Stupid question 32648... how can my motor be sitting high in front and hanging on the brake bar in the trans area. It’s pivot is at the motor mounts obviously but why? Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
OKAY, can't see from pictures but how are the rear motor mounts? Check for broken bolts, broken mounts (those boxes) and a bent frame at that area. The back of the engine is down find out why.
Here’s my passenger motor mount...anyone know the measurements of good to worn out? Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
You have Float-A-Motor mounts. My set of Float mounts came with a rear bracket that hangs the trans tail. Henry's original mounts held the engine more rigid to the frame.
Your bellhousing mounts are an aftermarket item. The stock Ford mounts are different. Looks like that is where your problem is. Make some spacers .
Your engine is mounted with a Float-a-Motor kit. Judging by the condition of the mounts, it's an older kit, and the rubber spacers may have worn out. You can buy a replacement Rubber Set at Snyder's for less than $15. Go here: https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/search?q=float+a+motor EDIT: You had an earlier thread asking about a rear trans mount/stabilizer. You need this--did you find one? It bolts to the univeral joint housing behind the transmission. If you don't have this rear mount piece, you might be better off buying the whole new Float-a-Motor kit for $86. It's also avialable via the link I provided above.
Ok great. Thanks for all replies. I’ll replace the motor mounts and maybe shim them up if needed. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
You might be better off going back to the original style. Also the stockers stiffen the frame at that point by tying it all together at the bellhousing. I have also seen grounding issues with the Float-A-Motor mounts because of the rubber mounts. Be sure to run your ground from the battery directly to the engine/trans assembly if you keep them.
If your unsure if the issue is the Mid mount use a strait edge. The top of the factory mount is flush to the under side of the Top frame rail. The under side of the lip on the Mid Plate is flush to the under side of the Frame rail also. You may have a Mix-n-Match issue with brake parts and the trans. A-R parts look like standard A parts but aren't. Who knows what's gone on in it's past. The Wizzard
Float-a's as noted above turn a real crossmember, the bellhousing, into a non-structural part. Get real A parts back in there as a start. Next, look at the hood side panel to cowl gap...it is right above where many A frames choose to sag, and this ofcours opens up a gap at bottom of hood. This can be cured without taking car apart. As a research tool, there are excellent factory pics of this part of the car in the Service bulletins. If you have an A, you REALLY need a set of bulletins.
I completely agree... I am not a fan of the Float a motor bullshit. I will try and find a original front mount and start over from there.
This is a very remote possibility but they also made "float-a-motor" mounts for Model B flywheel housings that were slightly different, any chance you have the wrong one? My suggestion would be to dump them and go with the original mounts. Charlie Stephens
Charlie that makes a lot of sense... the motor that was in this chassis before this A was a B motor. I bet you are right. Good eye!!!! Thanks. I’m going back stock. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Why do you say it is high? Can't get the hand crank to align and engage with the ratchet nut on the front of the crankshaft?
It looks like an A housing in his picture. Still don't understand why he thinks it is too high.... Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Definitely an A housing in the picture but he said there was a B engine in there before without elaborating on what else B was in there (like flywheel housing and trans). If nothing else this means there were B parts floating around the project. Someone asked but I don't think there was a response about not being able to get the crank in. Charlie Stephens
You sure did in post 10, sorry about the duplication but I am beginning to loose track of what I have read. Charlie Stephens
Yes there was a B motor, bell and trans in the car before I bought it. It now has the A motor, A bell housing and trans. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Bruce, I don't agree. The frame may be sagging to a point. but if you look at the photo that has the front mount the front pulley is way high. I bet the hand crank won't engage with the ratchet. The front mount can be pushing the front of the engine up. It can be assembled wrong where the springs aren't engaged into the mount. I use an upper rubber from a modern tubular shock, along with the steel formed washer to pull the front mount down and compress the front motor mount spring. The float-a-motor kit (which I don't care for personally) has a bracket that holds the rear of the transmission up onto the cross member...is it missing? Fallen off? Kind of hard to figure this out when the OP went missing.
