Can’t get the engine back in

Obviously I had my fathers help in the past, but I just can’t figure out where I am going wrong. I dropped the transmission out from under the car with the headers loose but in (85 fox). Transmission wouldn’t go back the same, today I pulled the engine but the passenger side header and bell aren’t clearing and the midplate isn’t clearing the headers on the drivers side. I can’t seem to get the hookers ligned up right. Any thoughts?

When I had those headers we always put the engine and C6 trans in as a combo. I would set the engine/trans in the hole and with the headers already in there and lower the engine down close to the mount tabs, pull the headers up to the engine and start the bolts while we could wiggle the engine. Once they were started we set it down and bolted up the plates. I had front and mid plates then too, at most it took 20 min and we had it bolted to the plates.

I can give it a shot, but if memory serves well we had no success installing both together. I’m going to try and find 2 people to come help next Saturday, to wiggle on the headers while I guide in the engine. Maybe 3 people will have better luck dropping in both together.

I usually had a helper but I've also done it alone. I have a AJE k-member and my tunnel has been enlarged at the top in the front which helps.

I have a factory k member and stock tunnel, The k member is a bit in the way.

Hooker headers, C6 in all at once. QA1 K-member w/ 1.5" spacers.

Maybe this will or will not help, but you could try what I did on my car. It will require a bit of fabrication work beforehand. I made the top center of the radiator core support removable. It will spring inward when you cut but a temporary support bar welded across the front will hold it while you do the rest of the work. I used 2 bullet nosed locating pins for repeatable location and it is attached with 3 bolts on each side. This eliminates the steep downward angle when installing the engine and trans at the same time. I would post some photos of it during fabrication, but I have yet to find a suitable site to host my photos since Photobucket pulled a fast one on us.

I would post some photos of it during fabrication, but I have yet to find a suitable site to host my photos since Photobucket pulled a fast   one on us.

This site offers photo hosting and it actually works very well.

Thanks I’ll try the angle of the car. Doug, my problem is the midplate area is tight, I think I am ok up front ( if I remember correctly).

BigBlockRanger wrote:

I would post some photos of it during fabrication, but I have yet to find a suitable site to host my photos since Photobucket pulled a fast   one on us.

This site offers photo hosting and it actually works very well.

I have tried several times to upload here and just tried again, but I keep getting this message.

You cannot upload any photos to the gallery because the storage limit has been reached.

The problem with that is I have no photos in my album.

I can’t post either.

I’m betting my factory k member would not allow the headers to slide in with everything else?

Doug Rahn wrote:

BigBlockRanger wrote:

I would post some photos of it during fabrication, but I have yet to find a suitable site to host my photos since Photobucket pulled a fast   one on us.

This site offers photo hosting and it actually works very well.

I have tried several times to upload here and just tried again, but I keep getting this message.

You cannot upload any photos to the gallery because the storage limit has been reached.

The problem with that is I have no photos in my album.

jpierce55 wrote:I can’t post either.

I’m betting my factory k member would not allow the headers to slide in with everything else?

I'm still learning but this may be useful for the pics ... https://www.429-460.com/t26481-testing-a-picture-upload

I got the headers on, the midplate must be warped. The dowel pins don’t line up. I may just go without for now.

Actually I elongated 2 bolt holes on the plate, left to right. They are still tight top to bottom, and I imagine that is more critical. I am not sure how the plate is stretched, but it was definitely a bit stretched.