We dropped a 'buck' engine in so that we can start on exhausts etc along with the final gearbox. Now, let me preface this by saying that since Dax didn't have jigs for an FE+T56 combination, the mounts were placed using my buck engine plus a GM T56 and its now an FE+Ford T56 Magnum which has a slightly different mounting flange arrangement at the back - I think it might be a sniff wider, which has become a slight problem!
We're alright up the front end with the engine:
There's even acres of room for the exhaust headers:
But it's pretty tight down the tail end of the gearbox:
In fact, the tail end bracket is pretty much touching chassis:
Two things became apparent during this - a) my old gearbox had a GM style rubber mount on it which is narrower than the mount that MDL supply, b) the new mount is too wide for the steel plate welded to the chassis because the bolts are farther apart than the GM style.
Oh, and c) The gearbox needs to share the same space as my fuel line and my main battery cable .. in fact we all but severed the main battery cable with the gearbox, so that now needs replacing (BUGGER!) as does the fuel line (less annoying to replace). Good job the battery was disconnected!
I also need to source a new GM style transmission mount, and then figure out how much packing it'll need to ensure the gearbox output flange and diff input flange are parallel-but-offset (possibly none, we'll see!)
Still.. that battery cable. BUGGER. BALLS. ETC. I said worse in my head, but not out loud, because my Dad was giving me a hand to do all this...