Suggestions for engine swapping problem.

Okay, I'm at my wits end. Had to just call it a night.
73 Duster, old 318 car, I'm swapped a 360 made into a Stroker.
P/S, 904. Spool mount set up. Swapping in Motor, and Transmission together.

Me and some buddies worked the engine down into the car..the passenger header was giving me a lot of issues laying loose in the engine bay, so I just pulled it out, and dropped it in..both spool motor mounts seated, and their washers where they should be. the transmission mount likewise, get it into place and it bolts right in. I leave the motor mounts in front loose, so I can bump motor up and slip header in that way on the pass side.

I jack car up. and use engine hoist to raise engine. No problem, I slip header in from underneath. had to take oil filter off but it made the area it needed to be in. well for it to bolt up, engine needs to drop back down.

i take car off jack while buddy aids the engine hoist so they are evenly let down. i get car down, he gets hoist where it is about to set engine in the k frame.

Then it happened, the drivers side spool slipped right in, and the passenger side...didn't. its bolt rests just above the k frame mount. You can push and push..no recoil, it's jammed there, and funny thing it, the mount and spool looks like they should just fall together. Both headers are loose..you can rattle them around, the steering clears everything. the oil pan clears everything. the starter, clears everything. in fact I am frustrated it was just in place and a simple lift to one side won't let it seat.

Going to have another look tomorrow..any suggestions in the meantime? thanks..

These spool mounts seem to require a more precise fit that the old biscuit type, and they can hang up even though they look really close to slipping into place. I JUST installed a 360 in my 73 Dart with Hedman Headers....pretty much the same scenario that you are dealing with. The tricks I have used are pretty simple.I leave the spool brackets loose on the block... the bolts are tight enough to keep the bracket on, but allow plenty of movement. While you are shifting everything around, you may need a helper to be the guy moving the engine while you use a prybar to tweak the mounts to fit the K frame saddles. Once the motor is seated into place, I place a framers level across the valve covers to see if the motor sits level in the engine bay. You can then tighten the motor mounts on the block to finish it off. Oh yeah... I also leave the transmission mount loose until the engine is solidly in place. Good luck.

The through bolts must be pushed out in order to drop into the ears. The washer is captured and needs to clear the lip.

Or

Try to loosen the mounts from the engine. Then see if it will drop in.

the through bolts are plenty loose, to where the washers are spread apart.. I will try to loosen the mounts like suggested.. see where that gets me..thanks.

You will be fine after you loosen up the mount to block bolts, I usually leave everything loose, let the spool mount bolts bottom out, level the engine, tighten the block to mount bolts and then the thru bolts for the spool mounts.

okay i just loosened everything, I took the thru bolt out of trans, loosened the block mounts to where you can rattle them, and let the hoist down and it does the same thing..talk about aggravation. i can actually jack engine up to where it sways..and when it goes down it always fall right into driver side and hang on passenger side, and the through bolt hangs right above where it slips straight down.. I'll go out and mess with it some more.

may have to bend the craddle ears a little to let the spool go down into the craddle

make sure the washers are not hanging up on the ears

raise the tail shaft of the tranz with a jack some to have the engine level going down and not tilted up in the front

are you sure the spools are mounted on the block ears in the correct position (front or back of lugs on the block)

I like to have the cross member out and a jack under the tail shaft while the engine hangs from the hoist

much ez-er to move around,the bolts like to drop down ito the craddle when the are horozontal going straight down

relax and take you time,they are the ez ones to do IMO

I'll have to agree they are the easy ones, I've done a few before and never had this issue. like i said previously, the block mounts were in place before i did the header slip-in..and now that pass. side just hangs directly above it from all angles.you'd think it's slip back down in there..but nawww

update: I managed to get the engine to seat and the headers on. I really can't figure out what it was but the engine leveler I was using was really getting on my nerves. the 2 spans of chain in the rear were against the firewall almost the whole time and it needed to go back after it somehow shifted forward. So I laid the engine down unbolted the leveler, and attached a regular old chain one corner of engine to the other, and hooked it up, lifted, and dropped it down, and boom it seats.

I'm happy now..this has been a rough weekend! work work work and come home thinking this would be a breeze as it has before and..anyways thanks

I like to do it with the intake off and the chain in the middle of the heads side to side with a jack under the tail shaft

so it sits down square in the craddles and the tranz mount makes the 3rd point of attachment

glad you got it

when in doubt,,, get a bigger