Hi, The rear engine crossmember was removed from my truck (1950 3100) long before I got it. I would like to put something back in there to add support. I’ve seen the aftermarket tube engine crossmembers but those seem like they mount to far forward to actually add any rigidity to the frame near the spring mounts. I found a nice guy here on stovebolt that might have one that will work but the mounting holes don’t look like they match my frame exactly. Picture is attached. Does this look like it will work with my 1950 frame? How much cutting of it will I have to do to get it to work with a V8 and automatic transmission? Thank you
Are you referring to the rear transmission cross member? If so, the pic you provided, does not look correct.
Craig
My '50 Chevy 3100 5 window, '62-235cu, 3:55 rear My truck ....... Respect The Rust If I'm not working on my truck, '65 m00stang or VW camper, I'm fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.
Your assumption that the rear crossmember is important for supporting the spring mounts is spot on. I responded to your parts wanted post in the Swap Meet forum and forgot about that aspect when I recommended to just buy a tube style crossmember with V8 motor mount bosses on them. You will also need a crossmember at the location of you are currently missing the riveted on crosmember. My revised recommendation is to forget about the tubular crossmember for mounting the engine. Go online to chassisengineeringinc.com and order part# CP-1160. I have used this setup on a '49 and a '50 with 350s and it was painless and it places the engine exactly where it belongs. It is not a crossmember, so you will need a tubular crossmember installed near where the original crossmember belongs. I recommend a bolt-on tube crossmember because you will need to be able to take it on and off should you ever need to remove your transmission. This will also make servicing the transmission filter possible. You could just bolt on an original crossmember by drilling out all of the rivet holes, but you will find that when you level the V8 engine on the frame, you will only have about 1/8" of clearance between that crossmember and the transmission. The tube crossmember won't cause this tight clearance issue. I apologize for the incomplete/totally wrong recommendations given to you in the Parts Wanted Forum. Carl
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
You'll be better off to fabricate a new crossmember. It's a pretty simple job, using square steel tubing and flat plate. You're not likely to find a bolt-in item that will clear the automatic transmission bellhousing. Yes, the crossmember is important- - - -it reinforces the rear mounts for the front springs. The one shown in your photo is for a 1954 or later pickup. Earlier ones had a flat mounting surface for the bellhousing motor mounts for a 6 cylinder engine. It would need to be extensively altered for clearance of the torque converter area of most automatics. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Thanks guys. Really appreciate the direction. No problem Carl, your advice was correct, sounds like I will better of fabricating or modifying an aftermarket crossmember rather than trying to modify an original. Thanks again. You guys are invaluable resources
Well, 4 years later... Caddy motor is in the truck and I need to fabricate this crossmember. Space is really tight in my truck. The caddy motor has an oil filter that sits near the spring shackle and my frame mounted brake booster also seems to sit right in the wrong spot. I have the crossmember below (I didn't use it for mounting the engine) so I was hoping to modify it for this purpose. My current thought was just to box the frame with a 3/16" plate. I was going to box about a 6" section behind the spring brackets then I would mount the crossmember below to the boxed section. Does that sound strong enough? Do you think I need to include some type of reinforcement from the crossmember tube to the mounting plates? They just weld onto those 1/4" plates. Then the plates would bolt to the boxed section of my frame. I can add some pictures if none of this is making sense.
That one will probably work OK, positioned just aft of the original crossmember mounting points at the rear spring mounts. Be careful about boxing too much of the frame C channel, and use elliptical cutouts in both ends of the boxing plates instead of vertical joints. Stovebolt frames MUST flex a little, and trying to make them too rigid by boxing usually ends up with stress cracks everywhere. Put pieces of pipe nipple across the boxed areas to prevent collapsing the box sections with the bolts for the tubular crossmember mounting plates. We fought stress cracks in dirt track race car frames for years, but they had to be fairly rigid to maje the suspension jack bolts effective for altering handling. Street machines don't need that degree of rigidity. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I think I am understanding. I hadn't thought about using long bolts that went all the way through the frame. I guess I was thinking of just bolting the crossmember to the new boxing plate. If I keep the boxing plate really small (6 or 7 inches), do you think I still need to make eliptical cutouts? My second idea was to use 1 3/4" square tube welded into the frame channel to give me something to bolt the crossmember to. Then either use the plates that the crossmember came with or maybe a 1/4" piece of angle iron that could bolt to the square tube supports and the bottom of the frame rail. I'm going to try and draw a pic...
Bolting or weldintg anything to the upper and lower C channels of the frame will promote stress cracks. If you box the area, the best choice is to use the elliptical shape to avoid 90 degree angles that can concentrate stress points. It's just as easy to do it right the first time than to wish you hadn't taken a shortcut initially. A broken or cracked frame once the vehicle is on the road is really difficult to deal with, and that Caddy is a torque monster. Don't stack the deck against yourself from the get-go. My 1970 Fleetwood Brougham with a 472 engine twisted the center bolt circle out of two flywheels while towing heavy trailers, but it was still running well at 300K miles when the front end wore out so badly we couldn't keep tires on it. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Post pictures of what you have done so far to mount motor/trans. Show what crossmember you added and proximity to spring mount.....and the problems you see. This is not a big deal. Too much worry about the spring mount support. Hold off on any further if you want an opinion. Till I see good clear pics. The issue of moving the crossmember a little to accommodate a motor swap is not a big danger and nothing bad will happen with springs. Boxing is not necessary usually. You may have added to your troubles.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
I cut the crossmember in my 40 to make room for my auto transmission.
I used some 1x1 square tubing with some steel plate welded into the remnants of the original crossmember, in an attempt to strengthen the area. The 1x1 bolts into the steel plate so the members removable.
No idea how much support it will add back but it's what I'm going with.
Well, 4 years later... Caddy motor is in the truck and I need to fabricate this crossmember. Space is really tight in my truck. The caddy motor has an oil filter that sits near the spring shackle and my frame mounted brake booster also seems to sit right in the wrong spot. I have the crossmember below (I didn't use it for mounting the engine) so I was hoping to modify it for this purpose. My current thought was just to box the frame with a 3/16" plate. I was going to box about a 6" section behind the spring brackets then I would mount the crossmember below to the boxed section. Does that sound strong enough? Do you think I need to include some type of reinforcement from the crossmember tube to the mounting plates? They just weld onto those 1/4" plates. Then the plates would bolt to the boxed section of my frame. I can add some pictures if none of this is making sense.
The crossmember you made is good, same or better strength.
The tubular universal is made to hold the load and does not need further design. It is made to mount to the frame without any boxing. The frame is strong and the load is low. However it is an "engine crossmember", not a trans crossmember. If it works it works. They make a trans crossmember.... Some have better end caps. AND much more safe end caps. https://www.amazon.com/Trans-Dapt-4...&hvtargid=pla-582925907759&psc=1
Have you figured out about the close header collector near Xmember?
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
I’m going to keep the exhaust manifolds but I will be cognizant of exhaust when I mount the crossmember. Attached is the design I’m going with. I’ll bolt it to the lower rail and then use some long bolts and steel pipe like hotrod suggested to bolt to the side rail. I’ve decided not to box the frame. Probably over thought it all but I tend to do that…. This motors been in the truck for 50 years with no crossmember at all.
