Frame Side Engine Mounts

[aggie91]

I have seen few different questions about this topic. Here are some pictures of the FACTORY style mounts.

The dirty black ones are factory small block mounts in a 1965 C-10. These came out of a 66 C-10, and are shown mounted in the correct holes for the factory 283/327 from those years.

The blue ones shown sitting next to them are the factory 6 cyl frame mounts for the 230/250 from 64-66. Those mount in the rear holes on the upper frame rail. Notice on the cross member the hole that is painted black around it. That is the lower hole for the 6 cyl mount. These are lower on the crossmember than the forward hole for the V8 mounts.



I hope this helps someone when looking at the Factory style mounts. Note that the Factory BIG BLOCK frame mounts were only on the 68-72 model trucks. They will work on the 63-66 trucks. I am not sure which set of holes is correct for the BBC mounts. I just know from these that I have are the factory locations. My truck was an original 6 cyl that I got from my grandfather. The small block mounts came out of an original V8 truck from a wrecking yard in Stonewall, TX.

[Chevy Fleetside]

My original V8 truck were bolted into the rear holes. Had a 3 on the tree also.

[aggie91]

I wonder if it made a difference which trans the truck had. If I recall, the V8 truck I pulled mine from was an automatic (Powerglide I believe)??

[Chevy Fleetside]

The 292 6 had the right mount forward and the left mount in the rear. My 66 had a 6 with the mounts in the rear holes.

[Black66step]

Mine had sb in rear holes, 700r4. I'll let you guys know what i come up with mounting the BB. Gonna try front holes with tube mts

[aggie91]

No wonder I see so many questions about this. Seems like it was not given as to were the factory mounted the engine.

Anyway, I will be using the black mounts in my photo's and mount my SB in the front holes. I will post pics when I get the engine in the truck.

[padresag]

6 cyl (230-250) to the frt holes sbc to the rear holes original. in almost 50 years a lot of things get mickey moused by people not knowing what they are doing. if you are using the std bellhousing(or the cast iron p/g-60-62) you are to have a problem lining up the bolts for the frt mounts.
If you are using a rear trans mount(unless orig equipped) you can put those frt mount wherever that you want then just adj that rear trans mount crossmember where it is going to line up. the next person who may own that vehicle may have trouble understanding it if they go to modify something. or they may wonder whu it is always running hot as the fan sits to far forward in the shroud, but you wouldn't tell them that
ron

[aggie91]

Originally Posted by padresag

6 cyl (230-250) to the frt holes sbc to the rear holes original.

Not so...My truck was an orginal 230 6 cylinder/3 on the tree. The frame mounts were in the rear holes. My grandfather had this truck until he gave it to me when I turned 16. It was all original except for the seat cover at that time. I ran the 6 until I sold the engine about 8 years ago. Never moved the frame mounts. That is why the frame has a rusted spot where the original mount was (the blue one in the pictures above). When I did that frame paint, I never removed the mounts, just blasted and painted them along with the rest of the frame.

[Black66step]

Originally Posted by padresag

the next person who may own that vehicle may have trouble understanding it if they go to modify something. or they may wonder whu it is always running hot as the fan sits to far forward in the shroud, but you wouldn't tell them that
ron

Who said anything about selling......haha

[padresag]

Originally Posted by Black66step

Who said anything about selling......haha

everything sells eventually . most don't keep their vehicles that long as something gets gunny sacked somewhere and they get tired of fixing. there is nothing worse than buying someone else's piece of crap
ron

[padresag]

Originally Posted by aggie91

Not so...My truck was an orginal 230 6 cylinder/3 on the tree. The frame mounts were in the rear holes. My grandfather had this truck until he gave it to me when I turned 16. It was all original except for the seat cover at that time. I ran the 6 until I sold the engine about 8 years ago. Never moved the frame mounts. That is why the frame has a rusted spot where the original mount was (the blue one in the pictures above). When I did that frame paint, I never removed the mounts, just blasted and painted them along with the rest of the frame.

then there has to be a reason for that mountiing. sure that it was a 230? Maybe it was a 292

there is a 2 1/2 " difference between being mounted forwards or backwards
look at it this way. Standard bellhousing no matter what eng after 62 is the same and all mount to that crossmember that runs underneath of it the same way. factory installation for a 230-250 were in the frt position. 283 was located in the rear position. if you put either eng in the others location with the bellhousing in it's std location how are those engs going to bolt up to the perches. doesn't make sense does it.
ron

[aggie91]

padresag

I agree it does not make sense. I am 100% sure that it had the 230 6cyl. I have known this truck well all of my life. My grandfather bought it the year I was born and I started bugging him to give it to me when I was 12.

