Hope someone can figure this out. I bought a amateur restored 68 base 10 months ago and have had nothing but trouble with it. Lesson learned. The previous owner installed a remanufactured 302 (it had a 289) with a FMX tranny. A while back I noticed the bottom of the fan shroud is missing a large chunk on the bottom and some gouges in the tranny oil line. I recently noticed the oil pan is sitting on the cross member. I have not been driving due to it stalling in gear at operating temp when stopped. So the motor is sitting too low, I checked the motor mounts and they are correct. I checked the tranny mount, cross member and that is correct. Something is not correct and I can’t figure out what it is. anyone have any ideas? The oil pan is correct too. in summary; the oil pan is sitting on the cross member and the fan is not centered with the shroud which it use to hit before it broke.
I suspect the transmission mount and/or crossmember. Was the FMX even available in '68 backing a 302? Should it be a C4?
Then again, the engine mounts might be incorrect letting the engine sit too low.
DaveK: I verified the mount and cross member is correct per WCCC. I don’t know when the FMX was available but my 68 had a 289 with C4. When the previous owner restored the car he upgraded it with the 302 and FMX. Per WCCC some have done this before. I verified all mounts with WCCC.
Here is a pic. Please look and see if anything is wrong.
I ran out and looked at my 68 (302) and the motor mount looks identical to yours, but I’ve got at least an inch between the crossmember and the bottom of the engine oil pan. You obviously have the wrong transmission mount and/or transmission crossmember. You need the back of the engine to come up- stick a 1" thick chunk of wood between the transmission mount and the crossmember and see if that puts the engine where it should be. If it does, then you know for sure where the problem is.
Wouldn’t lifting the rear of the transmission drop the front of the engine?
Yes it would, make some spacers between engine and mounts with longer bolts if you can’t find problem.
Yes but the pan is hitting just behind the mounts which are the pivot point. You want to raise the rear of the engine to clear the crossmember.
But the fan is already contacting the fan shroud. Lifting the rear of the engine would make that worse, no?
Unless the radiator isn’t sitting in the cradles or the fan is too big.
Is it the correct shroud? Correct fan? Maybe the radiator is mounted too high or is the wrong size. On mine, the top of the radiator is about even with the top of the core support. If you are 100% sure you have the right motor mounts, then I’d look into moving the radiator down to clear the fan.
The radiator and shroud is the wider one that WCCC suggests upgrading to and they are in the correct position. I’d have to cut the frame off to go any lower, lol. I suspect the motor mounts are from a parts store local to the previous owner that put them in. I need a measurement to compare. Would someone measure from the mounting hole/bolt center (end next to frame) up to the inside corner of the bracket on the motor? (see pic for ref.) I measured just about 3.75" (3-3/4") Thanks 
Please excuse the mess: here’s the front of the passenger side mount (looking to the rear of the car):
I measure just under 4" from the center of the bolt at the bottom to the inside of the corner at the top.
That’s only 1/4" more but factoring in the other side it should lift the motor more than a 1/4" I think. Can you take a pic of the cross member, oil pan area? Really appreciate it.
As you can see, there’s well over an inch of clearance between the crossmember and the bottom of the pan. I don’t see how a 1/4" difference in motor mounts would account for this much difference at the pan. Is there any chance that your crossmember is bent?
The FMX was not put into a Cougar until the 1969 models. Are you sure that the trans is an FMX?
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
Does the motor have a new re-pop oil pan?
The reason I ask is that the one I recently bought for my 351W looked identical to the original one, but it was slightly deeper and made the motor rest on the front crossmember. I ended up having to put a couple of depressions in the crossmember so it no longer hit the oil pan.
Thank you Yorgle. Don at WCCC said it’s not the length, it’s the geometry that changes the angle or position.
Daryl, it’s not just the oil pan on the cross member, the fan sat on the shroud which broke when the engine was started. so the motor is sitting too low. the previous owner put in the engine mounting brackets which probably are wrong even though they look good.
I forgot about the fan hitting too. Could you have an original set of convertible pedestals and motor mounts? They lower the motor about an inch. The convertible motor mounts are not re-made and you can only get the hard top motor mounts now which do not work with the convertible pedestals.(ask me how I know…big PITA to figure out)
Just something else to check.
As I recall, the convertible mounts only lower the engine by 1/2 inch or so, and even then, they should still position the engine high enough to clear everything. I’d say start with the premise that if you have all of the right parts, the engine should fit. Go through the car again, checking each part to verify that it’s correct. Don’t assume anything. Maybe the fan is too big.