hello, I got a 55 chevy with the old style side mount bell-housing, i just bought a after market cross member, will there be any trouble leaving the side mounts still bolted up to the bell housing and putting the new cross member behind the trans?? i didn't know if that would cause vibration or not. my way of looking at it is that leaving it bolted up the way it is and then adding the rear member would help and add extra support. thanks for any help

Put a side engine mount kit in it and through all your 55 mounts away.
Bob

I put a Tremec in my 56 a few years ago and left the bellhousing mounts and added a crossmember one also. I still have the front mounts also and it works just fine. Rich

Personally I would not leave the front mounts with the addition of a trans cross member. It is just too much strain on the bellhousing/engine joint. If a trans cross member is added to a tri five Chevy side engine mounts are to be used and the front engine mounts discarded.

Vince

"will there be any trouble leaving the side mounts still bolted up to the bell housing and putting the new cross member behind the trans?? "

Yes, you can use a trans mount and leave the bell housing mounts. About the only problem could occur is if the trans mount has a mounting lip that goes over the frame. That may throw it out of alignment with the bell housing mounts.

The advantage of having both mounts is that you can remove the trans or motor and not need to support the part left in the car.

Some rodders like to go with side motor mounts and rear cross member mount so they can cut out the frame horns for a tighter header fit.

i think im going to try to leave the side mounts on the car, it seems like the worst thing that can happen is vibration, if so ill take the bell-housing mounts off then, ill see what happens. thanks for the info guys

Good Morning:
I've run mine that way since 1958. I've got a 210 4d sed with a '62 283 in it.. running 10.25:1 CR - thanks to some pop up pistons. Since i polished the heads, i get by with reg pump gas. I have a 3 speed manual on it, with overdrive and a 3.50:1 rear (posi). I found that the rear mount (beneath the O/D) considerably reduced the forward and reverse movement of the floor shift stick i'd installed to provide more positive shifts than the stock column linkage. I used to drive it on fire roads a lot, and the 'pavement' isn't too smooth on those. With stock suspension (not raised) i managed to never hang it up - although i several times drove down a dry stream bed. The high point of my fireroad career was driving out a farm road past a farmer who was nearly done unloading a v large wagon with hay in it. He dropped his pitchfork and stared at me. I wondered why, until i noticed a sign facing away from me on the dirt track. Pulling up past it, i noted that it said: "Road impassable by motorized vehicles beyond this point". It was signed by the local highway dept. Since he had been there for an hour or more..he KNEW we hadn't gone in... Fortunately, he could not see my tags.. *G* We proceeded up the dirt track, past the farmhouse..to the public road..and AWAY!

While a student, i pulled a 4 x 8 foot bed utility trailer with it - hauling my dorm junk. Still got both the car and the trailer. And (conservatively driven) the car alone will still produce about 20 to 21 mpg. Good luck with your project.. they ARE fun..

" think im going to try to leave the side mounts on the car, it seems like the worst thing that can happen is vibration, if so ill take the bell-housing mounts off then,"

If you remove the side bell housing mounts, then you MUST install side motor mounts. NO option.................

Amen to that

Vince

69 nice motor. 302 chev ??? uses 307 block with 327 parts ? would like info from any one doing this build. I have come across one in 69 SS sound beautiful