M1tch

Hey guys i'm in the process of dropping my 496 stroker into my third gen camaro and when we bolted it up to the trans and started working on the motor mounts i noticed the Summit racing oil pan is rubbing the centerlink right in front of the k member. I'm sure someone has ran into this problem before and was wondering if there is some aftermarket centerlink i need to order or if i have to replace my oil pan. I'm really trying to avoid pulling the motor back out, i'm runnning out of time since the car sits outside and its rapidly getting colder out. Would appreciate any advice or suggestions. THANKS

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

Use solid or poly mounts and you should be fine

Jonesyfxr

iTrader: (2)

Put some 1/8 plate under the motor mounts to shim the engine up a bit. I think that'd work.

AlkyIROC

You can flip the center link upside down and get a wheel alignment done because the steering geometry will change.

The only time my pan got close to the center link is when I dropped the engine lower with a front motor plate. Sitting on factory motor mounts should keep the engine high enough to not touch the center link.

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

My b&b pan touched just a little with stock mounts.
Moroso solid mounts cured that.

AlkyIROC

I'll take your word for it about the OEM mounts. I never had OEM mounts with my BBC. I swapped over the solid mounts from the SBC to the BBC and eventually installed motor plates and removed the side mounts.

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

Yeah I just tried mocking it up with the stock mounts.

M1tch

I could be wrong since I havent had a chance to check it but the centerlink is on the tie rods sideways and not over top of them? I'll check this afternoon after work. About the motor mounts, it already has solid mounts but i'm not sure on the brand. I also thought about shaving a few 1/16s off the top of the link but i'd rather go a different route if possible

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

"massage" the pan.

Lay a piece of pipe where it hits and give it a few taps with a hammer.

M1tch

Doesnt sound like a bad idea i just wonder how tight the clearance is with the extra stroke. It is definatelly a few inches deeper in the front of the pan than the previous pan for my 468 so i think i should be fine since the crank is only an extra .25"

M1tch

Could someone fab the centerlink or shave a few 1/16s off of it? Won't adding a motor mount spacer throw off my pinion angle?

bestracing

I know even with a stock SBC pan that even the tie rod ends would get real close to the sides of the pan. My brother bought an 86 IROC and the owner didn't tie up the battery cable properly and when my brother made a tight right turn it pinched the cable and shorted it out.

It would be nice to know if you could clearance the pan a little....

Expensive solution:

Ditch the old center link steering system and mount a rack and pinion steering rack in there.

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

Clearnce the pan would be the easyist fix IMO.

Jonesyfxr

iTrader: (2)

Spacers under the engine won't affect pinion angle, because it's only adjust ingle the driveline angle and not the rear axle angle.

I'd try to flip the center link as suggested, I never thought of that. It's probably easier than hoisting up the engine.

M1tch

I'm going to try to shim up the motor mounts with some spacers tomorrow instead of hacking up my oil pan. I'm just really surprised that the block isnt touching the k member but its touching the centerlink. After reading and looking at the posts about flipping the centerlink, mine already looks like this one in the attached images. So its already flipped or at least i believe it is. If it flipped the other way it would have to be on top of the pitman arm so its in the lowest possible position.

Atilla the Fun

That 1/4" of stroke means only 1/8" more throw. Get the hammer and clearance it.

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

You should not need to "hack" the oil pan. Just a little massaging should do it.

The frame standoffs are solid steel? Not factory type correct?

Keep in mind raising the engine may cause other clearance issues, such as carb to hood, valve cover to brake booster, distributor to firewall and most likely headers.

M1tch

Alright guys attached is an update after "massaging" the oil pan with a pipe and a sledgehammer haha. Something I hope i never have to do as a licensed A&P aircraft mechanic. I still have well over a half inch of clearance between the pan and the crankshaft and rods. Something else i noticed but have never checked before is starter ring gear to flywheel clearance. The pan is rubbing the starter a bit and might be pushing it at a weird angle but it couldnt make that big of a difference. Any thoughts?

*Note* This is the same flywheel and starter used previously before the rebuild

bestracing

On the one mini-starter I have it already had some material already removed from the corner near the pan but I had to remove more so the starter shaft would be perpendicular to the flex plate. Fortunately I had the motor on a stand at the time so it made test fitting a breeze.

M1tch

Made some progress today got the shortblock in and bolted up along with torquing the heads down. My friend dropped a 9/16" deep socket in the damn primary tube and I have yet to get it out. The starter issue, lets just call it murphy's law. I realized I had it upsidedown. Oil pan clearance was perfect! * any ideas getting the socket out? You cant move the header much

NagleMac

iTrader: (1)

Did you try a magnet?

ATX-Iroc

Use a water hose to push it out. No water the hose itself

92 BBC Z

Ever work a DC-8, sledge and an old-man(screw-knocker)required tools. By the way, I have no such clearance issues wit my 496, solid moroso mounts with 1/4 shims.

Jeffs82TA

iTrader: (1)

Hope your massaging the pan don't cause knocking noises. I did a LT1 transplant on my 97 and just slightly dented the oil pan and it started knocking pretty bad. Not fun fixing that problem I tell ya!

M1tch

Well like i said i checked the clearance between the rotating assembly and the highest point on the oil pan and it still had over a half inch of clearance. I rotated it to make sure nothing touched as well and this motor turns over really easy. 20 ft lbs will turn the engine over just fine except there is one little spot where it gets harder to turn but it did that even with the pan off. I'm sure all is fine though!

92 BBC Z those poor DC8's are being phased out along with the 727's. They are the like the muscle cars of aviation haha. Those 1/4" shims is what gave you the clearance, all i need was an 1/8" but if i used shims my headers wouldn't of bolted up!

M1tch

I'm just waiting on the weather to finish bolting everything up. It snowed five inches here in the Nati and it has been extremely cold. I can't wait to hear this beast fire up! It has a Comp TL292A-8 cam in it which is .635/.637 lift and 262/270 duration @ .050. The Rotating Assembly is a Scat Series 9000 Crank, Forged I Beams, and Forged SRP Domed pistons that should bring my compression to 11.2:1. Terry Rice Engines did all the work including balancing the rotating assy and did a 3 angle valve job on the heads. I'm hoping to push into the mid 10's with my 4500 FTI stall and 4.11s

M1tch

Pictures Car will most likely be for sale after I make a few passes this Spring. I need to start saving for a house!

bestracing

Wow, I just noticed that your located near me. I live in N. Ky. and work in Mason, Oh. I use to be part of the NKYFBA web site (club) as well and I'm starting to get back to the track (Edgewater) with my family and our dragster.

Let me know when you go out, I'd like to see the car run!

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

^ I bought my iroc from a guy in that club about 10 years ago. He lived in the cincy suburbs.

bestracing

Wow, small world

I was a member for 11 great years. Last winter they decided to go in a different direction to include more cars. They are now called GM Junkies.

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

No kidding. His username was twin iron duke or something like that.