I never moved the engine mounts in this truck. I had 3 different transmissions in it over the years, but always with the 6 in the original position. First 2 trans where mounted to the stock bellhousing mounted to the crossmember under it. The last was a TH350 with a crossmember under the tailshaft and I took out the one under the bellhousing. I am just now going to a V8. I will be running mine in the front holes with the black mounts so that I have firewall clearance for the tall valve covers and HEI.

Looks to me like there is no one way the factory did it...

[chemlab]

my old 65 used the rears ones with a 350, i'm working on a 66 gmc now and i plan on using the front ones this time. i noticed the engine sits a bit lower and further from the radiator using the rear holes.

[Barn-core]

Excuse my ignorance, but I have a question. These mounts look very similar, could the six brackets be modified/moved to mount a small block? I'll be building a rear trans mount for a TH350 anyway, so the trans mounting won't be a factor.

[padresag]

yes unless they are from a 292 i6 installation as the passenger side perch is different
ron

[aggie91]

Originally Posted by Barn-core

Excuse my ignorance, but I have a question. These mounts look very similar, could the six brackets be modified/moved to mount a small block? I'll be building a rear trans mount for a TH350 anyway, so the trans mounting won't be a factor.

Yes, those brackets could be used to mount the V8. Without mods, it could be put in the rear holes, but that might have some clearance issues along the firewall.

I would think that all you would need to do is bolt them to the top of the frame rail in the front holes, then mark and drill the one hole for each side in the crossmember. That way you do not have to modify the bracket, just move it to the front holes and drill 2 holes.

[MikeN]

On my 64 C10, a very original 230ci straight 6 truck with 3-speed column shift manual, I converted to a 350 V8 and used the original 230-6 engine and bellhousing mounts in the original locations. This also allowed me to keep the original bellhousing/flywheel/starter and original bellhousing side mounts, again in their original locations.

My point, I guess, is that if I had moved the engine mounts forward to the (supposed) V8 mounting holes, my bellhousing then would have NOT lined up with it's original crossmember and mounts.

Anyways, I hope that helps someone down the road. 230-6 to a small block V8 is a straight-up swap with original mounts, bellhousing, flywheel, clutch, bellhousing-mounted starter, etc.

My brother-in-law did this same swap on his 65 C10, a straight-6 to 327 V8. Again, he used all of this original mounts, in their original locations.

If you're NOT using the original cast iron manual transmission bellhousing, obviously you can move the engine forward or backward as you please, because you'll be fabricating a rear transmission mount anyway.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Interesting discussion guys. I'm gonna add a link to this tread in the faq section (above in a sticky) so it can be added when we get enough faq's.
thanks

[aggie91]

Thanks Bill, I knew that this could be a very open topic of discussion and looks to be one that has many options.

MikeN - Thanks for your input. I thought that would be the case for doing a swap like you described. Makes me wonder if the truck I got my front mounts out of (the black ones in the #1 post) might have been different for what reason????

[Captainfab]

You don't have to move a small block forward from the factory location to be able to run tall valve covers or an HEI.

Originally Posted by aggie91

I will be running mine in the front holes with the black mounts so that I have firewall clearance for the tall valve covers and HEI.

Looks to me like there is no one way the factory did it...

[Tx Firefighter]

Uh fellas, do you realize that those frame stands that mount into the front holes are easy to find? Look in any 67-72 small block truck. There they are. Exact same part.

And the frame stands for rear holes, look in any 250 inline 6 67-72 truck. Again, same part.

I'd bet I have powdercoated over 50 sets of them in the last year. I buy them at swap meets, refurbish them, and send them to a new owner.

[Black66step]

"You don't have to move a small block forward from the factory location to be able to run tall valve covers or an HEI."

I couldn't run tall valve covers on my SB in rear holes, pulled the dist( HEI)
couple times though, no probs.

Karl your welcome to my check my mounts against yours, because I'm not sure of original motor, it definitely had the front crossmember.

[Captainfab]

I've not had any problems in the past with running tall valve covers on a small block in the original rear position. But I suppose it depends on just how tall of covers you are trying to use.

[MikeN]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

You don't have to move a small block forward from the factory location to be able to run tall valve covers or an HEI.

Correct, I should have have added that to my post. I'm running a Summit HEI, no clearance problems.

[protrash64]

I believe jchav62 had problems with a set of tall Edelbrock valve covers on his smallblock. He went to the short set to fit them. They were the cast set; I remember this 'cuz I am running the same set but used the front engine position with no clearance problems. I used aftermarket trans x-member and had a new driveshaft made to fit the combo.

A distributor solution is to run a Pertronix with an external coil. Uses the small cap like a points dizzy. Just a thought......