hood clearance issue for A&C kit

[cobrabritt83]

When I went to test fit the body on the frame prior to sending it out for paint, I noticed my hood hits my air filter. I have the engine placed right at 22 1/2" from the crossbrace and the engine mounts are centered in the frame rails. I have the engine sitting in the center of the slots, but i still need an 1" more. the engine is an 427 FE with M/R intake with an oval 2x4 air filter. It seems the air filter is hitting the front part of the hood scoop. I don't have any spacers between the carbs and the air filter base.

[talos]

I don't know the height of your filter. It's possible you could get a shorter height filter to just clear. If you can, it will be fine for just driving around town.

[Tommy]

Britt,
Your clearance issue may be unique to your brand of car and if that's the case, I'll be of little help. But I have faced that issue in a different kind of car and I learned some things that may be useful for you. Here are some things that can individually or in combination affect spacing between the air cleaner and the hood.

• How high the body sits above the frame (e.g., mounting pads)
• The position of the engine up/down, left/right, forward/back, and tilt up/down
• Engine deck height
• Shape of the heads
• Shape of the intake manifold
• Height of the filter element
• Depth of drop base for filter
• Shape of the underside of the hood

In my case my final solution was a deep drop base air cleaner and having the top of the intake manifold milled down a quarter inch. But keep in mind that the spacing that matters most is the distance between the top of the carburetor and the top of the air cleaner. If that space is too small it will restrict the flow of air and reduce engine performance.

[67sn8ke]

I'm not sure about the FE's, but on a small block 289,302,351 ect they have two different mounts. The 289 and 302 use a tall motor mount and the 351 uses a lower motor mount do to having a tall deck. So if you use a 289/302 mount on a 351 you will have hood clearance issues.

[saltshaker]

I have a 428FE with a RPM intake and a Stelling and Hellings air cleaner fit. It’s possible that the oval air cleaner is to long and hitting the hood
Jon

[Imlumpy]

I can’t offer any suggestions, but I can tell you it should fit , I have a 428 , edelbrock intake and long oval air cleaner and it all fit , had a Holley carb on it originally and even had a 1” spacer between the carb and air cleaner . Now has fitech fuel injection , no spacer under the air cleaner , it’s not even close to the hood .I have edelbrock heads , which are the same as medium riser Ford heads , the only thing I can think of is that the two four barrel intake situates the carbs higher than a single 4 barrel.although it ends soon , there’s a a@c car in eBay , it has an fe motor with two four barrels and a long oval air cleaner . Look for the listing , it’s white with blue stripes . There are under hood pictures .

[olddog]

Use children's play dough. Place 1" diameter sticks on the air cleaner. Close the hood carefully. Open hood and the smooshed play dough will show you the clearance.

My A&C the clearance gets tighter as you move toward the front of the engine.

[saltshaker]

Which motor mounts are you using ? There are several different mounts for a FE
Jon

[cobrabritt83]

I'm using part # 2270 and 2271 motor mounts and brackets from A&C

[saltshaker]

when you say it is hitting the front part of the scoop... does the filter fit inside the scoop or is it below and hitting the hood where the scoop starts?
did you set pinion angle on the car? that will change the position on the motor.
Jon