LocostUSA.com

Mechanical scissor jack on its side near the top of the cut. If not strong enough, use a bottle jack and 2x4 or 1/4 plate load spreaders with the K vertical so the jack will work.

Spread past alignment for spring back when you remove the jack.

I have an HBF portapower body jack that is great for that sort of thing.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Did the crossmember warp about an inch? WOW! Can you determine if the warp was introduced at the bottom fillets? If so, I would use a cutoff saw and split those welds rather than cutting down the middle like you proposed. If you know how much you have to move it, temporarily weld or bolt a brace at the right mounting distance to hold it in place during welding.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

I don’t think the welding pulled that much I didn’t have any gaps. I have another K frame and it’s smaller, like another 1/4”, it’s crazy. I may have to cut it completely, bolt it up and weld it. Wednesday I’ll find out.

_________________
Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

It might make sense to check the fit of the steering rack. Measure twice, weld once, or something like that.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Chuck I couldn’t wait and worked on this at the same time you sent a reminder. Thanks by the way. I won’t weld it until I have the right screws. These are the right diam but wrong pitch. I think we’re in a good place.

_________________
Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

Maybe the K fit was never great to begin with? I found a few things that didn't align on the spit.

A similar build just in case you have not seen it:
http://www.britishv8.org/MG/MartynHarvey4.htm

Based on that one, you could put some metal back in once the engine location is final or if your front drain plug access is going to be poor, make the center of the pan deeper to add capacity but mostly allow the rear plug to drain the entire pan. Maybe add some clearance between the filter boss on the block and the chassis.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I have seen that one. He actually has more room in the 74.5 and newer than the 70 I have. I have thought more than once about ditching the V8 but we’ll give it a shot. I just saw a guy do a ‘76 with no firewall mods and ended up with a hood scoop. I’m not opposed to a scoop it certainly would have to look nice. His didn’t look nice. Depending on how this lays out with the pan I will be adding back in where I can.

_________________
Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

I was just thinking you might be able to cut the pan closer to the pump to place the engine lower for more hood clearance. However, I measured a 5.0l I have on a stand and a fox body dual sump pan and found that ford provided minimum reasonable space (less than an inch) between the pump bolt heads and the pan.

You might want to build a K around the pan. To drop it a couple more inches or so for bonnet clearance, I would extend the K rearward along the chassis rails with 11ga 2x2, add 3/8 nut plates to 1/8 strip along the bottom of the chassis rails near the firewall for a six point K attachment, weld a 11ga 1x4 between the 2x2 extension to align and fill the notch in the pan, weld a 11ga 2x2 across the front of the K below the rack mounts (will also need to add nut plates for the rack mounts and maybe relief to clear the front drain plug access), then completely remove the original K center section. The oem intermediate shaft to header tube clearance would likely determine how far I’d go.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Ok this makes my head spin. I like what you're saying. I do need pics. However before that the rack and pinion plays apart in pinch points doesn't it? I was hoping to find some room in the pan but you're saying not really because of the oil pump?

_________________
Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

I will look for some pics to draw on to illustrate.

I can't tell from any pics I've seen if the crank pulley will tuck behind the rack. There are different length accessory drives and pumps.

There is very little room to gain by bring the pan closer to the pump bottom. A fraction of an inch.
I'll give you a measurement from the bottom of the pump assy to the pan rail.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

The bottom of the pump is not parallel to the pan rail so it was difficult to measure without a square to measure back from, but it is close to 5.80" from the bottom of the pump bolts to the pan rail.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I have a 5.0 on hand I was going to try and get to tomorrow. I’m surprised you have one laying around. Kinda funny really. I don’t have heads though so looking for room may get a little muddy with out them. I was hoping to have new aluminum ones by now. It’s the holidays now so, probably not soon. I think I’ll have time to get it at least dangling from a hoist to see what it looks like. I really don’t want to cut footwells but I’m not hopeful, the engine is long and the steering rack sits high.

_________________
Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

Maybe this can give you some ideas. No need to extend to six points. Add a cross tube between the rack mounts also.

Red is the existing cutout area, orange added plates that just clear the LCAPs and still provide access to the hardware, green rhs maybe built from 4 strips of 1/8 to the dims suited to the oil pan notch.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

This is certainly interesting. Well let’s see how it fits and go from there. I’m not opposed to really doing something different.

_________________
Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

Here is a mod for the front using 11ga 1x3 or 1x2 depending on how much space there is. Notch inner flange of rack mounts to clear.

This would be a good time to place just the trans and bell on some 2x4 framing, level, and as far back and high as possible to see if any minor massaging with the BFH may help. Consider a pull slave along the oil pan rail to shave some width in the tunnel and have better access. I prefer a pull slave to an HRB for easy access. A few 2x4s and 3 inch deck screws are under $30 and very useful for mocking up, with 3/8” threaded rod and nuts for fine adjustment before fitting metal in-between.
When building a box from 1/8 strip, don’t overlap the edges. Leave a gap at the outside corners to fill with weld. HBF magnetic holders are handy for this. The result is very clean, no grinding, good pen, and easy to weld giving the tig look of stacked dimes/fish scales. There isn’t much that cannot be done with 1/8 strip in the right orientation.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12