{Chrysler 300} 300c engine location and e brake

[John Grady <jkg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all .
Working on  300c convert partially assembled by others , very careful work ,but maybe some significant errors . Just sharing experience data , and hoping to find answers too . What follows can happen to anybody .... 
we noticed today the tail shaft of the trans is shifted to driver side , drum almost hits driver side floor and this led to noticing whole engine seems angled side to side in frame  . I measured front pulley to torsion bar centers  , engine is purposely I think shifted by Chrysler to the passenger side by design , approaching a 2” offset .   Note this does not matter to driveshaft or rear u joint — if parallel.  Rear pinion is parallel to frame ( 90 degree to axle has to be) says engine must be parallel too , for U joints  to   work right ( hmmmm— re : U joint hassles) 

Quick take — it looks like trans mount crossmember (not the rubber mount ) can go into frame 180 out , shifting tail the opposite way (!)  . TBD .There are also multiple lower rubber trans mount holes in that crossmember . (?)  . I would expect engineering wise  engine axis is to be in vertical view parallel  to frame / torsion bars? And thus pinion . sideways offset is ok if parallel . 

Also says engine mounts are asymmetric or frame weld on front mount places are. Or both . heads up .     

Related possibly , I had an awful time for a  while  last year with a 57 dodge that had been apparently assembled (unknown to anybody— especially me) after a PO engine rebuild ( not by me) with engine mounts swapped left and right and on wrong side of block tabs . that moves engine back and forth . Trans rubber mount was redrilled and was sitting  off the crossmember .  All the same parts as 300 

This one presently has 392 block tabs located behind  the mount steel , moving engine back , (? correct) and fan clutch is about 3/4 from radiator . But tie rod is just about touching oil  pan drain dip , looks wrong. Block Tabs are maybe 3/8 thick , I might fix that ( if wrong ) by relocating  mount tabs ? = engine forward 3/8” ?? Compounding figuring that out, it had wrong tie rod ends, new , too long to adjust properly (from taper bolt to adjusting thread ) and the offset bend was a little different , could not adjust right , that was first clue . now correct 57 ends, but  tie rod still very near pan . like 1/8” ?? Ok , -normal or not ? 

Anyone ever get into this ? there are 4 ways front mounts can be put in wrong -  Rand L  and forward back of tabs? it seems. 

 ??? ? normal spacing fan clutch to radiator and tie rod to pan?   trans end normal offset to passenger side ?? There are Several tie rod part numbers too . (??)  

As those round mounts age , or get oil on them, they tend to sag engine down — pin inside goes up into rubber  but imho still serviceable  ; on Dodge we put about 3/8” spacer washers under each , raised engine back-up,  all is good . 

Next , E brake on C was assembled completely missing the straight lever multiplying bar from the pull handle up to pivot pin above .  Cable end “U” is now attached  direct  to handle , which cannot work . I now need that bar and pins ( help !!) cable normally attaches to that lever or “ratio bar “ by a through pin directly opposite cable fire wall hole . Been into that area before — end U breaks off had  to weld to fix . Grip on E brake handle on this C is down , yet on 58 we have it is facing up . Is that right ?  

This is a very nice car , but I think assembled without good pictures or another one to look at . that is hard...   
I will Have to go through end to end..   
Carefully done work , but lacking knowing how it was ? ( = take pictures) 

Last — and this can drive you to Jack  , convert roof cloth seems put on purposely front slightly offset (3/8” toward passenger side) ) , on roof frame and trim ,yet edge of cloth on driver’s side hangs down too much , such that driver window hits it . Head is hurting as to why this ? Rubber on roof rail seems ok , related to window . not into this just yet , but someone may have fought this one already .    ? .= somehow Height of convert frame rail on one side  when latched ? gap there in roof rail  at arm fold is closed .. roughly ok ?? 
  

The first day!! 
John 



Sent from my iPhone not by choice 

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