Motor mounts and starter advice

Discussion in 'Street/strip 400/430/455' started by 68 Wildcat, Mar 20, 2019.

  1. 68 Wildcat

    68 Wildcat Dash Riprock

    Hi All, I'm replacing the 430 in my '68 Wildcat this summer with a bored and built 455 that will dyno around 550 Hp. at the crank. I want to gather all the peripherals ahead of time to make the swap seamless. Will new stock motor mounts be sufficient, or is there a better choice out there.

    Second, the car will have TA shorty headers as part of the build and I have read that they can overheat the stock starter causing hot start problems. Is fabbing a heat shield the way to go? or should I be shopping for a hi torque starter or some other option. Battery will be going in the trunk.

    Thanks, Gary
     
  2. johnriv67

    johnriv67 Well-Known Member

    I've had no issues with the shorties and the starter so far. Hope the build works out and keep us posted!
     
  3. 68 Wildcat

    68 Wildcat Dash Riprock

    Will do, but months away at this point. Good to know the stock starter will work.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2019
  4. Nailhead

    Nailhead Gold Level Contributor

    Heavier battery cable will help, maybe 1 or 1/0 gauge.
     
  5. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    I have stock motor mounts and a Rob Mc mini starter.
     
  6. Bens99gtp

    Bens99gtp Well-Known Member

    there are several threads about how the lt1 starters is a direct interchange just need to get the correct bolts. these have more power, smaller profile, and should help out. I ran stk replacement rubber mounts only into the upper 10s in a 3800 lb car with no issue.
     
  7. Schurkey

    Schurkey Silver Level contributor

    Battery in the trunk? When you begin to have starter problems, don't forget to test for voltage drop on the GROUND side of the circuit.

    Everyone and their brother thinks the steel frame (or worse, the steel uni-body) is an acceptable ground path. Sometimes--rarely--it is. (Steel is a crappy conductor) But the only way to know for sure is voltage drop testing, and usually the results are fairly hilarious.
     
    Buicksky likes this.
  8. 68 Wildcat

    68 Wildcat Dash Riprock

    Thanks for all the replies. I'm not married to the idea of moving the battery to the trunk if it creates more problems than it's worth. Read up on the Rob Mc mini starter and that's what I'll go for along with stock engine mounts.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2019
  9. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    I have a stock starter with TA Shorty headers on my 455 in my 69 Riv and have had no problems at all.
     
  10. 68 Wildcat

    68 Wildcat Dash Riprock

    Did you buy it that way? or did you add the TA Shorty headers. I have heard (can't verify,car is in storage) that my Wildcat is a "rear steer" with the box between the engine and firewall and that the drivers side header could have a clearance problem. Is the steering box on your Riv ahead of the crossmember? or behind, like mine? Passenger side isn't an issue.
    This is the more common front steer:

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2019
  11. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    Yes it came that way. Mine is in between the frame rail and block like yours, the header looks to be just barely clearing the power steering pump. I'm going to get my headers ceramic coated this year hopefully!
     

    Attached Files:

  12. 68 Wildcat

    68 Wildcat Dash Riprock

    That is tight! Those pics are great, thanks for that! Tells me it would be much easier to do my steering box upgrade and tilt column at the same time.The engine should torque to the right, so as long as there a centimeter or so, the headers should fit.
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2019
  13. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    No problem! Yes she's tight forsure. I'm going to coat the headers to help slow down the "cooking" progress of the P.S. pump.
     
  14. yachtsmanbill

    yachtsmanbill Well-Known Member

  15. 68 Wildcat

    68 Wildcat Dash Riprock

    I wasn't too worried about the heat, just the clearance issues. I had planned to get the headers ceramic coated anyway and was holding off until I was certain they would fit without modification.
     
  16. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    I have a small b&m cooler that was used for my trans (but is too small) that I'm going to flush out and use it for the power steering.
     
  17. yachtsmanbill

    yachtsmanbill Well-Known Member

  18. matt68gs400

    matt68gs400 Well-Known Member

    What about a starter from an LT1 motor such as a Camaro? I’m told this is a direct fit, you save a little weight, and they handle the heat better.
     
  19. Philip66

    Philip66 Well-Known Member

    See post 6 above...
     
    matt68gs400 likes this.

Share This Page