Unisteer electric motor hitting the oil pan

[Foristell]

Well I finally got my 33 project to where I am trial fitting the engine. I am using a 351 Cleveland with a rear sump pan designed for a fox body mustang. It looks like the Unisteer P/S motor makes contact on the edge of the oil pan. I didn't know if anyone else had a similar problem with a 351 Windsor engine? I was considering either notching the pan or relocating the power steering unit? Has anyone had a similar issue?

[68GT500MAN]

This was a very common problem early on. Some "re-clocked" the motor, some notched the pan, some did both.
Doug

[wallace18]

Well I finally got my 33 project to where I am trial fitting the engine. I am using a 351 Cleveland with a rear sump pan designed for a fox body mustang. It looks like the Unisteer P/S motor makes contact on the edge of the oil pan. I didn't know if anyone else had a similar problem with a 351 Windsor engine? I was considering either notching the pan or relocating the power steering unit? Has anyone had a similar issue?

I used a 5.0 in my 33 but had to reclock the motor. Not hard to do.

[Tim Whittaker]

Do a search. Eric Hanson did a post on how to install with everything you need to know. Might have been a video.

[maczter]

Like Doug and Wallace stated, I too had to reclock mine to use with the SBC. Super easy to do. I was able to match one of the three holes in the location I wanted, a simple measurement, my drill press, the clock plate and about 3 minutes was all it took.

[myjones]

Several of us have moved the unit up to the firewall. If it won't clear by clocking it in the original location just move it up there. I talked to Tony Z about this at SEMA and he has done one that way as well and he had to make a wedge like the one I did to unbind the joints on each side. IIRC I made my AL wedge at 15* but 20* might be even better.
DB

[Foristell]

Thanks for all the input from everyone. I think one problem that I did not notice when I was buying parts for the engine was the exact dimensions of the pan vs a Windsor pan. I used a Moroso rear sump pan that unfortunately looks to be one of the larger ones compared to others from Canton and Milodon. I thought as long as it fit in a Fox body Mustang, I was good. I did not think about it at the time but I am guessing a lot of these aftermarket Clevelands are utilizing stroker kits and some of the aftermarket pans are designed to accommodate that. I found a little shallower and more rounded pan that I will try and see if it gives me a little more room in combination with re-clocking. I think it will still be a bit tight so I will see about doing a little notching too. I will check into moving the unit on the firewall if it looks like notching won't work out. Other than this issue, the Cleveland looks like it should be a nice fit.

[esff32]

I reclocked mine as well and am using a Canton Racing rear sump oil pan. I have a 351W.

http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b481/esff32/Factory%20Five%2033%20Build/b926ec60b833aada57da8673175d22c9_zpsf4d5d137.jpg

http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b481/esff32/Factory%20Five%2033%20Build/image-1_zps5c7201fb.jpg

[In33anity]

Like Dale, I moved mine to the firewall as well. To avoid the bind, rather than the wedge, I moved mine outboard a bit and just cut a new piece of aluminum for the bottom piece of the firewall with the hole in the right place (rather than filling the hole). I installed a 3/16th steel panel behind the aluminum for a solid mounting surface. While I was at it, I also installed a set of tabs 2" higher for the steering column mount for the firewall to bring the steering wheel down as the wheel was just too high with the low seats for my comfort in mock-up. As with most things on this build, one thing leads to another, and final install will include a quick release as harder to get in the car with the wheel that low, but suits my purpose. By moving the column and the motor at the same time allowed me to find the sweet spot for a bind free installation. Pic also shows the floor pedal mod, but that's a different story :) --I


http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy110/ischacter1/2014-08-03092538_zps51356f5d.jpg (http://s782.photobucket.com/user/ischacter1/media/2014-08-03092538_zps51356f5d.jpg.html)

http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy110/ischacter1/2014-08-03092611_zps67440d8b.jpg (http://s782.photobucket.com/user/ischacter1/media/2014-08-03092611_zps67440d8b.jpg.html)

[myjones]

As I< the insane one :) said it's a snowball. Any shift in location of the hole in the firewall will conflict with the brake and clutch pedals and the column as they are all very close.
Love the great pics he always adds, I'm not that savvy.

