I need some help REALLY BAD! MY oil pan is touching the frame on my 1969 Firebird w/400 transmission.
I have already: -replaced engine mounts -checked transmission mount (looks new and in place correctly) - We also shimmed-up the engine with (2) 1/8" and still touching, unless they fell out of place. - NOW, we can't figure-out why it's stll touching. Help
BACKGROUND: I bought the car in Louisiana about 9-months ago and it was about 90% complete. Before that the car was under restoration in Ohio, where the engine was rebuilt and installed. I recently decided to get new exhaust installed and we noticed the oil pan on the frame. We decided that the engine mount on the right side looked broken, so we replaced them both, Afterwards the oil pan is still on the frame. We checked the tranmission mount and it appears to be thr right one and everything loks good.
ANALYSIS: I'm having a hard time beliveing that the car received the wrong engine mounts in Ohio several years back and no one noticed, then years later I bought the car in Louisana and we too put the wrong engine mounts (purchased from Car Quest). I'm at a lost here and not sure whre to turn to.
The 400 engine is original to this car. I was able to verify the last 6 of the VIN etched in the front of the block. ALso, I don't think the mount to frames have ever been replaced because of the cars history.
MORE BACKGROUND: The interesting thing about this car is it was sold in 1969 right outside Los Angeles. It remained there until 1980 when it had a carb fire (contained to engine bay only, thanks God). It stayed laid-up in the desert until 2001, when it was trucked to Ohio and the partial renovation started. Moved to Louisiana by Ohio owner, never fully completed (90-95% complete) and sold to me. EVERYTHING is practically original and the previous owner was a 27-Firebird car owner and Pontiac diehard. Also ran it past him and he knew that everything was original. It was somewhat of a tmecapsule, the undercarriage is untouched, interior (along with the original seat covers), and matching numbers on all my parts. Therefore, the engine mounts to frame all appear to be correct, nicely aged, and match the other sub-frame components.
QUESTIONS: - I know that there a specific engine mount for the 1969 400. All the catalogs show a single mount for all Pontiac 350 engines from 1967-69. So, a different engine mount doesn't seem right either, becasue it looks differenet and probably fits different. - Has anyone seen the "Frame" engine mounts fail before? They appear to be steel and I can't imagine them going bad either, but I'm not sure.
Again, I'm lost and VERY AFRAID that serious damage will occure if I can't fix this. I appreciate any help and all your advice. Please fell free to call me or emial me, if you care rather than responding back on the forum.
