So I've got my 5.9 bolted up to the trany in my 92 kota and the first thing I noticed is that the engine doesn't seem to sit center and square in the engine compartment. I noticed that I can bolt up the driver side header ok but the passenger side seems like the header is about a 1/4" short and very close to the frame, so close there is no room to attach the pipe flange. I called JBA and they are sending me another header but they say they've never had the problem before. I've heard that the motor mount is different for a 360 bolt in on the driver side and that might be my problem. Has anyone else experienced this? Which motor mount should I ask for that will fit, a 98 R/T?

I also am having problems with the flex plate. I measured the holes before the swap but now I have one bolt hole on my torque converter that won't line up. I don't want to change the flex plate cause it was balanced with the engines rotating assy. so either I elongate the holes to fit or figure out which torque converter I need. Or I guess I could say hell with it and get a 5.9 flex plate to fit the converter. Trouble is I don't know what to ask for and all the junk yards are quite distant to go driving around just to look see.

Any idea will help. I thought I was ready for this and now I'm running out of vacation time with my truck down, bad news.

 

Well don't worry about the flex plate issue. I went ahead and elongated the holes. I found out the early flex plates have one hole offset and later ones are the same distance all around or 90 degree flex plates. The one hole is to much to elongate so the trick was to elongate that one in one direction and the other three in the opposing direction. Problem solved.

 

I still have issue with the motor mount though if anyone has run into this. For right now I'm going to try to jimmy it in at the best angle and probably switch back to the stock exaust till the other header arrives and hope it has the collector flange repositioned to clear the frame.

 

Did the trans mount line up on the crossmember? If it did, it is probably sitting where it should.

 

I never unhooked the trany from the cross member. Got it all in now and the engine is clearly not centered in the engine compartment but neither was the 5.2/318. If it was the stock exhaust wouldn't clear. It just seems that this engine is sitting farther forward than the 318 did or it could be my imagination. Couple more hours and I'll try to fire it up.