tilted motor in an '88 TC?

[CheeseSteakJim]

My motor in my Town Car looks fairly badly tilted backwards. For those who might not know, this car was in a major head-on accident and had its frame straightened and new panels put on. I figured that when it was hit, it must've deformed the motor mounts a bit. I was hoping that it was just from the frame being so mangled, but after I had it straightened out the engine still looks funny to me. The mounts didn't look bad to me, but I figured I'd pull one out and see. I just got the driver's side mount out last night and compared it to the new one, and they are exactly the same. I don't see any damage whatsoever to this mount, which I would think would be surprising since this car was hit diagonally from the driver's side.

Do all Town Car motors tilt back like that? I drove and worked on this car for nearly a year before the accident and I never noticed its motor being tilted backwards like it is now.

Here are some photos to show what I'm talking about. Sorry for the blurry photos, my hands aren't very steady. 56k beware:

http://www.m00farmer.com/csj/lincolnpictures/DSCF0030.JPG

http://www.m00farmer.com/csj/lincolnpictures/DSCF0029.JPG

http://www.m00farmer.com/csj/lincolnpictures/DSCF0031.JPG

EDIT: I'll post a picture of the old mount next to the new mount if I can get a hold of my girlfriend's camera some time today.

[86VickyLX]

Pretty sure they're not supposed to tilt back like that. You said the motormounts are okay, so what about in the back of the engine? Like where it meets the tranny? Mine leans back a little bit, but not as much as yours is.

[CheeseSteakJim]

Pretty sure they're not supposed to tilt back like that. You said the motormounts are okay, so what about in the back of the engine? Like where it meets the tranny? Mine leans back a little bit, but not as much as yours is.

I can't really find any damage to anything that would explain the tilt of this motor. The car runs fine, idles smoothly, and rides like new, so I don't really know what to make of this.

Keep in mind there's no fan or shroud in there so if you compare it to your own motor you have to imagine it without those.

[86VickyLX]

True but all I'm saying is that the plenum on mine leans back but not as much as yours.

[Pirate]

I am thinking that the transmission crossmember has a dip in it, allowing the tailshaft to droop....causing the tilt. Why? Damage from the accident. Worst case, just shim it back up.

[CheeseSteakJim]

I am thinking that the transmission crossmember has a dip in it, allowing the tailshaft to droop....causing the tilt. Why? Damage from the accident. Worst case, just shim it back up.

What makes you think it's the tranny crossmember that's causing all this?

I had the foresight to remove the entire mount and crossmember from the parts car before it was trucked away in case I encountered that. I'll get this mount back together and then pull the crossmember next and compare.

[grandpaslincoln]

Engine is supposed to be tilted back

[phayzer5]

put a fan on it and see if it hits the shroud

[gadget73]

The trans crossmember is the only rear support on the driveline, if thats not where it should be, or the trans mount is bad, the tail of the trans hangs low, and it will make the whole works tilt like that. The front motor mounts are primarily to keep the engine from rocking left/right, the trans mount is for up/down. I have no doubt your motor mounts are shot, but they wouldn't make it tilt like that. If anything, they'd make it go the other way, the front of the motor would be down lower to the frame vs where it should be with new mounts.


This is the same view of my car, motor mounts are about a year old, trans mount was OK when installed a year ago, but due to a small tailshaft leak its turned to jello. They do all appear to sit lower in the back, but also remember the fenders aren't level either, so it looks like the engine is tilted more than it actually is.

[grandpaslincoln]

Crawl under and inspect the frame and the trans cross member, should see some evidence of it being bent.

[Archangel]

agreed on the trans crossmember theory, crawl under car and inspect it. Also follow Phayzer's suggestion with the fan and the shroud. To me right now it seems that yer engine is indeed tilted a little more than normal, but it really ain't as bad as you think, mine is pretty much the same way and the only accident I've been into required replacement of header panel and hood.

[CheeseSteakJim]

I can't follow Phayzer's suggestion because I don't have a fan or a shroud. I couldn't get the bolts off to take the fan off of the parts car, and didn't put a whole bunch of effort into it because I plan on installing an electric fan anyway.

I'll go check out that tranny mount now though.

[phayzer5]

If I remember right...the front of my aircleaner on the 408 is visible if i look across the fenders, Its tilted like yours, angle looks close. Since the linc's have a bigger bulge in its bananna-hammock hood, it fits with the vic jr intake and carb/14x3" aircleaner with room to spare


Edit: Here's a pic

[cld783]

if it aint broke dont fix it!

[CheeseSteakJim]

Yeah, it was the crossmember. You couldn't tell how bent it was by looking at it, but when I pulled it out and compared it to the one from the parts car, you could really see the difference. The dirty one is the bad one.

http://m00farmer.com/csj/crossmember.JPG

http://m00farmer.com/csj/crossmember2.JPG

http://m00farmer.com/csj/crossmember3.JPG

All fixed!