VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 38 Master Deluxe oil pan & tie rod clearance

It seems to me this must be normal on '38 Master Deluxe cars with knee action. The tie rod is real close to the oil pan when the wheels are pointing straight ahead, (maybe 1/2" gap on top and rear of tie rod). When the wheels turn, the tie rod moves forward, away from the pan. With knee action, the tie rod never moves up or down. My side motor mounts don't look squished down. The outer surface of the front mount rubber looks affected a little but that wouldn't affect the clearance behind the tie rod. The 3 pictures show the original engine as shown on the title: the oil pan clearance, the side mount, the front mount.
Does the tie rod have to be removed to drop the pan? Do other 38 MD knee action cars have this small clearance?

Hello Hayree38,

With help from Chevgene, Wawuzit and other members it was determined that the 216 six cylinder in my '37 "black car" is a '38 six. In the pics that i'll post the first (if I do this right) is the view of the "black car" with the same oil pan and tie rod clearance as yours. Also the mounts for the engine and trans were new when the engine was replaced. The 2nd pic is of my '37 "white car" with the original 216 six and you can see the oil pan is a different shape and there is more clearance.

I just checked my 38 Town Sedan and with the straight axle and there is all kinds of room between the tie rod and the Pan.

On the straight axle cars the tie rod can move up and down with the wheels. On the knee-action cars is stays at one position.
The 1938 TA has the same problem with his 1938 The tie rod is very close to the oil pan - with the original 1938 engine.

I figured that was probably the case with the knee action. On mine, I was comparing the avilable suspension travel, that is to the rubber bumper, to the tie rod to pan clearance. By the looks of it, I wouldn't want to operate without the rubber bumper!