aligning a spool mounted SB

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Buschi340

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might be a stupid question but buddies headders (hedman) are tipping at the end on the torsion bar on the right side. engine is spool mounted and a 71 charger. In my eyes I have to drop the tranny a bit or raise the engine on the left side to bring the header on the right side down. How does it work with spool engine mounts?
 
I'm thinking the l/h spool mount isolator is deteriorating. Might need to replace that bushing. If you raise the l/h side, would have same effect as dropping trans tail shaft.

Mike in FL
 
I just recently installed a set of Hedmans on my Dart.
What do you mean by tipping?

I have all new mounts and the passenger side header end (where the collector goes on) points down somewhat more than the drivers side.
 
It's difficult to say what is actually happening, here, without knowing the condition of the parts being used.

I agree that it seems like the spool mount rubber is trashy, combined with loose manufacturing tolerances from Headman. I'm willing to bet that you've lost a lot of height on the left side mount. Usually, you don't see spool mounts break clean off and let go like the disc mounts do, but when they go, they get really loose and the weight of the engine sags them, especially on the left side, because that is the side that wants to lift and come back down. There is more movement coming from the left side, from engine torque.

These work great;

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ens-5-1106g/overview/make/dodge

I wouldn't mess with the transmission mount. If you do that enough to move the header away from touching the bottom of the torsion bar, you'll risk screwing with pinion angle, even more if you do replace the engine mounts.

Right now, the reason your engine is cockeyed and you want to compensate by lowering everything, is because of the left mount.

You'll need to keep the engine up with some wood under the pan or an engine hoist and a propane torch to remove the old rubber from your mounts, to slide the 3 piece units in, if you go that route. Pretty basic install. Sometimes the ears on the K member will need some persuasion. A long bolt and stacked washers with a couple of nuts will work good as an expansion tool. When they installed the mounts from the factory, that spool eyelet bolt crushes the ears on the K member a little bit. The old ones will come out, no prob, but the new ones will need corrected/ expanded K member ears to go back into.

It's worth the $35. They will keep the engine from moving and further risking header contact with the car, causing header gasket/ seal damage. It may not be a bad idea to pick up a trans mount as well, depending on how much HP you've got.
 
Once you've got new spool mounts in there, I'd check the header against a known, good set of mounts and then make any adjustments to the header, itself, from there.

Those poly units just slide in. I wasn't able to use mine with the original bolts. I had to bring them with me to the hardware store and get some grade eight bolts with smaller shanks, because the sleeve was too small. Your hardware may be different, since it's on a '71 B body, compared to the '73 A body I was working on, but it's no biggie. Just a heads up.

The torch works good to get the rubber out, once you have the mounts off of the car. The left residue comes off with solvents. I used laquer thinner and a rag.

Be sure to grab an extra bolt, the same length and size as the grade 8 bolts for your mounts, only with full thread with 4-6 fender washers and two nuts for the expansion tool, to set in the k member ears. Bolt goes across, washers just inside the face of the ears and nuts inside those, to force the ears away from each other.
 
good input. Will check this when I have the car here on a lift. Thanks. replacing the mounts before starting bending, cutting, welding sounds smarter.... :)
 
Dave,
Can you measure the distance on you ears on you K member.
I am having a huge intrferance using the Energy suspension mounts.
The passenger side will go in easy but I have .417" of interferance on the drivers side.
Thanks
 
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