The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 front engine mount help

I'm doing a late model 235 swap in my '52 6100, and I don't have the original front motor mount to show me how everything went together, so I need some help.

I have ordered the rubber mount and the dust shield from various vendors, but I have yet to find the "top plate" nor the "retainer" mentioned in this article http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/engines/motor_mount_front/index.html
So I have the first from the top and the third from the top showed in this picture http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/engines/motor_mount_front/pieces.jpg
I also have the 216 timing plate that has the carriage bolt holes punched in it (though I think I have to remove the camshaft to install it, that will be a pain)
And I have a 216 bellhousing with the flat rear mounts

I also haven't really seen any pictures that show how this is actually mounted. It looks like the two inner carriage bolts bolt the engine to the rubber mount, and the two outer carriage bolts bolt the mount to the frame. If anyone has any picture of their install, it would be very helpful.

Is anyone aware of any vendors that sell the retainer and the top plate, or will I have to find a used set? I'll go ahead and post a wanted in the classifieds since I don't think anyone makes these anymore.

There is one vendor making the plates, and I can't remember which right now. They have a waiting list for them, but none on the shelf. I'll see if I can find my old notes.

You will have to remove the camshaft to remove the front plate, however, you can drill the plate that you already have without removing it, with this Tech Tip:
Drilling for a front mount

I think it was Patrick's that had a line on someone who was making the new front engine mount parts that nobody else has available.

Here's a cross section of the front mount:

Chevy Truck Manual

There is an easy way to modify your existing timing plate to make it work without changing it out. It can be done without removing the timing plate or the camshaft. You do have to remove the harmonic balancer.

In a nutshell, you drill two holes in the bottom of your existing timing plate and weld in two nuts so that you can run a bolt from the bottom up instead of using the carriage bolts from the top down. As I recall, the carriage bolts are 7/16" fine threads, so that's the nut/bolt combination that I used.

You can get the measurements for the holes at Deve's website. Here is a link. Drop down to 'Modification of the Timing Plate".

http://devestechnet.com/Home/Project1959235

I used his measurement to mark the holes when I did it. After I drilled the holes, I held the nuts in place by tightening them with the new bolts while I welded them in place.

Easier to do than changing out the timing plate. And you don't have to mess with the carriage bolts in the future.

Matt

Just remove the timing gear, not the whole cam. The myth that a timing gear can't be changed with the cam in the engine was invented by people who never made a living working on these engines. Drill and tap the gear hub if necessary, use a puller to remove the old gear, and heat the new (aluminum) gear a little to allow it to be tapped on without enough force to damage anything. Remove the fuel pump and use a pry bar to hold the cam forward against the thrust plate while installing the new gear. Back when I ran a shop, I'd fire anybody who couldn't put a new timing gear on a stovebolt engine before lunchtime!
Jerry

I definitely would have been fired then!