Tail Shaft measurments???

[6971Chevy]

Hi everyone. I know you guys can help me. I installed my engine and tranny, but measuring from the side to side, from frame to frame, the tailshaft is not centered. Is this ok? i measure numerous points on the engine, and it seems to be square. I even measured the the center point on the rearend, where drive shaft goes, and it is not centered in the frame either. So, should everything be CENTERED, or are they not usually centered??
Thanks

[Green Machine]

What kind of tranny mount it that ? It sure looks weird and the tranny mount is not on the center of the tranny, likely causing your problem.

Is that an F-body trans ? Torque arm mount ? I think you should get a different tail housing with the correct mount holes for a truck.

[tucnnuts]

looks kinda like a vega tail shaft... yeah i would use the stock 400 mount...some drivelines are offset to promote u joint bearing rotation and to clear the brake booster and steering shaft...how many degrees is the motor at now?far as front to back, i normal run about 4 deg downward, for street cars... if the crank pulley was off center as much as the trans, but still close to the center line, with in an inch ..i would run it as long as you dont get into exhaust trouble with headers, manifolds hitting the frame..just my 2 cents tho...

[Longhorn Man]

loosen the motor mount towers, and slide the tranny to where it is centered

[cdowns]

line it up the best you can precise centering isn't really that important ,that the lob of the ujoints

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by cdowns

line it up the best you can precise centering isn't really that important ,that the lob of the ujoints

True. driveshafts are actually not intended to be perfectly straight to minimize high speed vibration. Wether its a truck or piece of rotating equipment. Like said that is where the u-joints came to be. What a wonderful invention. Old drag cars never cared about too much vibration until they started going way fast.

[6971Chevy]

The trans is a 700r out of a 92 corvette. I took all the drive train out of an 85 chevy truck. This was all installed at a dealership, then I took it out of the 85. I guess the best thing to do is loosen the motor mounts, make sure and fit the exhaust, and then tighten things back down. I am not sure the degree angle of the engine, I will try to find out and make sure it is close to the suggestion. it is less then an inch off center, but with the driveshaft on, it seems to be centered. I just wanted to make sure that it was not a big deal, and by the responses, I take it that it is no big deal!

Thanks guys or the information! I love this site!!

[Longhorn Man]

just make sure the shift linkage still reaches, or isn't too crowded. (assuming stock mechanical linkage)
The previouse owner of my last truck (69 GMC short/fleet) who we call the Dope Smoking Old Man... for many MANY reasons... he installed the engine and tranny combo while he was drinking (admitedly) and I suspect as he was high too. He had the engine/trans installed crooked, and plus, the TH350 wouldn't reach the TH400 placed cross member. So he took a piece of 1/8 inch plate, and made an arm to reach from the mounting point to the tranny mount. (instead of moving the cross member) The whole assembly was in crooked, and the shift linkage wouldn't reach the tranny. So, in true stoner fashion, he cut the linkage in half, and added some metal... about an inch or more if memory serves (I sold it back in 04) to make it reach.
This, is the only real issue you may have with a crooked engine/tranny combo.

I've attached the photos of the Dope Smokin Old Man's handy work. Lookin at the pic, the plate was more like 1/4 inch thich. The weight and leverage of the tranny on that mount started to rip the cross member where the bolts go into it.
Some of his work was second to ... well, second to ALL work ever done in the automotive history of man kind. It took me years to un do what he did... and I never even got it all cleaned up, there was still a bunch of his 'custom' work when i sold it.