Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

You could do that, or maybe some offset steering rack bushings.

Could you just space the engine mounts away from the frame to get some clearance? I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Is the 427 going to be NA or is the KB getting bolted to it?

So I used the Maximum Motorsports rack bushings and lowered my rack due to the Canton road racing 7 quart pan hitting the rack on the 351W my Bird and my car is in the weeds.  You raise the motor and it might find the hood.

http://www.maximummotorsports.com/MM-Steering-Rack-Bushings-C86.aspx

I also have a bumpsteer kit on the car so....

Should have used a Fox Mustang K member and mounts at this point....

What is the benefit to using a Fox Mustang K-member?

From what I've read there is more clearance with the Mustang style mounts between the pan and rack when using a 351W block.

Although using a non stock pan could throw that out the window. When I had my Mark VII (it used fox Mustang style mounts) the engine sat a bit higher off the K member than my Thunderbird.

There's something else amiss. There are LOTS of Type 6 mounts out there in service.

Those lower U-brackets are the same dimensionally as the stock lower U-brackets. You have an older set of mounts (As they're zinc plated and not powdercoated), but those brackets could be the very EARLY style, which were a little shorter and only had one location for the main vertical through bolt.  (At least that's what I remember. The last iteration had a siamesed hole to accommodate the Fox (86-88) and MN-12(89-92)  differences.

If you have a set of your stock lower U-brackets, you can modify them. A 1/2" hole in between the two smaller bushing mount holes, and a welded-in reinforcement plate will suffice. That, or you can use a large OD washer under the head of the bolt from below.

I have extra of those large OD washers if you'd like some. You can use them as spacers under the bushings as well as a combo reinforcement plate/spacer, as mentioned above.

Thanks for the info. I'm guessing I jumped on these as soon as they were available, so early sounds right. There is only one hole for the vertical through bolt.

I got the driver's side on, which was the one being the real pain, I just need to somehow get the passenger side PVC piece (between the u-bracket and k-frame) the proper thickness. I wish I had run a drill through the k-frame holes like I did on the driver's side. I'm just having an issue getting the bolt to start in the nut - it's barely squeezing through the slightly misaligned pieces. Are the long bolts 3/8"-24? I've tapered the bolt to aide in getting it started, but I'm having a heck of a time getting the 3/8"-24 die to grab the original threads without getting hungry. I think I'll get it after work, just having the issue getting the far end to start, though the front allows the bolt to slide right in easily.

If you're Karl, in NH, you bought them in the first batch of Type 6's in '06.

Not sure what PVC piece you're talking about, unless you're using something to shim the u-bracket up off the K-member to get the bolt through. Any reason to not use a floor jack to raise/lower the engine to make things easier? (Just curious if I'm missing something, or not). And yes, the bolts are M10, as you figured out. The original bolts are fine to use, if you still have them. They are tapered and the same thread as what's included with the mounts.

Thanks, I may look for the original bolts although I got the one's you supplied to work after grinding a bit of a taper on the end. Indeed I am Karl from NH - you keep immaculate records :D

What's funny is I was actually hoping these were a little short, for hood clearance issues, so that worked out good. I still have 1/4" clearance even using a 1/2" spacer between the elbow and intake. This allows me to use a N2O plate kit if I desire. :evilgrin: After thinking about what you said above, I think it would be more elegant to add big washers to shim the mount internally vs. what I did, which was indeed adding PVC "plate" pieces that I cut to size and drilled/counter-bored to clear the bolt head and washer. The difficulty was having the u-bracket too high to get the bolt through, so I had to machine the pieces thinner on my endmill (they started at about 1/4".) I was using a cherry picker to lift the engine up/down, so that wasn't an issue, it was just being stubborn whereas if I didn't shim both sides simultaneously, the engine would tend to slide to the passenger side.

Anyway, the engine is down, and I finally was able to retire the cherry picker for now. I'm pretty excited about the amount of clearance I have, though the oil pan is still just barely touching the rack, thus I'm now thinking (since I have the most shim possible under the mounts) that shimming with the large washers may be the best "final solution". If I remove the shims, I'll need about 0.2" - 0.25" added in washers.

I kept track of every set of mounts that I sold.

I should have a stack of those washers in the garage (even after the move), and if you haven't moved in the past 10 years, I still have your address. ;) I can send you a few, if you need them.

You should see the extra washers by Sat.

Not a problem. Hope you get it running soon. :)