Since i now have he front end back together i decided to put the motor in there and see what i was up against. At first i had some serious problems. The starter and steering box wanted to occupy the same space and i had almost no room to push the motor towards the passenger side to gain clearance (pic 1). Plus its a big ole starter off my 1992 12 valve 6bt so gaining enough room for it was not gunna happen. This setup of having the starter on the drivers side is with the adapter plate that mates to the Getrag G360 bell housing that i wanted to use. My main reason for using this tranny was because i got it for free and its a 5 speed with OD so its nice for cruising.
So i grabbed a beer and started thinking about my dilemma. Thats when i remembered that the borg warner T19 tranny that i got with my 4bt had the starter on the passenger side. I pulled the Getrag starter and adapter plate off and put on the starter and adapter plate off the T19. Put the motor back between the rails and she just about fits like a glove. Moving the starter to the passenger side was exactly what i needed. The motor will now be able to be centered nicely in the rails, and along with running a front sump oil pan there is no clearance issues between the drag link or axle. I also wanted to keep it as low as possible without creating problems so i can keep the center of gravity low and close the hood without issue. The only thing i dont like about running the T19 is that its a 4 speed and has a very low granny gear for 1st. It was out of a box truck so thats no surprise. I wonder if i had the tranny rebuilt if they could swap my low first gear for something a bit higher, any one know if thats possible? Ive attached a bunch of pics for your viewing pleasure. Picture 1 is of the starter/steering box problem, the rest are with the starter on the passenger side.
Thanks for looking,
-Chris