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Technical 351c motor mounts in 55 ford customline

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by bignutz1, Jan 6, 2016.

  1. bignutz1
    Joined: Dec 1, 2015
    Posts: 37

    bignutz1

    Gentlemen, i searched but could not find what i am looking for so i am posting this question to you. what motor mount works the best to use on 351c with a c6 tranny and 8 bolt maverick rear end so everything sits in nicely. i have a mustang motor mount on now and to get the engine level, i have spaced the transmission mount up quite a bit and the top of the c6 is hitting on the floorboard and the linkage on the side of the tunnel and i still need to go higher to get engine level. first and foremost i do not want to start cutting into hump on floor of car as i am not very good at fabricating round metal. next is the angle of my drive shaft if i am a lot higher on tranny then rear end. i have not figure out how to post pics but i will shortly. i thought i could fire out a couple questions to some of you craftsman that have went before no man before with this engine swap. thanks for any help.
     
  2. I never stuffed a Cleveland in a '55 but I'll just about bet you can find mounts from transdapt or advance adapters that should be a pretty popular swap.

    Its a C and not an M correct? Whenever someone says Cleveland they got my attention. The only SBF worth owning. ;)
     
  3. RmK57
    Joined: Dec 31, 2008
    Posts: 2,659

    RmK57
    Member

    With the engine installed I place a level on the intake manifold pad.. Usually the rear of the intake is slightly higher than the front and that is where I take my measurement from.
    Not sure which pan your using but clearance can be close between the oil pan and cross member.
    My 460 in a 57 Ford had about 3/16" between the two.
    Clearance is tight on the trans tunnel as you said. I shaved the two outside ribs a bit on the c-6 case
    to gain another 1/2" or so in the trans tunnel.
    Post some pics and see what you've got.

    Randy


    [​IMG]
     
  4. LOL we used to just take a 4 pound hammer to the tunnel.

    Mid '50s fords were my favorites for years, Y blocks and FEs are all I have ever stuffed in one though. Well a 289 once for a fella but we built everything from scratch, used the falcon mounts to start with (which would be the same as mustang mounts).
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2016

  5. I'm not a big fan of the common late Mustang motor mounts for swaps into these as they raise and move the motor forward, enough forward that you need to move the radiator if the car originally had a V8. They create more problems than they solve IMO....

    I will ask how you're 'leveling' the motor. It should be sitting at about a 3 degree reward slant. If you have your intake, lay that on the motor and level the carb pad. The C6 is large, you'll probably need to trim the case and/or bash the trans tunnel some for clearance in any case.

    As an alternative, with some relative simple fab work you can build an adaptor that allows the use of late 60s/early 70s Ford mounts onto the OEM frame mounts. These are similar to the late Chevy mounts and use a single long horizontal bolt to attach the mount to the frame and will locate the motor back/down, very close to the original location. I did this swap about 30 years ago; 351W/FMX into a '56 with a blown Y-block, donor was a '71 LTD and I reused the late mounts. No pics (sorry...) but all you need is two pieces of 4" wide .25" wall channel iron, cut the side webs down as low as you can as long as the late mount doesn't hang below the bottom. Taper the side webs by 5 degrees; the later Fords had the total mount pad angle 10 degrees less than the '56. Drill the hole for the late mount, then drill two holes for the frame mounts. I spot-welded 7/16" bolts to the adaptor for ease of removal/installation. I did have to weld two washers to the sides of the adaptors over the bolt hole to 'widen' them as the mounting ears on the late mounts are about 4.25" apart. Both sides are identical.

    The only flaw with this method is the drivers side head gets very close to the firewall, too close to use the OEM throttle linkage. I used the LTD cable linkage with the '56 pedal. You may have to bash the firewall slightly in this area because of the larger 351C head, but it won't be much. My 351W cleared it. Radiator can stay in the stock location (just remove any fan spacers) and you can even use the original '56 lower hose....
     