He went with floor pedals and moved the column, I added a steel gusset there and took the lazy way and just made a wedge. He also pointed his down where I pointed my motor up. Another possible way to remove bind is to add the coyote bearing that clamps to the tube shown in I's picture, it re-routes the shaft reducing that angle by the firewall
As always your combo may need something else entirely but mock it all up to be sure. FWIW I asked the Unisteer guys at SEMA about putting a foil starter sock over their motor to protect
it from the heat of my headers. Good or bad? outside heat versus heat generated by the motor. They had no opinion but claimed they don't see fried motors from exhaust. I suspect a sock
with a vent on the cooler side would be the best option. By design the 3G Hemi exhaust at the valve is 1500*F so my headers will run hotter than most of yours.
HTH
DB

[Foristell]

Thanks for the pictures. I knew I read that someone did that. How much clearance did you end up with?

[Foristell]

That is some really nice work. I think it is a few levels above what I was trying to do.

[In33anity]

Thanks for the pictures. I knew I read that someone did that. How much clearance did you end up with?

I think the only answer to clearance is it works so must be is just enough. The BMW S65 has a very different oil pan with two sumps way outboard at the rear and one for the oil pump outboard passenger side. The mounts are very low. Headers and pan were hitting the FFR mounts, and bracket for the motor ultimately ended up in the way. I had forgotten that I moved the bearing bracket up front too, as the only way to get the mounts in was from the bottom so did a fair amount of chopping and added a new removable cross member to come at the motor from underneath with custom mounts I built. Ended up making a new bracket and installing a few inches up and at the right angle on the upright bar, so that helped. Chopping out the bracket, i didn't like the integrity of the bar coming from the front at an angle into the chopped joint, so added a new relief bar. In all, motor's in solid, steering geometry is without bind, motor is totally out of the way of everything and is much farther away from the headers than if in the original position. When it became clear I had to go the crossmember route, it clinched the deal on floor mount pedals I had been thinking about as I was going to put the motor on the inside of the firewall as Unisteer originally intended. As is usual with this build, when parts got here and begin to mock it all up, became clear the length of the motor with the added joints would not fit behind the dash at any geometry that would work, so ended up just outside. Once you've crossed over into the land that it's ok to cut and modify the frame (smartly and strategically!) and start doing it, virtually anything is possible with this platform (which is both what I love about the platform, and I must warn, highly addictive). I don't think there are levels as much as being prepared to go much slower than anyone can possibly earn a living from doing it and being prepared to make mistakes and do things over several times (first, out of cardboard, then wood and/or plastic, then scrap metal, then finished pieces maybe more than once, till you get it functional, and then the last time both functional and aesthetically coorect, or as I keep repeating in my head, as the way FFR would have built it had they designed for my application. Don't give up on that pan as it looks awfully badass, just play with the motor till you get it right. -- I

Oil Pan


http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy110/ischacter1/DSC_4370_zps1e452121.jpg (http://s782.photobucket.com/user/ischacter1/media/DSC_4370_zps1e452121.jpg.html)

Cross Member

http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy110/ischacter1/photo_zps4a82b2c7.jpg (http://s782.photobucket.com/user/ischacter1/media/photo_zps4a82b2c7.jpg.html)

Revised Chassis

http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy110/ischacter1/photocopy_zpsc6da8498.jpg (http://s782.photobucket.com/user/ischacter1/media/photocopy_zpsc6da8498.jpg.html)

Finished product

http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy110/ischacter1/2014-08-03113331_zpsdaa76827.jpg (http://s782.photobucket.com/user/ischacter1/media/2014-08-03113331_zpsdaa76827.jpg.html)

[Foristell]

really nice work. Thanks for your input.

[Foristell]

Thanks for the pics, I knew I saw a couple of posts with 351W motors and using Power steering. I figured the 351W is fairly close dimensionally on the lower end to the Cleveland.

[Silent T]

Not sure what your exhaust is. If it runs down at the front cylinder than this may not be an option but it can be clocked all the way around to stand straight up:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/LongIslandRT/121_zpse8054887.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/LongIslandRT/media/121_zpse8054887.jpg.html)

[Foristell]

Did you have to change anything other than drilling new holes?

[Silent T]

I had to open the middle hole up slightly with a file and drill 3 new holes for mounting bolts.

[Foristell]

Well I ended up getting as small of a pan as I could find which was The 351C Milodon #31127 pan for the Fox body. I had to still dimple it a little and had to re-drill two bolt holes, now it tucks up nicely and has plenty of clearance. Pans for the Cleveland seem to be a bit bigger than the Windsor versions. I finally got the the engine in and ready to start wiring. I hope to have this fired up in the next several weeks.368273682836829

Thanks for everyone's suggestions, it was very helpful.