Engine position

[Bonzo]

I have my engine & gearbox sat in my chassis ( On blocks )

It has been placed at what I think is the ideal position ( Technicaly ) . Centre of the front crank pulley more or less in a direct straight line to the centre of the input shaft of the diff.
As far back as possible, 20mm clearance between cylider head & scuttle chassis rails.

Looking at the Escort Silvertop Zetec 1.8 sump it will require a bit of a trim to gain maximum ground clearance.

Before I finally get round to fabricating the engine mounting arms . I thought that I would ask for some views.

What are the potential, problems/disadvantages of doing any of the following

Moving the engine forward a couple of inches to possibly allow the use of he standard Zetec Thermostat housing.

Raising the engine a little to allow maximum ground clearance without modding the sump.

One last thing. What thickness material have others used to fabricate the new engine mounting plates.

All thoughts welcome