Is there any down side to having the top of the transmission touching the floor of the car? I get that it's not ideal but am I headed for any type of disaster?
, or the engine mounts too low Back on Chevy Talk, you were supplied with pages of info, as to how the inclinations of the driveline could be successfully accomplished. If your transmission is either hitting the floor or close to the floor, or if you're using the piece of tire tread for your tranny mount, as you suggested, your installation has the tailshaft way too high, or the engine mounts too low. AT RIDE HEIGHT, carb intake base plate should be level, transmission crossmember should be modified, to allow the transmission to sit correctly. Good luck with the project. One more thought here. Keep in mind, the trans output shaft angle should be a negative 3 or 4* , while the rear end pinion angle should create a parallel line or 3 or 4* positive. Difference between the 2 angles should not exceed 1*. If driveline angles are crazy, vibration or chewing up u joints could be the result.
What part of the tunnel is the clearance issue? You may be able to massage it with a BFH; it should't take much. I think you'll probably remember when I was talking about the Chassis Engineering trans/cross-member mount, that the cross-member had to be notched for the welded in piece to sit low enough; and was why we did't use it. But, the mount we made for the 51 Bus Coupe essentially had the actual mount plate right at the same height as the top of the cross-member, and we had no clearance issues. Might try shimming up the front engine mounts just to see if it helps? I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Thank you guys for the input, Bob I put my motor in a very specific location for many reasons, which may not make sense to others, but some of them are fitting everything with the stock transmission crossmember, and a long water pump with the radiator in the stock location. It makes more sense to me (and I understand many may disagree) slightly modify the floor, if need be, rather than move the radiator, buying everything I need for a short water pump, or spend $250 on a new transmission crossmember. I checked the carb late, it's it's at 1°. Butch a hammer may be the way to go! I like the way you put it "massage" I just wish I didn't put the motor back in last night. There's some photos in my build thread of the bracket that I designed. It's called "building 'Lucy:' 1950 Chevy Styleline deluxe 4 door." I could probably drop the car off a cliff and land it on this bracket and it won't move, which is what I'm going for. The top of the bracket is about 3/16 of an inch below the top of the stock transmission crossmember. Everything lines up great, except, the top of the transmission where the actual gears are, not the bell, hits the floor of the car. I guess I don't really care, if there are no long-term issues that can result, if it's an issue, I'll pull back the carpet and modify the floor, or use the big hammer if I feel like pulling the motor out again Thanks guys
The center-most part of the transmission tunnel is removable from the inside of the car by removing 4-6 sheet metal screws (since I don't have the 51 Coupe any longer I can't go look), so the carpet would need to come up; same as if you had to access the master cylinder fill, the carpet would need to come up. It's probably hitting on that area of the tunnel by your description. You may even just need to "pad" the area, and reinstall the tunnel, or do the "massaging" while it's out. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Butch, Way back when, on a '49 / '50 business coupe, I bought the Chassis Engineering '49 to '52 V8 mount kit, which included engine mounts, a TH350 tranny mount, plus the plate you spoke of, which notched out and modified the stock tranny crossmember. This was 20 plus years ago, but clearly remember their included instructions / measurements made the frame brackets for the engine mounts a snap to install. In my application, I did NOT need to cut the firewall supports. The MANY rivets on the transmission crossmember were drilled out and replaced with bolts, making the crossmember removable. All worked well, thanks to their engineering and measurements, the 283 and TH350 fit in there, like it came from the factory that way.
Yea butch I pulled back the carpet tonight and I am going to do some persuading. Nothing extreme just enough to get clearance. It's funny some are straight screw driver type and others are those hourglass shape like the bolts that hold the steering column bracket to the dash. I use a small straight blade and they come right out. Bob my firewall braces weren't in the way of the bell or block, but in the way of the manifolds I chose. They are from a late 90's truck and flare out in the back, do the braces had to be trimmed to use them. I have been thinking of removing those rivets. Was gonna grind off the heads then air hammer out the studs and throw in some bolts. I think I am going to just wait until I need to take out the trans which hopefully is a while. I think my motor is higher and therefor my trans being higher is ok. I didn't notch the crossmember and the tip for the bracket I made is just a hair lower that the top of the stock crossmember
Ok, as reported on my build thread which I totally should have put in HAMB instead of hot rods (maybe it can be moved???) this is dealt with. Now there is 1/2-3/4" clearance and I don't think my wife will notice (that's where she puts her feet cause it's where the heat comes out). Next big question: I was given (among many things - thank you all who have contributed to these blessings) a driveshaft from a 56 Chevy car. It was shortened for use in a T bucket so it has to be retubed. My local shop that everyone goes to was quite rushed on the phone and said its probly "at least $250." Somewhere I got it in my head that that should be about a $150 project and right now $100 matters. So I have kind of three questions here: 1) what's a fair price? 2) is this something I can/should do my self? I am thinking no but throwing it out there 3) is there a modern (1990's) car/truck/suv that I can get a different shaft from and have it shortened (way cheaper) that is compatible with a 1957 pinion and a 1973 th350 yoke? I tried looking for cars on rockauto with the same u joint part number but had no luck. Thanks all
We installed the motor mounts right where Chassis Engineering said to; we also mounted the 56 rear-end housing to the stock springs by redrilling the pin locating holes 1-1/2 inches forward, 1/2 inch inward. And, were told a Tri-Five drive-shaft would be the right length. No way; far too short. I wound up with a drive-shaft from a mid size, mid 60's Pontiac. It was the right length, and was of the "elastomer" design; a tube within a tube with rubber injected into the space. I think it was 57 inches C/C on the U-joints. U-joints were the same size, and we swapped out the yoke to a course spline, aluminum Powerglide one (same length trans as your TH-350). Try measuring the C/C distance, and go hunt for the right one in a yard. You can also buy longer slip yokes you cut down to size, just don't try and use one to bridge a "too far" distance. You can come up with a cheaper solution than having a shop build one in this case. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Thanks butch. I'll give it a try. Any chance s10 or blazer will work? Or a ford crown Vic? No body on frame Chevy cars around really. The years arhat have 80's or back stuff are expensive so I'd be better off just modifying this 56 but I am gonna give it a shot either way... Would be easy if a s10 Would work
Ok. a friend just offered me a 54" drive shaft from a 55 bel air. My center to center measurement with the yolk pulled out about 1.125" is 57". How about getting this extra long yoke, which is 7.5" (mine is probly 4 but I will double check) and calling it a day. Any down side?
