Restomod 67 Mustang fastback.

Has anyone here installed the Rod & Custom Motorsports front end, using the power steering rack??
Here's my dilemma, I have a 67 fastback restomod, I installed the above suspension/steering kit, and Im dropping in a 351 Windsor. The motor uses a Fox Body oil pan...so its a rear sump, with a smaller front sump....the problem is, the front sump is hitting the steering rack (actually resting right on top of it), yet the engine to frame mounts still have another 1.5 to 2" inches to go down before the engine will bolt up!!
I don't think I can raise the engine that much because then the transmission will be up against the body / trans tunnel.
So what kind of oil pan will clear this steering rack??
The way I see it, Im going to have to either run a dry sump setup (external oil pump) and eliminate the front sump and internal oil pump, or somehow move the steering rack forward enough to make the front sump clear it.

Any thoughts/ ideas??

Can the rack go down any? Do you have a car or truck pan?

The rack cannot go down because the lower control arms are mounted right underneath it.

Can you square up the edge of the pan right there? Lots of times when doing swaps the stock pans are not shaped right.

Got the motor mounts on right?

I have Rod & Custom Motorsports front end in my '65 Mustang Fastback, but I have yet to fit an engine in it. That project has been on the back burner a long time. But, my plans are to move the engine back as far as possible, maybe even recessed into the firewall a little. So more than likely I will have the same issue as you. To get around that if I were you I would eliminate the front sump and pump and run an externally driven wet sump pump like one of Peterson's.

I built a stroked Windsor for a guy with a heidts pinto/mustang 2 front end in a 65 fastback ran into the same problem. We put and external moroso pump on it and cut the front sump on pan off installed a flat bottom in its place

That's what I was afraid of. How much is an external pump system cost?? Its gotta be at least another $1500.
Another thing I was thinking of, is moving the rack forward.....make some custom mounts to move it forward where the sway bar is, then make some extentions off the spindles so the tie rod ends can still connect.

BBFTorino wrote:That's what I was afraid of. How much is an external pump system cost?? Its gotta be at least another $1500.
Another thing I was thinking of, is moving the rack forward.....make some custom mounts to move it forward where the sway bar is, then make some extentions  off the spindles so the tie rod ends can still connect.

You could do it for half that amount.

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JBR-3 wrote:Look at www.autoweldchassis.com

They make a "featherweight" Mustang II front stub that mounts the rack behind a crossmember
instead of in front of the crossmember. This maximizes the distance from the firewall to the most forward
crossmember for the most oil pan fore-to-aft clearance.

I haven't bought one but I might, for my '69.

I could be wrong but IIRC on the Autoweld Featherlight setup it's true that the rack is mounted "behind" a crossmember (instead of in front). But the rack it's self is still sitting in the same general area as before (in relation to the front spindle centerline so big jump in bump-steer problems isn't created).

So if it's actually the crossmember that has been moved a bunch and not the rack, and if it's the rack it's self that's in the way (and not the crossmember), then the Autoweld deal might not help.

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Well, I ordered the oil pan that R&C recommends. when it gets here, I'll bolt it on the block and re-try to lower it down onto the mounts.
If it don't work, I will try swapping on the manual rack since it is smaller diameter and see what the interference/clearance is.
If THAT don't work, then I will have to do some fab work and relocate the steering rack and make it all work.
Stay tuned!!

It always seems to be the more you pay for something the more bs comes with it! Cut to fit! Get a bigger hammer!

BBFTorino wrote:..........If THAT don't work, then I will have to do some fab work and relocate the steering rack and make it all work.........

Don't forget that moving the rack will usually cause unwanted bump-steer problems (of varying degrees depending on the direction the rack is moved) to start happening and will have to be dealt with (a bump-steer kit, or bend/modify the spindle's steering arms, or etc, etc) to correct the problem.

Well, I got the problem solved. I had to order a different oil pan. I got a Canton pan P/N 15-694. It is a rear sump road race/street/drag race pan.
The smaller front sump has a contour that cleared the rack pretty well. The steel hardlines for the power steering that are on the rack had to be slightly bent to clear the pan.
Also, I slotted the mounting holes on the block mounts a little bit so the engine could move forward about 1/4" inch and give enough clearance so nothing touches anything!