Trouble Installing New Engine

[mrburitto]

Hey Everyone,

I know this has been discussed before, and I read through the other posts but no one ever had a solid answer. I was hoping maybe someone has figured out a part number that magically fixes this? lol

So I have a brand new Blueprint 383 I am installing in my 79 K20. I am using the original mounts off the old engine with new Prothane inserts. Ive made sure I have them oriented correctly.
I got the drivers side mount bolted in with just a little prying but I have been trying to get the passenger side in for 3 days now... As you can see in the pictures below, I have several ratchet straps and pry bars going and just cant get it in (thats what she said).

its like the entire engine needs to move about an inch towards the passenger side. I just dont understand... But I do feel like my ratchet straps are gonna slip off that board and clock me in the head before too long

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[ali_c20]

Is the Transmission in too or just the engine? Your fuel pump looks too big, is there enough clearance for the nut of the mounting bolt? Check if the fuel pump is interfering with something else.
How is the clearance at the headers? Looks like a tight fit on the pictures.
When everything is mounted right and nothing is hitting the engine should go in with just a little wiggling.

 

[mrburitto]

ya I noticed it probably wasnt going to work. I thought maybe a 90 degree fitting might work but couldnt be sure until I actually had it in.

Nothing is interfering with anything. I am positive of that. Had the wife out here wiggling the headers as I dropped it to make sure. The entire engine is one inch too far to the drivers side. The trans does not line up, the flexplate sits outside the housing on the drivers side.

The trans was in place, but the flexplate was hitting the housing so I unbolted the crossmember and scooted it back a couple inches.

 

[ali_c20]

I would pull the engine again, measure the distance of the mounting hole in the clamshells and the brackets on the engine. If that distance is the same you can rule that out and can continue your search for the issue. I read that sometimes the tabs of the poly inserts don't fit and interfere with the brackets.
Can you get the mounting bolt in at the driver side or is everything off ?

 

[jdokie79]

You said drivers side is "bolted in". Make sure that nut is just started good and isn't cranked down tight yet. If that doesn't free something up, I'd do as Ali said and pull it and start over.

 

[Redfish]

Since we can assume the engine isn't any smaller than any other small block and we can assume that the truck didn't get any wider, why not swap out those Prothane inserts? That is the only thing that could have changed. I would compare that to the original inserts and see what went wrong.

 

[Strick]

The lower biscuit mounts don't care if it's a small block or a big block or a diesel being installed. If you cut the rivets out of the mounts and replaced with urethane units then I'd definitely compare those with an OE mount and see if indeed it's oriented correctly.
I wrestled with an F-body a few years back with the same issue. I took the aftermarket urethane mounts out and replaced with an old school rubber mount and the engine bolted right up.

Strickland

 

[Vbb199]

Following, because me and Cody have video chatted, and messaged back and forth during his motor swap, and I myself am a bit clueless as to wtf is going on.

When going from a straight 6 to a 502 ci big block in my c10, I had the other issue, it was almost too tight to fit in the frame rails.

 

[MrMarty51]

Knock that transmission off of there and then see if the enjun will drop into the mounts.

 

[WP29P4A]

Does your truck have more than one set of mounting holes where the mounts attach to the frame? I have seen posts where it shows two sets of mounting holes, could it be that you just need to drop the mounts down to the lower set of holes?

 

[scrap--metal]

I wrestled with an F-body a few years back with the same issue. I took the aftermarket urethane mounts out and replaced with an old school rubber mount and the engine bolted right up.

I had a similar problem with my '79 Camaro a few years ago. I bought new OEM style rubber mounts, and one of them was just bad. The tabs on it were bent or mispositioned and did not locate the the engine properly. The tabs on yours look to have a nice yellow zinc plating on them. I would focus on the location/position of those tabs from one mount to the other.

I eventually had to lift the engine, pull that mount, and get a new one back in under the block. It ended up taking an entire day just to get the engine in the car after that boondoggle.

My suggestion would be to cut your losses and get a different mount or insert for it. Something with the mount could be screwed up.

 

[Strick]

Some of the 4x4 and diesels have a plate that's about 1/4 thick that goes behind the engine mount clamshell to the engine block. There are some additional support rods that attach to these that go to the torque converter inspection cover. If these are installed it could be holding you off your mount by about a 1/2 inch. It is possible and worth checking out.
The earlier post stated that the headers were loose and the bellhousing was not bolted up so these should not be interfering with the engine bolting to the frame mounts.

Strickland

 

[Doppleganger]

I had a similar issue when mine went in. I had the trans attached but no exhaust. I wound up leaving the motor mounts a bit loose at the frame and with a little bit of rocking, it dropped into place. Cant imagine negotiating that with headers on.....dunno.

 

[mrburitto]

Headers are not "on" they are just sitting there because Im pretty sure I wont be able to get them in and under the frame once the block is in. So i just let them hang there for now. They arent doing anything but looking pretty.

Motor mounts on both sides are already loose, probably hanging on by one thread at this point lol.

I may try a different mount if i cant get it in today. Ive heard the Moroso solid mounts are pretty good. Any feedback on those? But I did thoroughly inspect the inserts and mounts and they seem to be symmetrical and identical.

Im going to HF to buy another jack to help tilt the engine along with some more pry bars right now. If that doesnt work, im going to unbolt the mounts from the frame, put it all together on the block, and then lower it down with some centerpunch rods in there as guides.

I was wondering, could this be caused by my block being a Gen2/LT based block? Thats the only thing thats different. Maybe the standoffs on the block are slightly different? It seems to happen randomly to people so I was thinking maybe thats it.

 

[Designo614]

I was wondering, could this be caused by my block being a Gen2/LT based block? Thats the only thing thats different. Maybe the standoffs on the block are slightly different? It seems to happen randomly to people so I was thinking maybe thats it.

Do you have the old block to compare / measure?