I'm ready to mount the engine in my '32 and I'm getting conflicting advice. Maybe someone can give me some more and tip the scale one way or the other... Engine is a 426 HEMI and trans is a Tremec T56 Magnum. I have a rubber single mount at the rear of the trans but I'm not sure the best way to mount the engine. Should I use a mid plate, a front plate, both or standard side engine mounts? Racers tend to say to use a mid plate ONLY or with a front plate. Do I need both? Can I use either a front or a mid? Also, For a street car, I would think that the plates would shake my teeth out unless I rubber mount them. In which case, why bother with plates; for the cosmetics? I saw a photo where they used a mid plate AND the standard side motor mounts. Why I'm lost now...anybody got any advice? How about pics of what you did? Thanks!!!
Factory HEMI cars used regular rubber side mounts. Unless the thing is making MEGA power and planting that power to the ground with sticky slicks, I'd just use a version of the factory style design: Two rubber insulators and a trans mount. There are many styles to choose from but in this case I'd likely go with a set that uses bushings and thru bolts to make sure the mounts can never seperate in use. Think how a leaf spring bushing works. No need to overcomplicate things!
3 point is all you need for that light car on the street, L&R of engine and one at trans mount.............
I am building a T bucket with a 331 and an early hemi 4 speed I am using a set of stock rubber mounts made out of 3 X 3 X.187 tubing cut at a 45 degree angle to mount to the block and about a 38 degree angle to mount to the rubber bushings a couple of peices of the same tube cut at6 a 45 mounted to the frame or sized to fit and a standard trans mount covers the subject for me. while I was at it I made up a couple of sets for a friend of mine to use on his Chrysler Imperial and Royal Both 1939
The front mounts are more for when you have bellhousing mounts for the tranny. Ive always thought that the tranny mount out back and a front mount plate it would put to much wieght in the center where the engine/trans meet.
Either use all rubber mounts or all solid. A mixture will be a disaster for the drivetrain . Saw a friend wreck a new 4 speed in a '57 chevy by using mid plate and front plate with rubber tranny mount.
cant go wrong with the factory side mount rubber. keeps the vibration down and its tried and true on the street
HUH? I'd like further explaintion here. Almost every race car I ever built used a front and mid plate, and a rubber trans mount, or no trans mount at all. Before you stick your foot in your mouth,,,,, I've been involved heavily in the build of nearly 100 drag cars, everything from mild mannered bracket cars to 3 second ADRL promods. http://www.datinmanjay.com/Vette.html http://www.datinmanjay.com/semassr.html None of them have had any difficulties with breaking stuff or crashing due to this type setup. Now then, the reason that you do not use 3 hard points to mount the motor trans is relatively simple. When you hard mount the drivetrain any chassis flex is transfered to the m/t combo, and it is not designed to be a stressed member. The torsional load tends to snap off the weakest of the hard points. Usually the trans mount or tailshaft housing. If you are set on using the solid motormounts you should still use a rubber trans mount. This gives the chassis flex a place to go without destroying the tailshaft housing. You should keep an eye on the trans mount if you flog it a lot as they take a beating and give up eventually. For a street car, use all rubber and if your real hard on it put a solid mount on the drivers side and use rubber on the other 2.
Engine side mounts and the trans mounts. The factories have been using this combo since the 50's on millions of vehicles without problems. Motor plates are for race cars where there is lots of power to be transferred plus the vibration is ignored in racers.
Depends on you and the car....... If it's a putter, show queen, never use the power at hand... Use urethane stock style mounts in the OEM location on the engine and as you have now, rubber at the trans. mount. Now if you have a heavy foot and big tires...then the motor plate idea might be a good one. The motor plate does more than JUST mount the engine. It helps stablize the whole front of the chassis. Two things though. If you use a motor plate idea, then you should do two other things, one the front AND rear plate should be used AND front to rear stablizer rods should be used to keep the engine from moving straight foward or backward. I 've got a street/strip car I'm building that this is what I've done. 1. Front plate, 1/4" aluminum. 2. Rear plate, NHRA certed flexplate protection/motor plate. 3. Rubber rear trans. mount. 4. A .50" dia. stablizer mounted to the stock mount location (Chevy) and to the frame back by the rear motor plate, heim joints at both ends, both sides of the car. My engine isn't going anywhere. Mike
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