Has anyone ever ran into the motor being offset to the passenger side of the car about 1". This is causing the header to hit the heater box and the frame? The only thing I can think of is the Clamshells are on the wrong side. By this I mean that the driver side engine bracket is on the passenger side and vise versa. Has anyone ever seen this? The air tube on the TPI from the air box actually bends to the passenger side??

 

The clamshells on the motor are the same from left to right. Same thing with the mounts on the crossmember. Maybe the rubber in the passanger side mount is deteriated? Are you sure you have the correct header for the chassis? Got any pictures?

 

Actually all the third gens motors (atleast the v8s) are ofset to the passenger side about 3/4"-1" or so. Im not sure why if it was just to make room for the steering or what but there all that way. Now why your header is hitting the frame is a mystery to me was the car ever in a fender bender to your knowledge and do you have the right headers?

 

All GM V8's are offset to the passenger side mostly to clear the steering column. I never really noticed it until I installed my first scoop and noticed the hole for the air cleaner wasn't in the center of the hood.

 

If the clam shells are the same, then why do they have different part numbers? They also look very different. The headers are Heddman Elites with the y-pipe. Yes they are correct for the car, fit fine before?

With the old engine in the air tube coming in from the front breather was straight, now with the new engine in it is offset to the passenger side and bends that way? I have acres of room around the steering shaft? It should be tight against the shaft and have some room by the heater box.

I used energy motor mounts (1116) don't know if they go in a certain way or if the clam shells are on the wrong side? I did not set the motor into the car so I don't know if they just grabbed the shells and put them on without looking?

 

I don't know why the clamshells have differnt part numbers. Maybe it's because the passenger side has a caputred nut on it (for models with a mechanical fuel pump), and the drivers side doesnt.

According to my Jegs catalog, the 1116 is a fourth gen mount insert. But their website says it'll fit 73-98 vehicles, so the mount should be fine. However they say that there are two versions, Short and Wide, Tall and Narrow. Is it possible that you have a Tall/Narrow on the drivers side and a Short/Wide on the pass? Or that one of the inserts was put in upside down? They are supposed to go in a certain way (I just went through this last friday on my 88). How does the motor sit? Is it level in the chassis?

FWIW: I had to bend the AIR tubes on my Hookers on the passenger side to clear the AC box.

 

Ok update! The problem was fixed by swapping the clamshell engine brackets. They are side specific. The engine now sits center and the header now fits and does not touch the frame.

 

The original brackets on the motor are ABSOLUTELY NOT the same from left to right. The clamshell mounts with the rubber inserts, however, are indeed the same. Some aftermarket brackets claim to be fine for either side, but the originals MUST be installed on the proper sides or the engine alignment will be off.