The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Anybody using the tubular engine crossmember with an Inline 6

Hey,

Anyone using this style of tubular engine crossmember in their AD truck with an I-6?

Engine Crossmember

Will be doing the 250 swap and keeping the SM420 trans.

I would really like to see some pics of one of these holding up a 230-250-292.

Thanks!

Larry W.

It won't work on a 292 without doing some modifying. The 292 mounts are offset. 194 through 250, no problem. If you're planning on staying with the crossmember-mounted bellhousing, you'll have 4 mounting points, and a free-hanging transmission. That shouldn't be a problem, as it was that way originally. The bellhousing mounting points and the center engine mounting will be pretty close together.
Jerry

LOL,

I forgot about the offset mounts on the 292, I was just listing all the engines in that family, Doh!

Larry W.

Instead of the tubular mounts, is there a side mount to frame kit that would work well with the 250 in my '53 3800? I'd rather not Frankenstein some mounts.

Larry W.

I seen one where the side mounts were bolted solid to a u-shaped mount and the stock front mount was used along with the bell housing mounts. The U-shaped piece went around the front and back down each side. It was little odd looking but the factory mounts were used.

Joe

I think I may have seen that setup too. Here or over on the 67-72 page. Inventive, but probably not my first choice. Didn't look to me like it would have enough leverage over the engine under load. But I have been wrong before, a lot. LOL. As a matter of fact, it looked like the passenger side mount was starting to compress. As I remember, even the owner was going to replace that system with something else. I might be thinking of another truck though.

I really don't mind the tubular mount system, but with the 250, it may require finding the right combo of engine mounts.

Thanks,

Larry W.

Actually, this may be what you meant...but it is for the 67-72 trucks.

https://www.tuckersparts.com/1963-1972-Engine-Mount-Kit-GM-Truck.html

So,

Thought I would pass this along. Found a thread on a random site where a guy bought one of those engine cradles on wheels, made for a SB Chevy. He bolted his 250 to it directly by using the side engine brackets from a 67-72 chevy truck that came with a 250. In other words, it seems that Chevy designed the 250 engine brackets so that they would emulate the mounting points of the SB, or the other way around. Following that logic, if you use the tubular type V-8 aftermarket crossmember and the 67-72 250 engine brackets; the 250 should mount up pretty well.

I believe that the (rubber and steel) motor mounts are the same between the six and the 8. When you look it up on RockAuto, they make references to the mounts fitting V-8's when you look up the mounts for the 4.1 six.

Larry W.

The 194 engine in the early-1960's Chevy II was the first of the late-design inline sixes. The 230 and 250 was made on the same casting. That chassis was designed to accommodate a dealer-installed small block V8 for the "Factory Experimental" drag race class that was popular back then. It was no accident that the motor mount position and type was identical to the 283 and 327.
Jerry

Thanks Jerry,

I was happy to find this out, since it looks promising for my 216 to 250 AD swap, using the parts I was thinking of using.

Larry W.

I used that tubular mount on my 58. What I found out is when my small block was installed it was to low in the front causing a bad angle on the front u joint. I cut the mount just below the single bolt for the motor mount, jacked it up and filled it in welding it back up. Problem solved, no vibrations at all and made for a neat package. It should be the same for the 230/250 because they use the same engine mounts. LarryW

Any update on this? I need a crossmember for my 42' to mount a 250
I was thinking of one of these universal tubular ones.
Did it work out?

You 're posting to a very old thread...LarryW hasn't been here since 2018.

Any SBC V8 mount will work, the 250 has the same mounting locations as the V8's.

Mike B

Thanks Mike!