m50 in, driveshaft not straight

[JGood]

OK so I got the m50/getrag 260 in. green hex mounts, e21 booster, ebay headers.

The engine and trans appears to be crooked, with the trans aiming towards the passengr side and the front of the engine towards the driver side, causing the drive shaft not to be straight. I've wiggled the SHIT out of them, lifted and re-settled them, pry'd them, checked for clearance at all points, etc...

I'm waiting to make my trans brace until I can get this straight, but I'm just not having any luck. If I make the brace in a way that will move the trans over, it will just tear the mounts eventually.

Any ideas?

[slo325i]

Maybe bad motor mounts? trans mount put on wrong?

[bender]

is the center bearing directional at all? or offset to one side? like does it just need to be flipped?

otherwise not sure :(

[318isbmw]

I'd mess with motor mounts a bunch and think they are the culprit. Few of the other swap guys have had issues similar to this which we all resolved by lifting the motor up and moving around the motor mounts and putting it back down. Mine just had a bind somewhere in that setup which went away when we loosened it all up and started over with settling the motor mounts.

[JGood]

is the center bearing directional at all? or offset to one side? like does it just need to be flipped?

otherwise not sure :(

Unfortunately, I didn't even remove the driveshaft, just disconnected it from the transmission. And it's been that way for years now, so I think it's correct. I wish it was that easy.

It HAS to be something with the motor mounts, and the way the engine is sitting. I just don't see any problems. The mounts are all sitting nicely, on the outside holes in the subframe, with the notch in the inside holes. I used a very small spacer on the passenger side, and the header still touches the subframe slightly. I also had to slightly grind the manifold fins to clear the e21 booster. So it seems like I have the same clearances as everyone else... The whole thing is just tweaked!

[JGood]

I'd mess with motor mounts a bunch and think they are the culprit. Few of the other swap guys have had issues similar to this which we all resolved by lifting the motor up and moving around the motor mounts and putting it back down. Mine just had a bind somewhere in that setup which went away when we loosened it all up and started over with settling the motor mounts.

Yeah, I've done that 10+ times. It settles to the same place. I removed everything from the engine bay so I can see how everything is sitting, and the arms are on the mounts flush, the mounts are on the subframe flush. Nothing is hitting near the firewall.

I'm about to just say fuck it and try to put it together as is. Will that angle really kill the driveshaft/guibo/CSB?

[evil_twin]

I think you have to flip your CSB.

[JGood]

Well, for one, that would make the angle worse. And as I said, the driveshaft was never removed, I just pulled it off the trans and then put it back on the trans.

Even with the driveshaft disconnected, the trans is way to far towards the passenger side.

[Jean]

I don't think you want to run it like that, driveshaft should be straight.... as it starts to rotate it will rape your csb and possibly more.....

[JGood]

Yeah I just drew a straight line over it in photoshop, and now I see just how far off it is. I'm not driving it like that.

[318isbmw]

Yeah, I've done that 10+ times. It settles to the same place. I removed everything from the engine bay so I can see how everything is sitting, and the arms are on the mounts flush, the mounts are on the subframe flush. Nothing is hitting near the firewall.

I'm about to just say fuck it and try to put it together as is. Will that angle really kill the driveshaft/guibo/CSB?

Thats wierd. Funk and I tried flippin the mounts and stuff like that and got it to work. But first time we threw it in it was like yours. We took mounts out and argued about the way they should go and then threw them in and it worked magically...

[JGood]

I put the drivers side green hex mount on the passenger side, and vice-versa. Sits the exact same way.

I don't know what else to do...

[Jean]

How do you have your engine left/right arms connected to the block? Maybe problem is there?

[FredK]

Do you have the alignment nub on the inside hole, engine mount stud on the outside hole? I find that you sometimes have to bend the nub to push the hex mounts as far outward in the slot as possible.

[JGood]

Do you have the alignment nub on the inside hole, engine mount stud on the outside hole? I find that you sometimes have to bend the nub to push the hex mounts as far outward in the slot as possible.

Yep, and it fit pretty good.

How do you have your engine left/right arms connected to the block? Maybe problem is there?

It's an e34 block so I had to shift them back to the holes the e36 uses. There's 6 holes total, I have both sides on the rear 4 holes. I'm using e36 brackets, and I pulled them off the e36.