I'm in the middle of putting stuff together for my split exhaust system in my 47 fleetline with a 57 235. I have Fenton headers on the way. And really want to see what people have done. So post some pictures of your set up.
This will probably be the way I go there are some nice kits but for close to 700 hundred dollars I will just make one. One thing I'm trying to figure out is I put a t5 in and there isn't much room to cross overto the passenger's side. Has anyone just ran down one side of the car?
Running them down 1 side together are sometimes called shotguns, i went under the back end of my T5, it clears mine by an inch or so but I am not useing the rear trans mount, just habging it on the bell houseing that mounts to the rear cross member. My hydroboost takes a lot of the room on the drivers side and didnt want to crowd it.
I would recommend running a rear trans cross member. My built 235 has cracked 2 trannys. the first broke 2 mounting bolt ears off, and the second was at the tail shaft housing. Im not sure if its the torque or the fact that I drive it like I stole it.
Letting the t5 just hang there seems to be a bad idea. I just finished my crossmember rework cut 10" out and made new with a drop out center.
The original factory 3 sp just hung there, my thought is for a cruiser it should be fine. My other concern is keeping alignment perfect between front motor mount, bell houseing mount and a rear trans mount may be impossible, any frame twist must be compensated for, aluminum trans would be the weakest part. 2 place mount will allow some movement, 3 place mount frame must be very stiff. Just my thinking
The 3 speed is cast iron so there is a lot more strength there and the factory is the one that put the mount in for the t5 and left the 3 speed hang there. And its all rubber mounted so I would think there is plenty of play/twist so all is happy. And if you put the t5 and the 3 speed next to each othere the t5 is quite larger. This is just my 2 cents and what I have found in my research.
The Jalopy Journal
