The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Is this enough to mount an SBC plus 700R4?

I have a 1955-2 3600 truck that I'm planning on installing an SBC plus a 700R4 transmission. The tranny will be supported from an aftermarket tubular crossmember. I have new front engine "bird leg" mounts for the SBC. Will this combination of mounts be adequate given the span between the front engine mounts and the 700R4 mount?

Nope- - - -too much strain on the bell housing. You'll need an aftermarket crossmember at the location of the side mount bosses of the engine and later model side mounts. Eliminate the bird leg mounts in the front.
Jerry

ok and thanks Jerry

I never did get those original bird leg mounts. Always seemed to me like a rush job to expedite shoehorning the V8 into the new model of truck. How were the V8/automatic mounted at the rear in '55.2?

Im using the aftermarket tubular AT mount for supporting my 700R4. Based on what I'm hearing I should opt for a similar tubular engine mount with side mounts.

I understand what you are trying to do, and the advice for the modern side mounts is a good one. I was just wondering how the original 265 w/automatic transmission was mounted in the rear so as to illustrate exactly why using a modern side mount setup is such a better idea for what you are trying to do.
Carl

The automatic used with a 265 was a cast iron case Powerglide in the cars, or a Dual Range Hydramatic in the trucks, also cast iron, and I believe it used the same 4-point mount system as the manual trans models- - - -two mounts at the bellhousing and two at the front, with the trans tailshaft hanging free. The Hydramatic might have also used a rear trans mount. An aluminum bellhousing isn't up to the weight and torque load of an engine/trans hung from the front and rear.
Jerry

Thanks for confirm this Jerry

Eckler's has rear mounts for a 55-57 Chevy car that bolt to any sbc V8 bell housing and then use the factory trans to frame mount cushions. They advertise it as Turbo 350 bell housing mounts but fits all V8's, and 63 and newer 4's and 6's. We modify the frame end of the mount brackets to fit whatever we are working on. The engine when mounted on all four corners is very stable but those front mounts often have to be notched for a bigger balancer or p/s brackets. Side mounts are best IMO but if you must have idiots (headers) then the four corner mounts leave the sides of the engine wide open.

The old style Hurst "wide stance" front mount works well on a SBC with flathead Ford mount cushions, and they even work with a mechanical fuel pump if a little careful torch work is done to the mount bracket to clear the pump. I've installed several of them on round track cars that had way too much torque for the regular bird's leg mounts.
Jerry

Please forgive my ignorance for asking, but what are bird leg engine mounts?

I googled it for images but of course it gives you tons of images of all sorts of mounts and I’m not sure which is which precisely, so I’m asking. Anyone have a picture?

They are long, thin standoffs that connect brackets on the front of the engine beside the harmonic balancer to the frame, with rubber donut type vibration isolators on both ends. They sort of make the front of the engine resemble a Flamingo, or other long-legged wading bird. They were used on some early Chevy V8 cars and trucks.

Here's a link, if it works:

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=Chevy+V8+front+engine+mounts&fr=yfp-t&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2Fimages%2Fg%2FCxAAAOSweuxWQ2bZ%2Fs-l300.jpg#id=0&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2Fimages%2Fg%2FCxAAAOSweuxWQ2bZ%2Fs-l300.jpg&action=click

I don't know how to shorten the link- - - -do a copy/paste into your browser headline.
Jerry

Evan, are these the mounts you are referring to: https://www.classicchevy.com/chevy-powerglide-transmission-bellhousing-mounts-rear-1955-1957.html

If I go with side mounts previously recommended, do you also recommend I use these bell housing mounts as well? Where would these bell housing mounts mount from on my truck frame? Thanks

Those mounts fit 55-57 passenger cars, not trucks. Some fabricating would be necessary to fit them to your truck, and no, they don't need to be there if you use the mid-engine mounts and one at the transmission tailshaft housing. The crossmember at the bellhousing area where the original rear mounts fit will need to be modified so the transmission will fit, but don't eliminate it completely- - - -it also braces the rear spring hangers. A search of previous threads on the subject will bring up all sorts of suggestions how to do that.
Jerry

Thanks again Jerry!