Thread: engine swap steering clearance scare

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Good advice from both points of view. Which way you go depends on what you are doing elsewhere. You state you're using the stock suspension, so I'll assume you're trying to use the stock steering box and column. Since this is (visually anyway) a "one piece unit", bulletnose's idea would mean you'd have to change at least your column, and perhaps the steering box. Standard hot rod process, but maybe not what you had in mind.

As for Richard's comments on offsetting the engine and your trouble visualizing it, put down the brew and come back later. Visualize a straight line drawn through the center of the engine/trans (which is pretty much what the crankshaft, and trans main shaft are). That needs to be parallel with the centerline of the chassis it's full length (from the damper to the end of the tail shaft). The universal joints will "compensate" for the offset and not set up a bad harmonic if you maintain that parallel centerline. If you were to put the engine in at an angle, aiming the end of the tail shaft at the yoke on the rear end, that would "confuse" the universal joints which causes them to give you vibration as a punishment. Assuming here too that you're replacing the rear end with an open drive rather than the torque tube setup that's stock.

Don't buy headers before you've got the engine in place. With the stock front end under there, your options are very limited. You should probably have a conversasion with the guys at Chassis Engineering www.chassisengineeringinc.com They have a lot of experience with this swap.