Model A motor mounts question

I have a 29 tudor thats going on a TCI chassis (straight axel,vega steer). I ordered the chassis with motor mounts, tranny mount installed.(SBC, 350 trans combo). Last night I placed a mock up motor and trans in the chassis. The motor is sitting to far back. My four inch recessed firewall would be sitting on the back edge of the distributor hole. After measuring rad,water pump, pully arrangement it looks like the motor could go ahead two inches. I,m wondering if this might be a big block set up? would anyone have a measurement from drivers side rad hole in crossmember to center of motor mount for SBC application. Thankyou.

Unfortunately not an uncommonly reported problem with TCI. Contact them to see what they'll do about it.

LAY N LO, I have a Brookville Model-A frame with several TCI components. The distance from the center of the left front rad hole to the center of the motor mount bolt is 13 1/2" and the SBC 350 is in the frame with a 700R4 trans which does match up with the holes on the trans mount. I do not have a body yet and I also have two worries: 1) Will the HEI distributor clear the firewall even with an indentation? For instance, the guy at Rod & Race told me their '29 firewall would NOT clear the HEI cap and I would have to use a points distributor. Other body mfgrs. hopefully have allowed a "dent" for the HEI cap with the coil in it and 2) locating the brake mount for a power brake in that the distance from the brake pedal pivot to the front rad hole may be off by 1/2" from the TCI instructions and even then I had to notch the crossmember by 1" to get the master cylinder on the power brake to fit. I will not know whether the brake pedal is right relative to the floor boards until I mount the body. At present my brake pivot is welded in (for the second time, after cutting out the first weld and grinding the frame smooth) at 41 1/2". The guy at Bebops says that is OK, but you need to check the position of the brake pedal pivot if you add a power brake unit. The tech person at Brookville told me that I did not order a frame for a Power brake, but that if I had they would hve milled a nice notch in the cross member for the master cylinder. The notch I have is not as neat as a milled cut but not too bad and will not be seen except underneath. Good Luck.

Don Shillady
Reitred Scientist/teen rodder

One note Don, you don't have to use a points distributor in lieu of a GM HEI unit. There are any number of electronic distributor options that are a comparable size to the points type distributors. Three examples would be MSD (self contained, doesn't need a separate box), Mallory Unilite, and Pertronix. There are others as well. The added benefit is they look much "cleaner" than the big, clunky HEI.

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Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
One note Don, you don't have to use a points distributor in lieu of a GM HEI unit. There are any number of electronic distributor options that are a comparable size to the points type distributors. Three examples would be MSD (self contained, doesn't need a separate box), Mallory Unilite, and Pertronix. There are others as well. The added benefit is they look much "cleaner" than the big, clunky HEI.

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Speedway also offers an electronic ignition in a magneto housing that looks really coooool .......

I've found thats a problem with most of the A chassis, also ya gotta watch movin the motor forward (water pump/fan to radiator clearence) Thats why after lookin at several chassis I decided to build my own, made it 19? inches longer than most
wich allows me to run a flat firewall (leg room & magneto clearence) and put the wheelbase at 109 inches wich should help the ride (so I'm told) with the 32 grill,engine and body on the rolling chassis everything appears to be in the right perspective

I checked with "Bill" at Bebops and learned several things. First the Bebops '29 firewall indent WILL accept an HEI distributor (whew!). Second, their all-in-one fender-floor has two extra layers of glass cloth on the bottom compared to a separate 'glass fender for added protection from flying stones but of course some sort of (rubberized?) undercoat can also be used. Third, I learned that their optional deuce shell is not chopped, but rather full size and cut along the bottom sides to drop down 2 1/2" to match up with the '29 cowl height, so I will be able to use an unchopped '32 grill (after a bank loan!). I must say that Bob and other "experienced geezers" have been to so many roadster shows that they know the optimum "look", but I am only seeking fairly clean functionality as pretty much the best I can do, so if the HEI distributor is reliable to 5500 rpm and fits the firewall, that's good enough for me. Now all I have to do is wait and see if that brake pedal fits the body. Surprisingly "Bill" also said that a short water pump with a flex fan and maybe a shroud might (?) be enough cooling for my mild 350. I am hoping with the use of roller tipped rockers that the oil temp will be lower and that will help the engine run cooler (by 20 degrees F?) and maybe I can get away with just a flex fan?? Maybe this is the place to ask if one of those cheap anti-cavitation washers on the back of the waterpump really work to lower the temperature? Well anyway I got up this morning and went out to the garage to get the measurement on the motor mounts and the Brookville frame seems to be well engineered so I guess I'll order headers next.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder