Technical 55 57 chevy trans mounts help in my 32 ford chassis.

Been a while since I posted here. I moved out in the sticks 16 years ago. Get maybe 2 or 3 different visitors a year. So. Sometimes I need others opinions. I am in the process of putting 55 283 with a stick in my car. Thought I had patterns for the mounting. Then got to thinking the rear of motor and trans always under pressure. (gravity) The orange bell has same mounts in the original position. Anyone have any experience with how tough these mounts are? Any help appreciated

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Cant speak to the durability. But I can say that about anyone with a tri5 moves to side motor mounts and a tail trans mount these days and doesn't use those

 

What type of engine mount are you using? Sorry must be front mount if its a55 engine. Iv'e never broken the 55-57 trans mounts.

 

Yeah, Tri-Five Chevys had cast iron transmissions. Much stronger than the aluminum Muncie you have there. I'd probably go with a tail housing mount.

If you NEED to use the bellhousing mounts, I don't think turning them crooked will work as well as Chevy designed them. Bolt them up to the bellhousing as Chevy did, and make your own bolt-on brackets to the frame.

 

Heres the front mounts. Trying to keep it all old school

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The bell is an old scattershield. Very thick and heavy. Mounts in original position hang low.

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I think it will be fine, its not like its gonna be a torque monster.

 

I have a 350 and Muncie on OE mounts in my 55 sedan, no issues so far. You could use a Hurst style front mount if you are concerned.

 

Car will be light and 1 wheel peel so not too concerned about torque breakage. If a mount should break trans can only drop an inch and its laying on crossmember. You guys helped me already. What a great place.

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Biggest reason for these mounts and not tail is I have a open lasalle trans here and would like to run it in place of muncie. No way to mount tail with the lasalle

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I've been driving a 55 chevy with those mounts and a muncie just hanging on the back for 40 years, never a problem.

 

If you have serious concerns about the stock bell-housing mounts, then modify them by drilling through and cross-bolting them, Hard to explain, but Old wolf has posted images of how he does them; maybe he'll jump in and post a couple of photos of his modified mounts? You might want to add a transmission cross-member/mount just to be safe.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

probably not the best picture but this is how I mounted my Chevy bell housing in my 32 frame


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I'm doing a 57 with a BBC, 4-speed, and a set of Hooker Super Competition headers. With these headers you can't use side mounts so I'm running a stronger aftermarket front mount, a Lakewood scattershield with the factory style mid-mounts and a crossmember under the back of the Muncie so I can use the factory mount there as well. With all that holding the powertrain in place it ain't going nowhere.

 

Mr cheater I would have liked to go under but have the stock 32 wishbone down there. Crowded especially when I run exhaust.

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Safety bolt sounds like cheap insurance Butch. I am going forward with the mounts upward. The bell is a RC industries NHRA approved so I think it is strong enough. The 50 olds trans I am putting on place of the muncie is short and heavy cast iron. Thanks all for your help

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Old school for sure, those front mounts are forgings from a 1932 Ford V8

 

Is that mount on upside down ?? the holes you have mounted to the bell housing should be mounted to the 55 chassis not to the bell housing

 

If you look closer they are homemade from plate steel. I copied the 32 cast parts.

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Yes you are correct. I needed to get the mount up and so I drilled the car side to fit the bell

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You high tech guys will scoff, but the first build of my '32, I used a rear crossmember from a Chevy pickup and used the truck bell housing. Bolted up nicely after I mounted the crossmember to the frame.

 

I'm old enough to tell you how it was. Every tri five chevy that had a manual trans and was hopped up and hot rodded had a chain or turnbuckle on the left side because the motor mount broke. When that happened, you broke the distributor cap and walked for help. Google and you will see plenty of pics about this.

 

@mecutem ....The way you have those rear mounts oriented and attached is waaaay incorrect. They are going to be 'loaded' in a manner that will promote separation of the steel and rubber components.

The orientation of those attached to the orange bell housing is correct. Study that load mode. I think that orange bell housing is a truck unit, not the '55/'57 passenger bell. As I recall, and my memory may be a little fuzzy, the rear mounts on a passenger car bolt onto the front side of the bell, not to the bottom angled pad shown in your photos.

The truck mounts that go with that bell design are very different and set on a cross member that passes beneath the bell housing. The '55/'57 passenger frame mounts are not a full cross member, but short frame stubs that stick out from the frame rail on either side and meet the engine mount tabs.

Ray

 

@mecutem, youcutem pretty good, nice work.

 

ive peeled apart Chinese rubber mounts with my bare hands I’ve seen a ton of rubber mounts not oriented as they should be peel apart from wrong load

 

@mecutem ....the quote above is worth some consideration. Given the load your rear mounts will be carrying, the truck style bell, mounts and cross member would be the best choice. The '55/'57 passenger system was not all that good to begin with.

 

So the key for me is to insure strength in the rubber/steel mount. I have very little room under trans. Mounts in original position hang way down. I may need to explore a different mount bell to frame.

The way they are oriented now looked iffy to me. Part of the reason I posted. Thanks for the comments.

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I found the old wolf post about bolts thru mounts. That looks like should do the trick for me. I may pass on of old age before it gets on the road anyway.

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I reread my posts and think I failed to get one of my points across.......those rear mounts attached to the orange bell housing are not correct for it. I think the orange bell is a truck part and the mounts you have attached are passenger car parts. That is why they hang down too far. I suggest you do some on line research and note the differences and either get a passenger car bell or obtain truck mounting pads. Either of those approaches will make adapting them to your chassis more obvious and easier.

Ray