Chevy motor mounts and Vega steering box

Does anyone have and pics or ideas for me? Heres the situation, on my 24 Dodge I am installing a 283 with side mounts, also Vega cross steering. I spent the weekend making the motor mounts, only to find out when I clamped the steering box to the aproximate location it goes, someone had put a motor mount there earlier in the day. The solutions I'm looking at are: raise the motor some, I really dont want to do this, or use a front Hurst mount, then I would need to side mount the transmission, also not really wanting to do this. So what do my fellow HAMBers have for me? Can you help me out with pics of your motor mounts with the steering boxes in tight? And yes I've done lots of searching and didn't find much. Thanks as always

 

build one of these,,,

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=642823

then you dont have to guess where the box goes as your doing your mounts.

I clamp the box and mount where it goes and build the motor mounts around it.

 

Your Vicky is so sweet!!! I'm using the stock style rubber ones and mounts flat off the frame like yours, but my poor math skills and crappy fab skills make it appear that the box is centered under the mount. Would I ever need to open the top of the box with it in the car?

 

Yes I will be making one of these soon. Rad idea, like someone said on your post that sure beats the cherry picker 2x4 balancing game.
Thanks

 

I mounted a Vega box directly below my 283 side engine mount. Crappy shot, but you can somewhat see the box under the driver side mount here-----> http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=27605&pictureid=335426

 

As said previously, mount the steering box where it goes and build the motor mounts to fit the space that's left. Can't figure out how to post photos from my phone, will post a pic of a set I just built when I get home.

 

X2 on D-Russ' setup. Pretty close tolerance on my Model A.

 

Thanks those are purty! I think I'm going to have to build the "jig" that Tinman suggested and start over next weekend. Keep the ideas flowing though, please.

 

Is an aftermarket flat pitman arm shorter than a stock Vega one? This could push the box further forward and lower on the frame, possably helping me out of this problem.

 

A big yes to that. The steering box pretty well has to be in a certain position while you are a liberty to fab the mount to work around it.

You might even want to build the left mount first and then build the right one to mirror it. That way when someone looks side to side on the engine compartment the mounts look the same even though they might not look exactly like everyone else's mounts. A little extra effort in designing will go a long ways here.

That up and over engine holding bracket that Da Timan showed the link to would be a real headache saver that probably can be built out of stuff out of the scrap pile.

 

My brother & I did this on Sunday. We fabbed up a quickie motor stand out of an old weight bench to hold the motor in place while we removed the tubular mount. Then fitted the new Chassis Eng. motor mounts and vega box mount.
The vega mount is "C" shaped to kind of circle around the motor mount. In the last pic the hole in front of the motor mount is where the front hole for the vega mount is located. Sorry I don't have a pic of the mount but chassis eng. has some on their web site. Hope this helps.

 

Those CE mounts sure look nice.

 

This is what I did : )

 

Chassis Engineering also has motor mounts that are offset 1 3/4" so you can move your chassis mount either forward or back.

 

Here is a Vega cross steer in a 51 chev PU frame. We used CI motor mounts and a small chevy truck oil filter. Motor is a 350 chevy and ram horn manifolds.I have no idea as to how this set up would work with headers. Hope this helps.

 

Unfinished, but mine is going to end up located somewhat like this. You might consider moving the engine back a tic.

 

Mine is right under the engine mount. You don't have to take the cover off the box unless you are rebuilding the gear, in which case you'll have the whole unit out of the car anyway. Been driving mine two summers now and no problems. I think this is the setup you're asking about, it'll work fine, it's close but nothing touches the gear and the steering shaft has clearence. Good luck!

 

Hers is another one. 27 chevy frame.

 

So are you guys thru bolting the top bolt? Or drilling out the top threads on the box and putting in a threaded bung?

 

I have been drilling out the top threads and bolting through. and I don't trust the threads in the vega boxes. I cap all the lower bolts with a nut for safety measures. I have had a few strip out. Makes for a fun ride.

 

Thanks for all the pics guys. Its sometimes easier if you can "see" others solutions. Old School 66 that looks like the solution to my problem. I think a flat pitman arm will help also by lowering the box down some more. 1st is to make Tinmans motor hanger and go from there. Keep posting pics if you have them though

 

Here's a couple pics of the most recent set of mounts I've made. Don't forget to leave clearance for the steering joint as well! You can see the leg of my Tinman style motor holder too







Like a few other people have mentioned, I drilled the top threads out of the box and made a threaded bung that I welded into the frame and finished off flush.

 

Thanks guys all great tips for us guys who are firsttimers with this set up... I am always blown away buy the quality of workmanship, knowledge, and everything else that goes with the HAMB when a post goes right without smart ass remarks..

 

I couldn't have said that better. Again thanks everyone.