Issue with trans mount not lining up with crossmember slots

Bbaker2317 · Mar 16, 2025

I have a 89 lx that was originally a 4 cyl car. It's was 5.0 swapped by someone before me. I took the engine and trans out to rebuild. When I took the crossmember off, the person before me drilled to holes to the left side of the slots. That just doesn't seem right to me. I've got it back together and it lined up perfectly with the holes that they drilled. I'm confused if there is a problem because why would it be shifted so far to drivers side. Shifter lines up pretty good in the car. I've been researching for days trying to find someone to have the same problem and cannot find anything. I mean I drove it like it was when I bought it but I'm just concerned. Anyone ever heard of this issue? Stock motor mounts brand new. Stock new trans mount.

KRUISR · Mar 16, 2025

Pics of cross member area? Manual or automatic?

Bbaker2317 · Mar 16, 2025

KRUISR said:
Pics of cross member area? Manual or automatic?

It's manual. T5. The 2 slots in the crossmember are about 1/2 to the right of where the bolts are supposed to go. I'll get a picture next time I'm by the car.

AeroCoupe · Mar 16, 2025

If memory serves me right the driveline is offset to the passenger side by 3/4”.

With that being said are the motor mounts loose? Being you are setting the motor in after a rebuild you may have it in the hole a little crooked. I also want to say the motor mounts have alignment pins on them.

Has the k-member been replaced or removed and put back in at some point? Has the car been in an accident?

Bbaker2317 · Mar 16, 2025

AeroCoupe said:
If memory serves me right the driveline is offset to the passenger side by 3/4”.

With that being said are the motor mounts loose? Being you are setting the motor in after a rebuild you may have it in the hole a little crooked. I also want to say the motor mounts have alignment pins on them.

Has the k-member been replaced or removed and put back in at some point? Has the car been in an accident?

Car has not been in accident at all. I'm going to post pic as soon as I can. So as I was dropping engine in I noticed that trans was a little towards driver side. So I unbolted the motor mounts and picked it back up about an inch with hoist and tried to adjust it towards passenger side. It wouldn't budge at all and but crossmember bolts right up nicely, but in the 2 holes the previous owner did. They are drilled next to slots far enough away to not interfere with the slots. Probably 1/2 to 3/4 inch. I drove the car like this when I first bought it. It drove fine and no vibration. I'm just concerned that shouldn't it be in the factory slots on crossmember? I'm wondering if being a 4 cyl car to start with it has something to do with that. The front to back alignment is great. Just left to right. But looking at where the shifter is in the trans tunnel it looks pretty good also.

gkomo · Mar 16, 2025

Wrong crossmember? Do 4 cyl and 5.0’s use the same one? Maybe the PO modified a 4cyl crossmember instead of getting a 5.0 one?

Bbaker2317 · Mar 16, 2025

gkomo said:
Wrong crossmember? Do 4 cyl and 5.0’s use the same one? Maybe the PO modified a 4cyl crossmember instead of getting a 5.0 one?

Yea its possible. I don't know which is has. I've read that they may be the same. But I don't know. I'm going to post pics tomorrow. It's got the big hump on passenger side.

Monkeybutt2000 · Mar 16, 2025

I went through this crap before. My Fox was originally an AOD car swapped to a T-5. Factory cross member bolted up great. I added a lot more power to the car and upgraded to a TKO600. It was off about as far as you say,if you go through my build thread there's pics to document. Put a Stifflers cross member in and it was still off,but not as bad. I ended up loosening the motor mounts.got the trans lined up (this was with solid motor mounts by the way) and was able to line everything up.

KRUISR · Mar 16, 2025

gkomo said:
Wrong crossmember? Do 4 cyl and 5.0’s use the same one? Maybe the PO modified a 4cyl crossmember instead of getting a 5.0 one?

4 cyl crossmember is the same as 5.0s except it is only a single hump, not a double hump needed to install dual exhaust.

Did you install the crossmember backwards (left end on the right side - flipped 180 degrees)?

Mustang5L5 · Mar 17, 2025

Pics would help here

Bbaker2317 · Mar 17, 2025

Monkeybutt2000 said:
I went through this crap before. My Fox was originally an AOD car swapped to a T-5. Factory cross member bolted up great. I added a lot more power to the car and upgraded to a TKO600. It was off about as far as you say,if you go through my build thread there's pics to document. Put a Stifflers cross member in and it was still off,but not as bad. I ended up loosening the motor mounts.got the trans lined up (this was with solid motor mounts by the way) and was able to line everything up.

Yea the other day I took motor mount nuts off and lifted engine to try and get trans line up first but couldn't get it. Crossmember still went in the same holes that the previous person drill. When I get home from work I'll put pics up

Bbaker2317 · Mar 17, 2025

Mustang5L5 said:
Pics would help here

I'm getting some when I get home from work

gkomo · Mar 17, 2025

Just curious where you lift the engine from to mess with the motor mounts? I’m gonna do mine soon.

Bbaker2317 · Mar 17, 2025

gkomo said:
Just curious where you lift the engine from to mess with the motor mounts? I’m gonna do mine soon.

I used the 5/8 holes in the front and back of heads with a chain. They make a plate to attach to your lower intake if you have efi but it's like $50. I just did what would work.

gkomo · Mar 17, 2025

Bbaker2317 said:
I used the 5/8 holes in the front and back of heads with a chain. They make a plate to attach to your lower intake if you have efi but it's like $50. I just did what would work.

Ah okay. I've read some people jack up the engine from the bottom. I don't have an engine lift so i can't lift from the top. Sorry to derail your thread.

AeroCoupe · Mar 17, 2025

My Couoe is a 4 cylinder swap and you need a v8 crossmember from either a T5 or AOD car. Grind the spot welds on the tubes so the cross member slides up and down them. I used the stock k-member and just changed motor mounts. Are you sure you don’t have the motor mounts on the wrong side? OEM style ones are marked L and R.

limp · Mar 20, 2025

I had this problem with my 77 truck I restored years ago.. Fought it for a while and finally had to tow it to a frame shop to straighten the bent frame.. It had been hit on the front corner which pushed one side further back than the other.... The frame shop had a term for it ( diamonded??) I think... I know you said no accidents in your car but..................................

Issue with trans mount not lining up with crossmember slots

Bbaker2317

Member

KRUISR

Bbaker2317

Member

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Bbaker2317

Member

gkomo

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

Bbaker2317

Member

Monkeybutt2000

Mustang Master

KRUISR

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Bbaker2317

Member

Bbaker2317

Member

gkomo

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

Bbaker2317

Member

gkomo

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

Similar threads

Issue with trans mount not lining up with crossmember slots

Member

Member

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Member

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

Member

Mustang Master

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Member

Member

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

Member

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

Similar threads

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