Engine Angle

[ShortboxKelly]

I just did a swap from 250/6 3spd std to 396 std. I bought new BB mounts and frame brackets and bought a v8 bellhousing crossmember. Is there a different BB/SB crossmember for the bellhousing mounts? The engine/tailshaft angle looks too steep to me even though carb plane is 4 degrees.
All my research tells me is there is only one v8 crossmember and the cast bellhousing is the same for l6/SB/BB.

[Tx Firefighter]

I am assuming you are referring to the crossmember beneath the bellhousing that has the two mounts ?

If so, yes there are different ones for V8 and I6 applications.

Your easiest option is to remove that crossmember (it is riveted in, as you probably well know) and simply run a crossmember beneath the tail of the trans. This method became standard starting in 73 and newer trucks. You can reuse your current bellhousing when doing this even after removing the existing bellhousing crossmember. All you'd need is a rear trans mount.

[ShortboxKelly]

The crossmember I have in place now is the v8 one, I found out by trial that the l6 one is farther back in the frame and in fact a whole different piece. My real question is, is there a different one for BB and SB applications? Also, did all shortbox BB trucks use two piece driveshafts? I am trying to do this as factory correct as possible, sometimes that isn't the easiest way to go.

[Tx Firefighter]

I cannot answer that from first hand experience. I have only owned big block automatic trucks so I have never dealt with standard trans crossmembers in one. That said I'm quite sure your truck would have had a 2 piece driveshaft being a V8 truck. It's been my experience that short bed trucks used 1 piece with 6 cylinders and 2 piece with V8's.