Hate to do this, but a 69 Camaro should have similarities with 70 to 72 on this - I have a 69 SS396 and my motor is sitting about 1 1/2" too far back in the chassis. I can tell by comparing to others I have seen, plus my driver exhaust manifold hits the steering box. It appears that moving the motor forward that much would align the notch on the manifold with the steering box where it currently hits. My crossmember assembled OK but those holes are slotted. Could I have BB motor mounts on SB towers, or vice versa? Maybe motor mounts on wrong side (are there LH and RH)? I know some guys WANT to move their motor rearward - I want the opposite.
Paul

The motor mounts are interchangeable, so that wouldn't cause the problem you describe. Also, they don't have to be moved for a smallblock vs. a big block, because the motor mount bosses are exactly the same distance from the rear face of the block on both. The big block extends farther forward than a smallblock, but the back of the engine/front edge of the transmission is in exactly the same place.

Did you move the motor mounts when you installed the 396? I put a 396 and then a 454 in my '70 El Camino and never had to move (or even replace) the motor mounts on the frame. I simply installed the smallblock mounts on the big block and everything worked fine, so you should have been able to do the same thing.

What got me thinking is the motor mounts and stands are listed as different parts in repop catalogs - why if they are the same? Also, I saw an article about that purpose built 69 Nova SS 396 for the pure stock drags where he claimed to use small block motor mounts to move the engine rearward for better weight distribution. My car had a 454 in it when I bought it 15 years ago, so if any swapping was done it was before me.
Paul

Maybe the motor mounts are different in the earlier years?

There are only 2 motor mount designs and night effects how far back the engine sits. One design does raise the engine up a little bit more than the other

http://www.energysuspension.com/media2/m_mt_s.jpg

http://www.energysuspension.com/media2/m_mt_t.jpg

on 69 Camaro's the frame mounts ARE different from BB to SB. Yes you can use the small bolck frame mounts for either engine IF you use headers on the BB. The BB frame mounts are of two different heights to move the BB over to the pass side of the car for exhaust/steering clearance. The tall one goes on the drivers side and the short one goes on the pass side. SM frame mounts are the same height side for side. ALSO, the trannsmission crossmember is different BB to SB.(the offset thing).

There are also two different SB engine towers in '69...one tall and narrow for SS350 and Z/28 the other short and wide for all others (see the two motor mounts in Lowends post for dimensions). In anycase none of them (BB or SB) push the engine to the rear - to my knowledge.

I always thought that the distance from the motor mounts to the back of the block is the same for BB or SB...that's why those little engine cradles will work with either app. - am I mistaken?

Is the distributor clearance the problem? A Mallory Unilite is the narrowest decent distributor. An MSD Pro Billet is a little bigger. The GM HEI and the Mallory Comp 9000 are huge.