Building a 32 ford pick up and putting small block chevy in it. Question is were do i mesure from to center the motor in between the rails. Thanks
I'd try the center of the motor. then find the center of the frame and line them up. unless you have something weird the crank should be a good place to measure from. water pump goes up front and the flywheel towards the back.
Seriously...??? If you can't figure how to center the engine, how do you expect to do a safe build of your front and rear suspension etc? Eventually you CAN learn all this stuff...absolutely...but please leave the truck alone until you figure it out. Collect your parts etc and keep learning as you go. An old truck is a terrible thing to waste to inexperience and haste!
x2 I was gonna go with a sarcastic answer for such a seemingly obvious question... but um, hmmm. Maybe I'm the one that does not get it.
Actually ... I like to offset the engine about 3/4 of a inch to the right side ... so I have better clearance for my steering. Make sure your fuel pump does not hit the frame rail A piece of angle iron bolted to the harmonic balancer ... is a big help when trying to locate the engine ( see top photo ).
And the factory usually offsets the engine to the right a little anyway, because 80 % of the time there is only the driver in the car !
It's probably best to get the suspension squared away and the steering figured out before installing the mounts for the engine. As you can see in Deuce Roadster's photo it appears that is just what he did along with mounting the firewall to get everything in the proper spot. Most guys also just tack things together at first to make sure everything is in the right place chassis wise before doing the finish welding. It's a lot easier to take your 4-1/2 inch cut off wheel and cut through a few tack welds to move something or redo it than cut out several inches of weld to do it.
The Jalopy Journal
