The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Saginaw 4-speed bits

I've got a 350 hooked up to a saginaw 4spd under my '64. I got this locked down pretty solid, but only on three points of contact with the frame, the side engine mounts and the transmission mount. Previous owner chopped out the crossmember that the bellhousing bolts to. Also, the only thing I could find to use as a tranny crossmember was a piece of 3" steel channel. I was just wondering if any of you had a similar drivetrain, and if you knew of an actual transmission crossmember that'd work for this application, or if you fellas had any ideas on putting support under that bellhousing. Thanks!

If I'm reading you right, you've got the transmission bolted to your crossmember at the rear, and the engine bolted in on the side motor mounts. I don't know about your truck specifically, but most vehicles only have those three points of contact. You should be fine with that.

As far as your crossmember goes: if it's a 3" box channel, it should definately be strong enough, and if it fits and keeps everything lined up properly, you're golden.

Yeah, like I said, my set up is pretty solid. I've put a few thousand on it and it hasn't come apart yet. Guess I was just a little nervous about that original crossmember being cut out and having no support at the bellhousing. Anyway, thanks for the confidence check.

The crossmember doesn't have to support the engine/trans assembly, but it served another purpose. If you'll look at its position, it also adds rigidity to the frame where the back of the springs attach. I'd suggest boxing the frame for about six inches near the spring mounts, and fabricating a bolt-in crossmember made of 2 inch square tubing with plates welded onto the ends that bolt into the boxed sections. You can angle it down, across, and back up with just a couple of pie-wedge cuts and welds to clear the bellhousing. I'm always spooky about cutting out parts the factory engineers though were necessary when the frame was built.

BTW, I hope you're using the factory-type rubber rear trans mount at the channel iron crossmember. Never bolt a powertrain rigidly to the frame anywhere. It transmits all the engine noise and vibration to the frame and body if you do. Ditto on exhaust system parts.
Jerry

Edit: The mail order hotrod suppliers like JEGS and P.A.W. have adjustable crossmember kits that can be adapted to a wide variety of frame setups, but with a little square tubing, steel plate, and some ingeneuity, you can build your own for a lot less cash. The only downside to the channel iron approach is it's HEAVY, and butt-ugly to boot.
Jerry

Appreciate the advice Jerry. Ditto on the butchering of old engineering judgement. The trans mount is correct, and everything's holding intact since my last post and a lot more driving, but I'd like to box the frame like you suggest as soon as I can. Thanks again!

I am going to have the same issue when I finish putting my 428 Pontiac with a Super t-10 in it. I removed the third member and was sort of concerned about if I needed to stiffen anything up. So if I box in the frame around the front rear spring mount and go back a ways that should help out with any frame twisting. Any more insight on this would be great!