Thread: Drive line set up

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With the body level front to back and side to side,at rocker panels. What angle should the motor be set at for best performance? This measurement is from the top of the engine bolck not the intake.Should it sit level (parallel) with the car?

Engine should be centered side to side in the body,correct, if possible? At the rear the point where the drive shaft connects to the rear end this is usually off center ,correct? So its normal for the drive shaft to run at angle outward or is it best to have the drive shaft running straight down the center of the car and have the rear end offset? This set is for a High performance application not a daily driver. Thanks

For drag racing I prefer the pinion centered in the car as well as the engine. The drive shaft should have a slightly down angle at the transmission and a 3 degree pinion down angle on the rear end. The intake manifold should set level. Some prefer it level at rest, others go for level without about an inch up travel on the front suspension to simulate the launch at lift....I usually set my engine level at idle. Never have had much trouble with it that way. Some like the engine a bit nose down at rest to maintain fuel level in the bowls higher when the car is going down the track. Don't think it's really an issue though.

I have a nine in ford center section with a 2.75 x .500 wall tube in it that I put thru the block main bearing bores. With the rear end at ride hight, I position the engine so that the crank front center is whatever height that I want with front end at ride height( 3 inch NHRA rule) Usually consideration has to be made for pan and bell housing clearance. This will give a drive line that is straight from the crank thru the pinion shaft. On car set up I will then adjust the pinion down from 1 to 3 degrees as it will want to lift thus sraightening the drive line under power.

Jerry