A bunch of variables need to be shaken out here! But looking at the hood fit would be a flying start! Around here somewhere I have Brent the Model A restorer's take on how to fix a saggy Model A without much disassembly, violence, or stretching. And Marco...probably the best informed and pickiest Model A Guru on the planet...said that he had never seen a used Model A frame with no sag. If the adjective "used' seems odd on 90 year old iron...Marco has worked with NOS frames! Most or all sag in the neighborhood of the flywheel...especially if the housing is disconnected from the frame by the floatamotor...and pickups tend to sag around the front of the bed, as no red-blooded farmer ever ran one carrying less than everything he could pile on.
Bruce, Hood fit can be an indicator as well as door fit and belt line alignment. Most Model A's were used, driven, beat into the ground, fixed and used some more with no consideration as to how things aligned. I just don't want the OP to go down a path that won't address his original problem, the transmission housing hitting the brake cross shaft. The cross shaft should sag with the frame too...it is attached to the lower flange of it.
On the front mount...Yes! MANY sources of trouble there. Repro stuff includes rubber to replace springs, repro springs too stiff to crank down, actual backwards assembly of the forging, etc. And putting in the crank to see would be only slightly harder than glancing at the hood! Another symptom sometimes seen is the throttle assembly bent against the firewall. A sagging engine can reach and squash the throttle assembly. Remember that just glancing at the motor is not worth much, as the A engine was rather steeply angled in the frame to start with.
I will be changing out the “float a motor” this weekend and installing a stock front motor mount in its place. I just want to get that thing out... I think it may be for a B motor that was in the frame before I purchased the roller. I will start there and see how it sets after it’s back to stock. Someone was asking... I don’t have the rear mount portion of the “float a motor”. I’m learning a ton here in this thread and I appreciate all the comments and tech. I’m listening. Thank you all. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Hey there @13clicks. Just fyi, here's a pic of what that Float-a-motor rear trans mount would look like. The soda can is for scale. It's kind of weird looking, so you might have gotten it in a box of stuff with the chassis and not known what it was. If you DO happen to have one of these for a B and aren't going to use it, I might be interested in buying it. I've been trying to find a rear mount that fits the later-style universal-joint clamshell. Near as I can tell they're no longer produced, just the A versions. Regardless, good luck with your car and the conversion back to stock mounts. It's definitely the more straightforward approach. And keep posting your progress!
I’m getting tired of this problem. I replaced the “float a motor” bullshit w a stock A front motor mount. I was expecting the motor to sit in the correct spot instead of it being too high and... I was wrong. The driveline still sits on the brakebar. No I don’t have the rear motor mount pictured above but do I need it with a stock front mount? How much do I crank the nut down on the front motor mount? Some people say you don’t need the rear mount and some say you do need it. Loosing my mind on a beautiful Saturday. Now I’m thinking my bell housing motor mounts are worn out by 3/4” but that to me isn’t the case. Is my frame sagging? I’m going to check my frame now. Anyone else have an idea what my problem is? Help please! View attachment 3974790
Problem solved. Okay, well I cut the small middle spring on the front mount down by half and it now compressed enough to line up the crank hole for the hand crank. The driveline is no longer touching the brake bar. Problem solved by ClarkH above who said he used a shock rubber grommet instead of that fucking spring is the winner. I’m going to use a skateboard kingpin bushing once I get an extra one instead of the cut spring. Thanks to all who posted and helped. The HAMB has been getting me through hard times since 2003ish. Thanks guys. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B. View attachment 3974822
http://abarnyard.com/workshop/mount.htm info on needed dimensions and on repro problems in front mount. When something on a Model A is impossible, think repro parts! Nealy everything for an A has been reproduced multiple times since the 1950's, and nearly everything has been made in a completely unusable form at least once. I like Bratton's as a supplier because they seem to seek out the best stuff.
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