Gettin' Stoopid 66G

Plug welded some holes and relocated them to keep the axles in line with the lower control arms and make my 6 degree pinion angle.

This seemingly small stuff takes alot of time to do, spent most of the day on it for both sides.

Your a "Brave Man" Joe!!!!!

Your getting alot done on a Major project Joe

Thanks Tom. I made a decision today to go with a front cradle type motor mount, I wasn't liking what I had to do with the existing one to make it work. I have a 2nd gen engine mount ,but that just confused me cuz they aint the same as a 1st gen. lol I found this online and will order it tomorrow.

Used to use something like this on SBC years ago. should be super easy to fab in and let me put the actual mounts in front of the spring perches. Xin' my fingers

Those spring bumper things area real pain to get off without doing any damage. There's a spot weld on each side plus they are edge welded and wrap under the frame a bit. That was todays small accomplishment,,geez

Spent some time sizing things up today.

Trans pan level with body at this point (well really close anyway)

The RA position is a little variable yet, I want to get the engine and trans tied down before I set that in stone. I will be shooting for a 3 degree angle on the driveshaft off parallel in the end and I can center the axles in the wheel well opening better I think, perhaps gaining an inch of wheelbase. Not sure on that yet, just did a quickie tape measure shot.

The original motor mounts are close to centered on the rear of the leaf spring perch at this point.

Hey digs- Thats a mount that hurst designed way back in the early 60's = mounted a cven in a 40 ford!1 still around too - thet work here syre is looking good too - laots done -lots to do =Nice!!

Yeah TwinP, we used to have one of the Hurst ones around for a SBC. I used it once when I overhauled a pair of 283s for a 32 ft Chriscraft years ago, worked well for a test run engine stand we had at the time. Have no idea where it wandered off to,,lol that was over 30 years ago!

seems some company is still making those things - an older plave that was aroung in the 60's -i have come across them-Happy Vannin

Your moving along Joe, How long do you think your DS will be??

I didnt measure it yet Tom , but it looks like somewhere around a foot of tube. Which would seem about right going from where yours is mounted.

I found out today , that I can reach my original Xmember holes with this. Should make things alittle simpler to fab up. Not easy but I'll take simpler anyday.

Keep picking away on the mounts.



I will more than likely fasten the 2 sides together before it is all done, but until I know what else I might need room for this will work.

Those mounts look great. One step closer to getting everything mounted.

Thanks WL, Yeah , I had to take the mounts out and open up the hole to 1-1/16" with a mill to get the pads to seat right. Then I had to reset everything,,,

Got started on the trans Xmember then ran out of iron.

Looks like Im going nowhere fast here ,but Im learning as I go. Id like to get the Engine /trans mounts wrapped up this week. Hanging that RA is going to be fun.

Nice MM Joe. It looks to me your making a Ton of progress on a Major van project. Looking Good

I was just wondering about the frame rails and do you have much, if any, frame movement when you stand on those motormounts? or are they pretty solid. I am just wondering is all, cus I thought of that same sort of set up, but a hot rod friend of mine thought it would be stronger to run a full cross member from rail to rail and sit the V8 motor on top of that. just me being curious is all it is...not trying to make ya re-think anything. Your mounts certainly do look nice.

Valid point BigW. I stood on them and they didnt budge, But I dont weigh anywhere near the 820# the engine and trans mount will be holding up with the trans attached. That hole in the floor makes a very long stretch with no Xmember support (all the way to the grill). I'm planning on making them a solid unit before it is done or making another Xmember between the rad and front maybe ? Or maybe even both. The main reason for the style of mount is the layout. What I wanted to do originally ran into the spring hangers for the conventional mounts and I wasn't going to go with a mechanical fuel pump anyway. It's pretty much a vague idea of a plan that forms as I go. What I call Bar Napkin Engineering. It is also opening me up for some different exhaust ideas !

Digz just thinking about all the stuff that bolts to the front side of the motor and the stress those four bolts holding the motor would take, and yes I know the old tri-five chevys used to hang the motors that way but they were not as powerful as what you are doing. You said the leaf spring mounts would be in the way if you used the original side mounts. try looking at a setup like this and boxing the frame a bit to clear the leaf mounts.

Joe can't wait to see that BB hooked up

Digz wrote:Valid point BigW. I stood on them and they didnt budge, But I dont weigh anywhere near the 820# the engine and trans mount will be holding up with the trans attached. That hole in the floor makes a very long stretch with no Xmember support (all the way to the grill). I'm planning on making them a solid unit before it is done or making another Xmember between the rad and front maybe ? Or maybe even both. The main reason for the style of mount is the layout. What I wanted to do originally ran into the spring hangers for the conventional mounts and I wasn't going to go with a mechanical fuel pump anyway. It's pretty much a vague idea of a plan that forms as I go. What I call Bar Napkin Engineering. It is also opening me up for some different exhaust ideas !

I am thinking that those mounts should be just fine. That is the way we used to hot rod back in the day and is very similar to how I did my sbf in my econo.I know the sbf isnt near as heavy as your set up but I am thinking you will be fine. The next time you set the motor in place have someone eye up the rails, mine never budged. Nice work!

kgdb

I think they will be okay if I tie them together like a regular Xmember. Grade 8 the bolts and bush the frame for the 3/8 pass thru's. Other style mounts would have made it more difficult to get the engine as low as I wanted and are designed for a narrower frame at that point.

Tranny mount ,done enough for now.

The 3/8 frame bolts will be bushed when all said and done but for now they're okay. The small metal screws were just for holding things in place.

I'm going to try duplicating the IRS frame mount similar to the engine and trans mounts and hopefully end up with a 4 bolt drop out unit. Waiting on some rubber bushings to get the right size stock to work with.

I'm leaving those tails on there in case I change my mind about something,

You will not have any trouble routing your exhaust piping, that's for sure.

yup I agree on the room for exhaust. I think after seeing your tranny mount I will be redoing mine in the shape of the triangle, so I can get the pipes up higher under the floor. Mine is similar but square, and was never really happy with it.