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[oletrucks] Motor Mounts

To: oletrucks list <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Subject: [oletrucks] Motor Mounts
From: J Forbes <jforbes@primenet.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 21:14:10 -0700
Howdy, all!  It's cold in Arizona tonight...only 4 hot rods at the
monthly Sonic Cruise Night! 

Task Force (55-2 thru 59) Motor Mounts.

I personally don't care for the donut mounts, although lots of folks
think they're great.  I just think that the side mounts that Chevy
designed for the V-8 engine are a bit better...that is, if you get the
redesigned ones (pretty much the only kind now available) that have the
interlocking tabs on them.

The front mounts as used in original TF V-8 trucks work fine...IF you
keep the tranny bellhousing mounts!  Even the original Hydramatics were
mounted at the bellhousing, instead of at the rear.  The removeable
crossmember that was installed with the Hydramatics at the factory let
you get the tranny out from below....it's not easy (should I say
impossible?) to remove a later (350, 400) automatic from below if the
original standard tranny type bellhousing support crossmember is still
in place.  

If you use the front mounts, and a rear tranny crossmember, there is
nothing to keep the engine from moving sideways! and not much to keep it
from moving front to back.  Don't try it.  I've seen the results..it's
not pretty.

The bellhousing support crossmember also ties the frame together near
the front spring perches, and front cab mounts.  Theforces on these
brackets try to twist and bend the frame somewhat.  You can get away
with cutting out the bellhousing crossmember, but if it's possible, you
should leave it in.  I have the crossmembers in place still on both my
59 pickups (they do get extra loading with the big blocks and heavy
TH400s).  But, I removed the crossmember on the 57 Suburban chassis,
mainly because I added a Camaro subframe, which adds a lot of strength
and rigidity to the original frame up there.  That said, I've seen
several other TF trucks with the crossmember removed, with stock front
suspension, and they seem to work just fine.  Just my engineering
education/paranoia kicking in here.

The important thing is to support the engine/tranny properly...that
means you should try to use one type of mount setup.  Either use front
motor mounts and keep the original bellhousing area support...or go to
the newer 3 point mounting system, with side motor mounts, and rear
tranny mount.

Jim
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959

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