Changing the engine mounts on my '80. Driver's side went fine after taking off the power steering pump. Passenger side is proving problematic.

The new mount fits, but the engine seems to be 1/4" back on that side (weird). I line up the holes on the new mount with the frame holes, and the holes on the engine are approx. 1/4" back. I can't do anything (prying/pushing/singing Sinatra tunes) to get the holes to align. I'm kinda stumped/frustrated as I've been at it a while. Maybe if I loosen the driver's side mount, transmission mount, and diff snubber....

I don't know. Gonna take some thought. Guess I'll work on the headers while I mull this over.........

 

I would loosen driver side mount and trans mount, get a long prybar and wiggle the engine over. I would put a jack under the engine ( with a block of wood under the pan) then to the trans mount. Should be able to wiggle the trans to get the mount to line up. I would suggest doing all of that BEFORE putting on the headers.

 

How did the original mount fit?

Line up the old mount against the new.

 

I always put all bolts in first before I tighten anything down.
In this case all motor mount bolts R & L and trans..
Wiggle the lump with a pry bar.
If they still prove problematic, remove the trans bolts and try again, let it move more.
With the trans bolt you have the most leverage to wiggle on so it may need to go in last.

 

Pretty much what I was thinking. And headers will be last in the assembly process. Still gotta get the cam out and then get it back together.

And "Thank You!" as well to the other guys who responded.

 

So I finally found the time to get out there and work the engine mounts.

Loosened up the driver's side and transmission mounts. Raised the engine (block of wood under the pan) and tried to push/pry/wedge/move the engine just a tad in the right direction - FAIL.
As I was getting up from under the car, I accidently swiveled the jack that was holding up the car - and the engine moved, ever so slightly, but it MOVED in the right direction. COOL.

Tried swiveling the jack more - no movement. Lowered the jack, repositioned, and lifted the engine, swiveled the jack, and the engine moved again ever so slightly in the right direction.

Long story short - I ended up raising the engine, swiveling the jack, lowering engine, repositioning the jack, raising, swiveling, lowering, repositioning 7 times before I could get the bolts to screw in, but it's done.

Now I just have to disassemble the whole freaking steering system to get the oil pan off. Makes me nostalgic for my '72 GMC 3/4 ton truck - engine compartment was so big you could put two engines in there and still have room to set up a Lazy Boy recliner and take a nap.

 

Tech141
Before you go disassembling the whole steering system just try dropping the idler arm side. That should give you enough room to drop the oil pan.

As far as the motor mounts I have even wiggled and shimmed and put washers in to make things line up.

 

"just try dropping the idler arm side. That should give you enough room to drop the oil pan."

Thank You for that. I'll give that a try. Much appreciated.

 

You're welcome...and if you still need a little more room you may drop the driver side also (I don't remember it being necessary but it was ages ago)...but it's better than disassembling....since you can then bolt right back up.

 

Ya gotta laugh....

Went to remove the idler arm, and got 2 turns on the lower nut, then the bolt started free spinning. Gotta figure out how to reach the back of that bolt, and the frame has no access, Drill a hole on the back? Sigh..... Just having too much fun with this.

 

The idler arm lower bolt is a carriage bolt. It goes through the frame in the passenger wheel well.

 

Dang it! You beat me to it. Went back out after having some tea and looked at it through the fender well. Nice rounded head bolt that I can't get good enough grip on with the vice grip. Should be easy enough to tack weld it in a couple of spots to keep it from spinning. (light enough welds to easily grind off when/if I replace that arm in the future.

Thanks for the quick reply

 

see post above your last.. can't you pull (or push from back) on nut while unscrewing? the carriage should hold it unless stripped.. clean the threads so its easier

 

I only got two turns on it when it started spinning. Looked at the carriage bolt head, and there was no discernible gap between the head and frame. I'll probably tack weld it to get the nut off, then replace the carriage bolt with a regular, hardened bolt that fits the hole.

 

How about welding a nut on the end of the carriage bolt?

 

I like the tack weld idea better. If the threads on the bolt are stripped off and not just the nut. I would replace with the correct carriage bolt. It's done that way so the tire doesn't get cut up on full lock.

 

I understand that, but I have always had a great hatred in my heart for carriage bolts. Probably something to do with the Great Cucamonga Carriage Bolt Incident of 1875. Still gives me 'tha shudders' even thinking about it.

Edit - I just got the "done that way so the tire doesn't get cut up on full lock", so having a hex-bolt head facing the tire might not be a good idea...... Tack weld it is!!!!

 

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WOW AWESOME! It's always great to hear the first words are 'WELD IT'. That is a great skill.
My Dad taught me to weld when I was eleven yrs old. Still building Hot Rods with a 'Stinger' 54yrs later.
Go For It Man,,,

 

Yep. Welding makes all kinds of things possible.
...and last year I got a Plasma Cutter..... egad that thing is fantastic!

 

Make sure it matches your original mount. The parts places use a system called aces and pies to give parts a application by part number. Most of the ones on the Corvette are wrong so there are parts that are listed to fit a Corvette when in fact they do not. On the engine mounts the 3 bolt pattern on the block is universal on the SBC and BBC engines, but the saddle holes are not. I would stick with a Corvette parts supplier for those but note that sometimes if is a replacement it could also be screwed up because the vendor that may be suppling them made a change that they were not aware of.