  6. bignutz1
    Joined: Dec 1, 2015
    Posts: 37

    bignutz1

     
  7. bignutz1
    Joined: Dec 1, 2015
    Posts: 37

    bignutz1

    hey guys thanks for such quick response, i am just using a level on top of carb plate and i understand it does not have to be completely level. i have took some pics with my iphone and am trying to figure how to post them here to show you what i got and let you guys critique my methods. i am running stock exhaust manifolds and on passenger side, it appears i can bring that motor mount down an inch or so, i have not tried the drivers side yet. i will try and get some pics posted today somehow, i really appreciate the help on this.
     
  8. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 31,179

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

  9. Mark T
    Joined: Feb 19, 2007
    Posts: 2,033

    Mark T
    Member

    The nicest installation of a 351c in a '55 Ford that I've seen used stock engine mounts, a small piece of tubing with an inside diameter that would fit the bottom bolt was cut to fit between the 2 lower flanges of the mounts, that piece of pipe was welded to a plate that bolted to the stock bolt holes on the crossmember.

    I had pictures of them but I cant find them...Sorry
     
  10. I've built a dozen or more mount adapters of this style. As I remember it also takes a 5/8" spacer on the rear mount. It's just a spacer I make out of solid plate. I always use my Pro Level on the valve cover surface of the head and set motor 2 degrees up to the front. Carb mounts are not always square to crankshaft center line.
    The Wizzard 57 wagon mounts 006.jpg Mounts installed 002.jpg
     
  11. Mark T
    Joined: Feb 19, 2007
    Posts: 2,033

    Mark T
    Member

    Much like the ones that Pist-n-Broke posted above.

    Camera2008-11-29029.jpg
     
  12. The Mustang mounts in all likelihood are going to have you sitting way too high and that seems to be the issue you are having. Have a look at the pics attached. For this 351C drop a sbf mount from a mid 80's Ford truck was used, this gives the option to shim the mount with metal stock to get the desired height that you want. You will have to do a minor slot to the existing hole in the perch but very minimal.
     

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  13. JeffB2
    Joined: Dec 18, 2006
    Posts: 9,484

    JeffB2
    Member
    from Phoenix,AZ

    These will sit the engine down 1"-1 1/2" ANCHOR 2329 's Autozone should have them around $6 each. You should be using a # 2253 transmission mount.
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2016
  14. That's more-or-less what I did, only I used channel iron instead. I also dropped the motor as low as I could as that helps with tunnel clearance.
     
  15. bignutz1
    Joined: Dec 1, 2015
    Posts: 37

    bignutz1

     
  16. bignutz1
    Joined: Dec 1, 2015
    Posts: 37

    bignutz1

    hey that looks great, do you remember what year and vehicle that subframe mount came from. i put the stock 351c exhaust manifold on driver's side with those mustang mounts and boy is it tight with even it sitting high with those mounts, on passenger side there is plenty of room but it gets real busy on the drivers side. i might have to have you post some more pics so i can get a better idea how you actually put those mounts in. thanks.
     
  17. bignutz1
    Joined: Dec 1, 2015
    Posts: 37

    bignutz1

    what exhaust manifolds did you use on on your motor. thanks
     
  18. bignutz1
    Joined: Dec 1, 2015
    Posts: 37

    bignutz1

    are those stock 351c exhaust manifolds? also it looks like you were able to mount to existing cross member with those mounts.
     
  19. Mark T
    Joined: Feb 19, 2007
    Posts: 2,033

    Mark T
    Member

    All of the mounts mentioned above mount to the existing frame crossmember, some of the mounts require modification to the holes in the crossmember bracket, others require making a small mount that bolts to the crossmember bracket.

    Stock exhaust manifolds from a 2 barrel or 4 barrel engine will work.
     
  20. galaxie67
    Joined: Jun 29, 2022
    Posts: 1

    galaxie67

    Hi what are the measurements on the piece that you cut out of the back cross member thank Irving
     
  21. JeffB2
    Joined: Dec 18, 2006
    Posts: 9,484

    JeffB2
    Member
    from Phoenix,AZ

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