What is this??

[ChevLoRay]

On the left side of my chassis, near the firewall, I have a loop attached to the frame. A good friend, who has worked on many of these trucks and scrapped a good number of them (before they were valuable) said he'd never seen one.

So, what it is and what it is used for? There are no marks to indicate anything ran beneath it or was attached to it.

So.....

[68gmsee]

Is there one on the other side? Maybe a tie down while being shipped??

[ChevLoRay]

Nope....just the one.


Good 'un, huh?

[Arad68]

It appears to be a bracket for engine torque strap. (In case the motor mount failed or was broken.)

[68gmsee]

Re: torque strap.... Yeah but why only on one side.

If there were two, I'd say something to lift the frame up with in the factory.

[67_C-30]

The torque straps were dealer installed, so maybe they took a shortcut?

[Longhorn Man]

recall dated may of 72

As found in the glove box of my first longhorn
It specificly says 10 - 30 series trucks on the recall, and it is for the motor mounts.
I have only seen one truck (was a 71 or 72 GMC in a new orleans junk yard) that had the recall retrofit straps, but it had the loop like your photo shows, and still had the cable looping around the exhaust manifold.

[chrislehr]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

recall dated may of 72

As found in the glove box of my first longhorn
It specificly says 10 - 30 series trucks on the recall, and it is for the motor mounts.
I have only seen one truck (was a 71 or 72 GMC in a new orleans junk yard) that had the recall retrofit straps, but it had the loop like your photo shows, and still had the cable looping around the exhaust manifold.

You REALLY need to scan that whole thing. I will provide web hosting for it if need be.

[therealcurtis]

I'll bet why not many people have seen these is that the new design motor mounts were put on ones that came in for the recall later, or if the owner was religious about taking the truck to the dealer. whenever one came in with straps, it got the new motor mounts.

[RaceAGMC]

My 70 HAD one of these, when i put in the 6.0, i noticed that it was not needed and it was tossed by the wayside!

[Husker]

I Have a complete setup from a 70 Chevy. They were suppose to be on both sides.
Ron

[ChevLoRay]

Originally Posted by Husker

I Have a complete setup from a 70 Chevy. They were suppose to be on both sides.
Ron

I looked at the right side of the frame and no holes are drilled. So, mine only had the one. Since it has headers, my guess is that removing the original exhaust manifolds also lead to removing the strap.

If this is the true purpose (and what else could it be for?), then why don't we see more of them?

Thanks for answering the mystery question.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

.............If this is the true purpose (and what else could it be for?), then why don't we see more of them? ................

You have a point. Hard to believe that only a handful got that warning the Longhorn Man posted. Or worse, nobody took their trucks in to have restraints put in. Maybe they didn't want to part with their trucks for even a day or two.

It sure sounds like a bandaid for a potentially dangerous situation. Times have changed....

[Husker]

The Passenger side did mount to the Exhaust Manifold and the drivers side mounted to the block, If I remeber correctly.
Ron

[Old Chevy Mech]

What can also happen if the engine were to torque enough is the clutch linkage could possibly pop out, leaving you SOL without a clutch and the engine throttle stuck at a high RPM. My 70 Jimmy had this exact event occur when I was 16, making a left hand turn (thankfully) into an empty parking lot. I came out on the clutch just hard enough and was giving enough gas that the shifter also got messed up at the same moment. The truck had the 3 on the tree and the driver side motor mount ripped in 2 pieces. So it was hang on and Holy Pooooo!!! When it happened it made alot of noise as the fan was grinding on the shroud. Clutch linkage pieces were in the street, it was night, no flashlight, and being stuck in 1st gear! Had to start the truck in 2nd gear and use the key to slow down at stop signs, luckily it was night and zero traffic! I did finally make it home, safe. I'll never forget that event and as a result I change motor mounts every time I think theres too much play in the motor mounts. I always wondered why they didnt make a better mount, or maybe there is and I dont know about it.

Frank

[Arad68]

GM changed the mounts starting in 73 becuase of this problem.

[chevy_mike]

I still have both sides on my '68. Even when the PO swapped a 350 in for the 327, he reinstalled both straps.

[drivethechevy]

i never really paid any attention to it but i have the driverside strap on a 70 gmc 2500 i have, when i got the truck the guy who i got it from told me he had to bring it in to a dealer to have that installed but he didnt tell me what it was for just that it was there

[ChevLoRay]

I remember the the "concern" that existed at that time with Chevy motor mounts, but don't recall the fix...specifically. I do remember seeing some cable straps on some cars that came in to "the World's Largest Department Store" auto shop when I was working there in '76.

What I also recall was a '72 Plymouth that a customer brought in because they couldn't get the oil filter off of the 318. When I put it on the rack, it became obvious. The motor mount was broken, and the engine had turned in its mounting just enough that the oil filter, when unscrewed, came into contact with the chassis. They were right. Neither they, nor we, could remove the oil filter....until it got some new motor mounts. I didn't fix it, and I don't know if they did or not. I'm gonna guess it don't even matter now.

[msgross]

makes me wish I bought those Prothane mounts and not the "made in India" ones now.!

[71tahoe]

Originally Posted by msgross

makes me wish I bought those Prothane mounts and not the "made in India" ones now.!

All the chevy motor mounts I've bought new (1990 and later) have interlocking metal plates with the rubber isolater sandwiched between. If the rubber fails, the plates catch limiting movement. No chance of major failure unless your torque can shear off the steel tabs. Then you would probably destroy the retrofit bracket on the exhaust with that much torque too.

[Old Chevy Mech]

Originally Posted by 71tahoe

All the chevy motor mounts I've bought new (1990 and later) have interlocking metal plates with the rubber isolater sandwiched between. If the rubber fails, the plates catch limiting movement. No chance of major failure unless your torque can shear off the steel tabs. Then you would probably destroy the retrofit bracket on the exhaust with that much torque too.

No Kiddin..(Not that I doubt you) but I am going to have to cut one apart to see that.

Frank

[bmfpeterson]

i have had a couple recalls on some newer trucks and did nothing about it, one was a tail gate strap and somthin else. maybe thats why there are not that many of those torque straps because most people would not do anything about em! just my opinion

[71tahoe]

Originally Posted by Old Chevy Mech

No Kiddin..(Not that I doubt you) but I am going to have to cut one apart to see that.

Frank

That's a really good idea. My memory isn't what it used to be and it's way too cold to go look at one for a couple of days.

[pritch]

This thread stirred up memories of my '68 Nova when I was in high school. That thing would break the driver side motor mount about every 3rd or 4th time I would really hit it. It wasn't nothing special, just a good strong 327 and a three speed tranny. Factory 3ott, but a PO had converted it to a nice Hurst floor shifter. But it was a motor mount breakin' sunny beach.