Heres what might help you have it in place , get zmodeller and import the old object's wdr into it than from 3ds max (i recognize you were modelling in it) and export that wdr from zmod as .3ds and import to max than resize and place your custom object so that it fits in place , also note i assume you used PrinceLink's Shadow Mapper that you must name your mesh to 0 and link dummies (green) named <objname>00 to the geometry mesh , if you fail to do so your object will keep disappearing when pivot is out of place!
Hope i have been of any kind of help to you!