fan blade hit the water hose, and the crank did not fit into the crankshaft nut. I have turned the front motormount yoke nut all the way down to coil bind on those springs. This allows fan clearance but the crank nut is still to high to accept the hand crank.
I have Float-a-Motor rear motor mounts. I have them on my other car and they work fine. Have never had a alignment problem with them. They are correctly installed with "Top" on the top.

The front crossmember is bolted in and has the so-called New Design radiator mounting boss as set forth in the Service Bulletins, page387. I surmise this change was made to accomodate the taller 30-31 radiator. I have used 5 shims to raise my short 29 radiator high enough to properly space the hood as the Bulletin says. The Bulletins make no mention of any change to accomodate the front yoke mounting.I have not accessed the frame number and do not know its year.

What puzzles me most is the even with the front yoke pulled all the way down, the crank pulley nut is too high to accept the hand crank. This is not an operational problem but with the coil bind it seems that there is more engine vibration transmitted to the chassis. Have compared this front crsoss member with a friend's 29 cross member and the depth of member, where the yoke stem fits, seems no different from this 30 member.
This has me stumped. Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas warmly appreciated. Thanks.

Joop · 01-02-2022, 02:47 PM

Happy New Year.

The only suggestion I can give is to loosen the 4 bolts on the back mounting brakets and your engine should lower by itself. And use the correct front motor-mount. If you put the Radiator higher it puts your radiator out of alignment. Hope that helps.

junk yard kid · 01-02-2022, 03:17 PM

I’m having a similar problem. Everything was fine with previous engine. Same motor mount but different flywheel housing. Raising the rear mounts should lower the front I would think. Mine all works but the top hose is weird looking and the hand crank fits but is at an angle.

JSRTUDOR · 01-02-2022, 03:36 PM

As soon as I got rid of my float a motor mounts front and rear, my engine settled in left to right perfect(it was off center) it’s still sitting a little low in the front though. I always believe in original parts, not modern parts to make it ride better than it did originally. I would lose the float a motor and go original if all adjustments don’t fix the issue.

nkaminar · 01-02-2022, 04:39 PM

Do you have the rear Float A Motor mount that mounts to the transmission at the rear? That may be holding the motor out of position. Look for other places that may be holding the end of the transmission down and the front of the motor up.

Synchro909 · 01-02-2022, 04:47 PM

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What spring do you have under the yoke? The beehive ones are known to hold the motor higher than the original ones.

Gene F · 01-02-2022, 06:16 PM

My front motor mount yoke springs were in wrong, and it was holding my engine up.

kawagumby · 01-02-2022, 06:32 PM

I had a similar problem with my '31 roadster. After changing motor mounts, I finally figured out that the problem was a replacement front cross-member that sat slightly higher than the original. I ended up modifying a stock-type front motor mount to get the engine front as low as practical given the situation. It still sits slightly higher, so I can't use the hand crank, but it is very close. As I recall, I cut the springs and welded in a replacement stud to the mount that I threaded to suit the length change.

01-02-2022, 02:16 PM	#1
PC/SR Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Santa Rosa, CA Posts: 1,279	Engine sits too high I bought a 29 RPU with a disassembled engine . I completed the rebuild and installed the engine, but it sits too high in the engine compartment. The fan blade hit the water hose, and the crank did not fit into the crankshaft nut. I have turned the front motormount yoke nut all the way down to coil bind on those springs. This allows fan clearance but the crank nut is still to high to accept the hand crank. I have Float-a-Motor rear motor mounts. I have them on my other car and they work fine. Have never had a alignment problem with them. They are correctly installed with "Top" on the top. The front crossmember is bolted in and has the so-called New Design radiator mounting boss as set forth in the Service Bulletins, page387. I surmise this change was made to accomodate the taller 30-31 radiator. I have used 5 shims to raise my short 29 radiator high enough to properly space the hood as the Bulletin says. The Bulletins make no mention of any change to accomodate the front yoke mounting.I have not accessed the frame number and do not know its year. What puzzles me most is the even with the front yoke pulled all the way down, the crank pulley nut is too high to accept the hand crank. This is not an operational problem but with the coil bind it seems that there is more engine vibration transmitted to the chassis. Have compared this front crsoss member with a friend's 29 cross member and the depth of member, where the yoke stem fits, seems no different from this 30 member. This has me stumped. Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas warmly appreciated. Thanks.

01-02-2022, 02:47 PM	#2
Joop Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 2,953	Re: Engine sits too high Happy New Year. The only suggestion I can give is to loosen the 4 bolts on the back mounting brakets and your engine should lower by itself. And use the correct front motor-mount. If you put the Radiator higher it puts your radiator out of alignment. Hope that helps.

01-02-2022, 03:17 PM	#3
junk yard kid Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: san diego Posts: 114	Re: Engine sits too high I’m having a similar problem. Everything was fine with previous engine. Same motor mount but different flywheel housing. Raising the rear mounts should lower the front I would think. Mine all works but the top hose is weird looking and the hand crank fits but is at an angle.

01-02-2022, 03:36 PM	#4
JSRTUDOR Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: NEW JERSEY Posts: 210	Re: Engine sits too high As soon as I got rid of my float a motor mounts front and rear, my engine settled in left to right perfect(it was off center) it’s still sitting a little low in the front though. I always believe in original parts, not modern parts to make it ride better than it did originally. I would lose the float a motor and go original if all adjustments don’t fix the issue.

01-02-2022, 04:39 PM	#5
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,900	Re: Engine sits too high Do you have the rear Float A Motor mount that mounts to the transmission at the rear? That may be holding the motor out of position. Look for other places that may be holding the end of the transmission down and the front of the motor up. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

01-02-2022, 04:47 PM	#6
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,496	Re: Engine sits too high Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) What spring do you have under the yoke? The beehive ones are known to hold the motor higher than the original ones. __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.

01-02-2022, 06:16 PM	#7
Gene F Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,973	Re: Engine sits too high My front motor mount yoke springs were in wrong, and it was holding my engine up.

01-02-2022, 06:32 PM	#8
kawagumby Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Hollister, CA Posts: 133	Re: Engine sits too high I had a similar problem with my '31 roadster. After changing motor mounts, I finally figured out that the problem was a replacement front cross-member that sat slightly higher than the original. I ended up modifying a stock-type front motor mount to get the engine front as low as practical given the situation. It still sits slightly higher, so I can't use the hand crank, but it is very close. As I recall, I cut the springs and welded in a replacement stud to the mount that I threaded to suit the length change. Last edited by kawagumby; 01-04-2022 at 10:27 AM.