Need motor mount to frame pad installation validation

I think I am driving myself insane looking for problems.

The car: 1970 skylark with a 1973 455. Motor mounts were new when I installed the engine in 2018. I believe the pads were either originals or cast iron repos. Can’t remember. Everything has been fine for the past 5 years, although I’ve barely driven the car.

I am now converting it to a 4 speed and the “while I’m here snowball” has begun. I had a nasty exhaust leak at the driver manifold so shorty headers were the only solution (car is lowered on ridetech suspension.) The passenger side install went fine. The driver side is also going ok, but I had the steering shaft out to swap columns and relocate some brake lines.

My concern is how close the header is going to be to the steering shaft/rag joint. Am I being insane? Should my motor mount bolt be through the lower hole? I checked 2 of the other big block cars in our fleet and both are installed the same way pictured below. Trans is mocked up in the pictures, engine is level. Trying to not lose my mind before running to my storage unit and getting my engine hoist.. thanks for the help!

 

Louie, I think you’re driving yourself crazy should have plenty of room. I’ve never had a problem with either Mickey Thompson, KB ,Kustom stage 2 headers with the steering calm rag joint. Here’s a picture of my car today as you can see there’s plenty of room.

 

Easy solution here......Borgeson ujoint shaft....more clearance....and very noticeable response improvement....and an excuse to something new....win all the water around

 

Mount will only go inbthe top hole

 

Bolt location is the top .

 

Thanks Frank and Ethan. I’ll stop bitching and keep going lol

 

If you can’t get the bolts started because it’s on an angle you have to remove the motor mount bolts and jacked the motor up.

 

For my phone to be so smart...it speaks the worst English.....because water fits in between those two words so well......

 

In your situation...hard to tell how much room you have from the pictures. Is there 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 inch between the header and the joint?

 

It went in. Took the trans/crossmember off and tilted the engine up in the rear to get the bolts in. I am not sure how much clearance I have Bill, but I think it will be fine

 

Just to close the loop here- no clearance issues between the rag joint and header. There is at least 1/2” of clearance, likely more. I did have to make a little room on the #3 tube, but I think it will clearance itself more once the trans is back in and the engine isn’t slightly tilted back. The TA shorties are nice.. hopefully no more exhaust leak!

 

Mind if I ask, with the shorty headers, what kind of down pipes are you using? Do you use manifold pipes and modify them or do you need a custom down pipes? Thanks

 

TA did sale the 3" down pipe that will bolt onto the shorty headers. Been back ordered for awhile now. I used the shorty reducer and the TA 2.5 downpipe. Welding is required.

 

I was planning on just using my 2.5” TA downpipes that were already on the car but haven’t mocked them up yet.

 

Ok thanks. I was thinking the same route. Please keep us posted on that set up.

 

Just be happy you don't have Stage 2 headers and swapped to a rack and pinion steering...Getting the steering hooked up was a ball of fun..

 

Not yet anyway lol. I have a set of aluminum stage 1 and stage 2s on the shelf but will likely go with the stage 1s as they need far less work and are complete. Still planning on running my stage 2 hood

 

well I was wrong! If you read through TA’s listing for the 3” shorty downpipes it explains exactly that. I am going to call them after they reopen to see if the 3” are still on back order as that’s the path to least resistance.

https://www.taperformance.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TA_2008C

If they are, I’ll either cut up the TA regular downpipes and have the correct flanges welded on, or find an exhaust shop that can bend up a pair. I am very fortunate that the board member I bought these from included the flanges.

 

Yup. Those are the TA shorty reducer.

 

did you ever end up getting a set of 3”? Saw an old thread from August