How do 47-54 frames differ from 55-59 in regards to motor mounts?

[Matt300ZXT]

I'm stuck with this dilemma of making this car 235 work in my truck or just dropping in a dirt cheap 305 or something. It's a 54 1/2 ton and I'm curious if the frame rails/widths are so different 1 year apart in the 55-59 style, that a motor mount like this would/wouldn't work?



I know there's the old faithful universal crossmember style, just curious why something like this wouldn't be available in a store's 47-54 section.

[Bobb]

Hy Matt300ZXT, The 47-54 frames taper from back to front, the 55-59 frame rails are parallel. If you put a truck front mount plate on the engine you could use all stock mounts. Could you post a picture of the front of your engine, could you also tell us the year of the engine?

[Matt300ZXT]

Oh ok, well that sucks...shot that idea down of using those mounts that appear to be easier to mount. Guess the only option is the universal crossmember style mount.

I know I could swap out the plates, or just drill the 2 holes in my current one but I really don't want to have to use a 235 in the truck. The ONLY one I found close to me that didn't need a rebuild and I bought (before I know what I know now) is the 55 Bel Air's 235 and I really don't want to have to try and buy a clutch/pressure plate for it, use my 54 bellhousing and do all this swapping around just to mount a 235.

I suppose if it came down to it I could just lift the engine up and pull the old plate out and put that all back together so it would bolt straight in, but it still leaves the problem of buying a clutch setup and still trying to figure out all those shift linkages or whatever it was I tore apart when I pulled the original 235 out.