The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks '65 Tranny Cross Member Question

I have a '65 short bed frame that originally had a 4 speed manual trans. I will be changing this truck over to an automatic 700R4.
I also have a '64 long bed that had an automatic trans and I was wondering if I need to remove the '65's forward trans. cross member and emergency brake cross member and install the '64's tail cross member (that has the emergency brake setup as part of it) or do I need to support the 700R4 at the front too? (The manual has nothing on this and there wasn't any front cross member on the '64 frame, but this frame had been some what altered before I got it. Thanks loads! Janine D.

The factory-correct automatic tranny cross member and e-brake assembly will work with the 700R4. The automatics are supported at the bell housing and the tailshaft.

Tony ; can you elaborate on this please.
ron

The bell housing, is the front support of the automatics, whereas there is no intermediate cross member and the back of the transmission is supported at the tailshaft, via the cross member. There is no "forward cross member". Make sense?

Tony,

Thanks for the answer! That does make sense and that's how the doaner '64 was set up. I guess I better get to rivet grinding on that intermediate cross member on the '65...ugh. Janine

by support are we not referring to eng and trans mounting?. Or are you referring that the a/trans is bolted to the eng and is supported by those bolts. Either there is b/housing support or there is rear trans support but not usually both. after 63 with the advent of the alum housed a/trans the b/housing mount was eliminated and went to the rear trans mount.
manual trans models did have a bellhousing and were mounted there at the crossmember that ran underneath that area and not at the rear of the trans( pertaining to oem and not modified installations)
ron

In simple terms, there is one and only one transmission cross member on the light-duty '60-'66 Chevy/GMC trucks, Panels & Suburbans, regardless of whether the transmission is an automatic or manual.

but this is what you said;" The automatics are supported at the bell housing and the tailshaft." That is the simple term that you stated. that is what I am questioning . I am not an expert like you, so this is what I am trying to figure out
ron

Supported at the bellhousing, via the bolts, that connect it to the engine block. There is one and only one transmission cross member.

At the bell housing, via attachment to the engine
At the tailshaft, via the transmission cross member.

That ought to clear things up.

Thanks for pointing out my semantics and sorry for the misrepresentation.

As I understand this...
On my '65 Chevy (that had a 4 speed manual trans)the trans. cross member was up under the front of the trans (where the frame bends down). The emergency brake assembly is mounted to another cross member that was soley set up for that purpose.
The '64 automatic only has a tail cross member that also functions as the rear emergency brake cable assembly.
I also I measured back from the center hole in the suspension cross member to the center of the manual trans. cross member on the '65 and it was about 28". The measurement for the '64 automatic is something near 43".
I just flipped my frame on it's side today so I could coat & paint the underside. I also ground off the 4 large rivets that held the forward trans. cross member off, what a chore...anyway now all I have to do is the top 4 rivets and the ones on the doaner trucks tail/emer. brake cross member...sometimes I question why I think things are fun. ;-) Janine

make sure that the a/t crossmember is going to bolt in the same place as orig or at a different location . the 700 r4 may require it in a different place due to the placement of the rear mount on the trans(it may be further back on the 700r4 than your oem a/t
ron

Ron,
Thanks! I'll be sure to check and recheck that measurement before I try and tighten 'er up. I can harldy wait until I can actually assemble something vs taking things apart, but I don't want to rush it and make any mistakes. Janine