Hey, its tech week and I just happen to be doing a motor swap on my '53 Desoto. May as well throw in my contribution. The flathead six took a dump on me driving home from Syracuse Nationals on the first day. It would've been a simple fix, but I couldn't justify it because I really hated the "semi-automatic" transmission. Now was a better time than any to yank the whole drivetrain and start fresh. Luckily I fell into a super deal on a Chevy 409, spend the whole last month getting it ready to go in, and collecting parts. Including buying a junk '64 impala just for a donor parts car. (Powerglide, and a sweet 283 for later use) Anyways, heres how I did my engine mounts. Materials needed: 1 short length of 1/4x2 steel (I used a little under 2 feet) Stock engine mounts for your engine Stock frame mounts that would've came out of the car your engine was in 4 1/2 grinder with grinding disk and cut off Welder Tape measure Torpedo level Lets get started! Here is the car waiting for the transplant Lower the new engine/****** combo in place, use your tape measure to center it between the frame rails. This is when you'll find out whether you made a good choice of engine or not. In my case I got lucky, all I will have to do is remove my stock fuel pump in exchange for an electric dealy. Note the very tight space I'll be dealing with. Wait till you see how snug it is with the stock exhaust manifolds installed Also, to save yourself one of those "oh ****, how did that happen?" moments. Keep in mind that sometimes the heads don't sit the same from side to side. This one took me a little bit to figure out. (valve cover to firewall) Dont forget to level your engine both ways Here is the donor car I got my engine mounts from All were using are the pads that fit inside the motor mounts. So trim off the eccess material with your cut off. Install the modified frame mount into your motor mount. Then measure from the top of the frame mount to the frame. Do the same from the bottom of the frame mount to the frame. Then cut your 1/4X2 to those two lengths. NOTE: this is not always the same on both sides. In my case the two frame rails are different with a dimple in this area to clear the exhaust. From this point simply take your 1/4x2 pieces and tack them in place with your welder. Once both sides are tacked in, go ahead and weld as much area as you can. Remove the engine/******, and finish weld your mounts. I added some plate to the front and back of mine just for added strength. Then take your 4 1/2 grinder with grinding wheel and clean the new mounts all up. Paint 'em, and call it a day. (Yeah right, part II: Transmission mount is coming next. So don't change that dial)
Please don't take this as criticism, but more of a "make sure you check" reply. Leveling the engine "both ways" using the carburetor pad may well have you ending up with the rear of the engine higher than the front. Most engines are sloped down a bit front to rear, with the carb pad on the intake sloped the other way so that the carb sits level. The slope of the engine should really match the pinion angle, rather than being level.
one motor mount looks triangulated and the other looks rectangular, and the welds dont look like they will hold up very well..... im really not trying to be mean but i think you could have done better. do it over and take your time.
Those mounts may not scream PRETTY but they look pretty stout and on the cheap. The carb needs to be level! just match the pinion to the transmission output shaft and your good to go. your going the wrong direction if your setting up the rearend first.
Thanks for correcting me on the "level" part, What I should have said is level the engine at the carb base. In better terms "level the carb at the intake". The mounts do match, that picture is taken at a poor angle. Yes, they are both triangulated AND I ***ure you that those welds WILL hold. I've made a weld or two in my day.
Sorry hillbilly, but they look a little sketchy...cosmetically and structurally. Shouldn't be held up as an example to others. They'll probably hold, but as johnny bondo said, consider doing them over, or at least improving those.
Looks like it'll work. Did you level the car before leveling the engine? I probably woulda sold those mount brackets on ebay, they're what you need to put a V8 in a six cylinder 58-64 chebbie. And made some mounts myself using a plate and a tube. Either way works...
At least he was in the shop working on his car. Those mounts arent the prettiest, but they will work.
With the motor out and having the room to sit right in there I probably wouldve boxed the whole thing all around then hit it with a flap disc. Yours will likely last but in all honesty there not pretty.
Should work fine, maybe you just forgot to mention the frame leveling. First thing I do is level the ch***is side to side and front to back , otherwise leveling the engine doesnt mean much if the frame is not level. With the frame level I do as you did, set the engine level side to side and then level the carb pad front to back which usually puts the crankshaft angle about 3 degrees down towards the rear, higher in the front. This engine I just did ended up 5 degrees down because of the A/C compressor clearance but didnt matter because of the FI. Only thing I think I would of done different with your mounts is to put more angle on the lower support so the engine is pushing the mount down into the frame and not down towards the ground. Also the engine does not need to be centered in the frame, it can be offset to one side as needed for steering or other clearance, commonly done by the factory on big block cars. These mounts below that I just made were made with $10 worth of cutoffs from the steel supply store. Hope to meet you sometime since we are in the same neck of the woods, or at least close!
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