My 68 has a 350 with 4spd and I’ve been told and appears the engine sets back close to the firewall. I never paid much attention to until I installed my floor console and the shifter would hit in second and Fourth. I also notice that my clutch pivot arm looks bent as if the drive line is off or engine is high. I checked the motor mounts to frame and they look right. The mounts are ploy I believe. If I tried installing an HEI distributor in it most likely wouldn’t fit. I attached photos to help I hope. Also the clutch fork looks like it may hit underneath when engaged. Seems like the engine/trans needs to move up about 1/2” to and 1”.

Any suggestions, I’m all out of my thoughts.

thanks

Drivers side mount

Pivot bracket mount

Passenger side mount

Clearance

Not sure if this needs to come forward

 

Additional info, my air cleaner barely clears my cowl hood in the rear as well. May also appear to set alittle high, I’m at a loss at this time.

 

Additional info, not sure if this matters, the block is a 1984 350 4bolt main

 

It can't be set back very far if it still has the stock fire wall. There is some variations from car to car but back in the 80s a lot of people had to pound the crap out of the fire wall just to switch to an HEI. You only need a 1"-1/2 clearance. Also is it the stock shifter? Mine have an aftermarket Hurst and it hit the floor requiring a little sheet metal adjustment to get it in second.

 

Thanks for your reply, like I said with my cowl hood and air cleaner, engine needs to drop a little or come forward, not sure I’m the shifter if stock, it’s a burst shifter is all I know.

 

As Gorn suggests, it fits. A good indicator is the harmonic balancer is above the sway bar.
Also, every 1st Gen I've owned, I was able in using a 9/16 inch hand wrench and be able in removing the top bellhousing bolts from the top.
Yes, some owners had tp pound firewall for HEI clearance.
You might check subframe-to-body alignment holes on the firewall bolts. As long as the holes can be viewed, good to go.

 

OP

hard to tell from any of your pics but if your distributor is stock it would have about 1/2" clearance from firewall. FWIW I also have a 85+ 355 block I just put in and it sits exactly where my 327 did

Is your fan about 1/2 in/out of the shroud?

You use the right motor mounts?

I have a air gap intake which sits higher than a stock one and a 4" air cleaner and it easily clears my cowl hood

If your only problem is hood clearance but otherwise everything else is good (drive line angles, fa in shroud position) than you could go with a 1" shorter air filter or a drop base air cleaner

 

SoCal67, what mounts did you use and mount brackets?

 

I used stock replacements from Autozone I had installed a few months ago on my 327. Used the same ones on the 355

https://www.autozone.com/external-en...5_234542_12553

Stock 327 stands

 

I’ve even played with the idea of maybe BBC engine mounting brackets. Pictures show it maybe being able to move the drivetrain alittle forward. Is this a crazy thought?