Okay I am sure i have missed something here so i am throwing it out to the quality control team! The engine and trans are mounted in the frame and in order to get the engine down angle to 3 degrees we had to drop the trans crossmember mount as far as possible without the shifter linkage hitting the frame. I have read in threads where 1 degree down angle is suggested... not possible the way it sits now. Soooo I assume I either have the wrong trans crossmember mount, or the engine is mounted wrong (too low in front). All the help to date is greatly appreciated and any other eagle eye comments are welcome!

 

Another excellant question posed.

 

interesting.... on my 62 i use a 1/2" spacer between the top of the trans mount and the underside of the top flange of the frame to lower the trans to get the driveshaft angle. no problems, and i have a Hurst too.

and i can't see how you could screw up the front motor mounts as you are using the stock water pump mount type.

the important criteria is u-joint angle to prevent vibration. your u-joint/driveshaft angle should improve once you get the weight of the body, etc on the frame.
Bill

 

There are two different X members. One for 3 speed and one for 4 speed.

 

If you have spacers in between the crossmember and the frame that drops the transmission down to where the linkage almost hits the frame, that's as far as it'll go. Whatever that angle is, you'll have to live with it. That's what I did. I dropped mine down as low as I could without the linkage hitting the frame. If I remember correctly, that angle on mine was around 3 degrees. I believe that's where the factory had it. 3 degrees is at the outer limits of acceptability. But that's the way those cars were.

Another observation.

The bolts you have used for the crossmember to the frame may be too long. Those 4 bolts sticking up about 3/4" above the nut. I believe they will hit the body when you put the body back on. With the body on the car, there isn't much room there.

 

Thanks for the input, I was looking at a picture from the forum that showed the trans mount member snug against the frame and was sure i missed something. Thanks for the catch on the bolts too!

 

Looking at your photos, it appears you are trying to use a Muncie 4 Spd adapter plate under the tail shaft with the T-10 transmission. You need the specific T-10 4 SPD transmission mounting bracket for that setup (available through the vendors). That should lower the rear of the transmission to where it belongs. Pilot Dan


One other thing I noticed (but you did not ask about) is the Generator adjusting bracket is on the wrong side on the end frame. It should be on the other side with the bolt pointing forward.

 

IMHO, as long as he gets the tailend of the trans down as low as he needs to it shouldn't make any difference what mount/adapter plate he uses. shimming the crossmember down is the easiest fix.
Bill

 

Unfortunately, I cannot open the pictures at work. So I'll look at them at home and comment.

Tom Parsons

 

This worked for me... Go to Ace Hardware. Get longer bolts and buy some metal round one inch solid spacers. This will fix the clearance problem.

 

Also very cool to see the old front end parts and not a IFS. Thats just my taste.

 

the original front end IS and independent front suspension

 

The correct part only uses the REAR most set of holes in the tail shaft. That one he has in there is using all which is screwing up the angle. Looks like a very nice and extensive original restoration, if it was me, for under $20, I would get the correct part and be done with it. No need to modify an original stock build.

 

i've never seen a T10, so your point is well taken; i now see the rearward mounting point. there are not 2 mounting pads on the tailshaft on a muncie so a set of spacers must be used...

but, Bubba Bill (me) would fix it for less than $2 by spacing the crossmember down using 4 nuts that slide over the bolts that mount the crossmember to the frame. although he didn't use nuts, Tom Parsons has spaced his down too.

his call... both ways will fix it...

Bubba

 

I think I have an extra t-10 bracket at home. I think I bought one thinking of going with a t-10 then switched to muncie. Cheap $8.00 plus shipping.

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....Z5Z5Z50000050x

 

REGARDLESS of what you do------------------THE REAR OF THE TRANNY NEEDS TO COME DOWN, PERIOD!
Whether it be an original B-W T-10 mount setup, a 62 style (as in the above pictures), or a Muncie with a 62 tranny mount plate-------------------------THE REAR OF THE TRANNY NEEDS TO COME DOWN. The factory original mount on the T-10 housings was STILL TOO HIGH. Consequently, the U-joint angles on 57-61 stock 4sp setups are too severe and the 62 with the adapter plate is even worse.
I have a Muncie in the 56 with a Hurst shifter and a REPLICA 56-58 shifter handle bolted to the Hurst shifter.
As can be seen below, I use the 62 (ONE YEAR ONLY) style tranny mount adapter plate for the Muncie, plus, I've installed 1in square tubing between the frame X-member and the tranny cross member. This was very strongly recommended MANY years ago when installing a Muncie in the early chassis became popular.
The dual mount bosses on the B-W T-10 first occured about 60-61 to accomodate a change in the full size pass car tranny mount setup, but it remained the same for Corvettes through 61. Then, in 62, that adapter plate was used for the Vettes. ALSO, the 62 ONLY Vettes----------------FROM THE FACTORY-----------had spacers installed between the frame X-member and the tranny cross member (they were about 1/8in thick)-----------------------BUT THEY STILL DID NOT LOWER THE TRANNY ENOUGH!!!!!
Sooooooooooooo, since you have the 62 style mount setup, I would strongly encourage you to lower the rear of your T-10 by either installing the correct style 56-61 style tranny mount to the REAR mount boss and also fabricate some spacers to go between the frame X-member and tranny cross member, OR, leave your setup up as it is now and just add spacers between the frame X-member and the tranny cross member.
Either way, the rear of your tranny should go down.
YA, YA, YA, YA, YA, YA, YA, I know, the NCRS types are going to say that is NOT how it came from the factory---------------and that is correct. But less stress will be imparted on the U-joints if the tranny is lowered. Your choice!






Tom Parsons

 

[QUOTE=Pilot Dan;1579459797]Looking at your photos, it appears you are trying to use a Muncie 4 Spd adapter plate under the tail shaft with the T-10 transmission. You need the specific T-10 4 SPD transmission mounting bracket for that setup (available through the vendors). That should lower the rear of the transmission to where it belongs. Pilot Dan


That "Muncie 4 Spd adapter plate" to which you refer was indeed used to install Muncies in C1s. But it was also used by Chevrolet as a factory part to install T10s in 1962 Corvettes. It can be used as Waffle uses it in the photos in his 1958. The correct 1958 part will use the rearmost 2 holes as Pilot Dan says.

But none of this should make any difference. Waffle wants to get the transmission as low as possible in order to make the angle of the driveshaft as small as possible. Whatever does that is to the good.

Yeah, the correct part is so cheap, I'd probably use it too. But that's because I'm NCRS-matching-numbers-nuts. Nobody's ever going to see down there once the body is on.

I believe the correct 1958 part will raise the transmission slightly, which means the crossmember mount will need to be dropped more.

 

Excellent! thank you ! I had to read the posts a few times to follow along. I currently have the mount set up to what has been referred to as '62 Bubba style, with longer bolts and spacers to lower the crossmember to achieve a 3 degree angle...as low as it goes without interference. I initially was going to order paragon part 525 to lower the tail a bit but realized using the correct part would likely raise the tail as noted by Chris. Sooooo.... (Tom's words) since I am running a '60 trans with a hurst shifter in 58 with a 3/4 race cam and hooker headers i am going to order the correct part, toss it in a box for my kids to use after I'm dead an leave the setup as is. Thank you all for the insight and effort...i sincerely appreciate it! --- Kurt
(P.S. as a public service I will be changing my avatar)

 

Bill

 

Mines not as clean or fancy as Tom's but, Yes I have Aluminium spacers under the X frame and on top of the crossmember to lower the rear of the trans. I believe 3 degrees is what I have also.