IF you were to mount your rear end centered on the locator pins and not moved forward, that would give you 1-1/2 inches more to play with. Just throwing that out there. I think 3 inches or so with using the long slip yoke to try and make it up is pushing it some. It may be fine, or it might cause extra wear on the tail-shaft bushing. I'm basing the 3 inches on a 54 inch Tri-Five shaft VS the 57 inch we used. You want about an inch of play in and out with the slip yoke/drive-shaft. Anyone else? I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Somewhat plentiful and cheap are driveshafts out of a 75-79 Nova, Omega, Ventura, Apollo. They will probably be the right length and correct U-Joints. Turbo350's can take quite a bit of yoke inside before you are hitting important stuff. Use the yoke like Butch pointed out if needed) Butch, don't you usually move the rear end backwards to center the wheel in the arch?
With the 49-54 cars being switched to open driveline from closed driveline, the axle itself needs to be moved BACK, and it is usually done by just redrilling the spring pin locator for FORWARD 1-1/2 inches. It has to do with how the enclosed drivelines were pivoted at the rear. Some guys don't bother to re-center the rear end, these cars have fairly good sized wheel wells; it just looks better to re-center. That's why I said to Drew if he just moved the rear end forward to his 57 rear ends original pin locator holes, that would effectively make for a shorter driveshaft. He may be able to get by with a Tri-Five driveshaft, and the long slip yoke. He has done some things a little differently that what's usually done these days. He'll get it right, I'm sure of that. He just keeps plugging away; very dedicated to getting his car the way he wants it. We used a 57 inch long shaft from a mid to late 60's mid-size Pontiac when we did the 51 Bus Coupe (that I just sold@#$%^&*). As long as the "overall" length works, he should be fine. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Thanks all for the advice and butch thanks for the compliments. I ended up at 57", too. On a side note, my engine points down 3° and my pinion points down 5°. Ideally, if I understand, the pinion needs to be moved to 3° up, therefor making them parallel and balanced. I am really glad I only threw a few tiny beads of weld on those perches So we think a 79 nova has a 57" drive shaft? Older stuff is rare here in yards. Any chance an s10 blazer or a 90's caprice would work? This maybe a dumb question but would a crown vic work?
Nova ? I doubt, probably too short. Caprice, maybe. See if you can find a Hollander's exchange manual at a yard; should be able to come up with a pretty close length with an already available shaft. Some yards will have a driveline area where you just pick through to find what you need. I did some online searching trying to find a "length chart". Here's two sites: 67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=632988 and s10forum.com/forum/f221/drive-shaft-lengths-info-only-no-questions-531690. Maybe those will help some to get an idea what car/truck has the right length. I want to say the 57 inch shaft we used came from a 69 Pontiac GTO. I amButch/56sedandelivery.
I used an S-10 rear axle and a long shaft TH350. The 75-79 Nova drive shaft was perfect. Agreed, an early Nova will be too short.
Sadly finding a driveshaft from a car around her is next to impossible. Most yards crush stuff before like 1999 it seems. Probably going to have to just have one made
For the price of shipping a shaft to your home, from a wrecking yard outside of your area, that may still be much less expensive than having a new one made up.
Put a "Want ad" on Craig's List for a GM, 57 inch long driveshaft. It's not going to cost you anything for the ad, and you may get just what you need, like I did. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
I just did. And a message out to the local hotrod club I am in. About 115 dudes in there so maybe I'll get lucky. I'd love to save the money for something else
And bob I'll be trying a known yard in the southern part of the state via phone. Will be worth the drive if they have one
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