01 Navigator motor in a 79 coupe, manual brake install issues w/ pics

[boboli]

i placed the motor in the car, yesterday. I want to work out any problems I might have before getting the car painted. I discovered the extra width of the 5.4 puts the valve cover edge very close to the inner stud from the master cylinder. I am considering shortening the stud or I might try an allen headed bolt and finding a way to mount a nut in the adapter plate. I am also considering using a file and elongating 3 holes so that I could rotate the whole assembly away from the motor. I would like to try and make this as accessible for repairs as possible. Any thoughts are appreciated.
I will be using a ranger master cylinder, so there won't be any interference with the lines and the motor.

Here's the stud hitting valve cover. The engine was not even sitting level. It was tilted forward

I knocked the stud out to see what kind of clearance I would have.
The answer is not a lot!

 

[Bill]

Is there any room to shift the k-member forward? Could you clearance the holes on the k-member to shift it a bit. You only need a little to be able to insert a bolt and put the threaded side inside the firewall. You could also use or make a low profile bolt.

 

[boboli]

I am not sure how much I can move the k member. I would be afraid to move it too much and mess up the suspension geometry.
I discovered it is possible to put an allen head bolt in the hole and screw it in. The head of the bolt rubs on the valve cover as it goes in. This did rub the paint off the VC, but its in a place I'm not very worried about people looking at. I"m also considering shimming the motor up a bit. I have some spacer plates ( 1/8 and 1/4 in) from another conversion I could put between the k member and the motor mount.
I may also file down the flange of the master a little. Not enough to risk it being too thin, but every little bit will help

 

[modulistic]

yeah thats tight. I would weld shut the hole in the hydroboost body, then drill/tap/helicoil a new hole after grinding the bolt to the perfect size.

 

[boboli]

Thanks, but I won't be able to weld it because it is aluminum and I don't have the knowledge or the means to do that. I don't want to pay someone else to weld it, since I'm on a shoe string budget. I will probably just make what I have work. If I need to remove the master cylinder, I can always loosen the motor mounts and lift the tranny a bit.
Also, this is a manual brake set up. I doubt hydroboost would even fit with out some extensive modifications. There just isn't a lot of room

 

[modulistic]

ah, yeah aluminum is a bitch. You could drill it out, step up to the next size bolt and helicoil it. run the bolt from the inside and grind off the excess. Helicoils are good, strong repairs and work well in aluminum.