engine/transmission for my 57 Del Rio project? Y bock or 351, AOD or C4 ?

Ecode70D · 2021-01-19 19:36

Quote from: djfordmanjack on 2021-01-18 07:37
great info, Gary, thx !
you can see where the factory 351W oilpan was aleady rubbing the crossmember.

Günter
I can clearly see the oil pan rub marks on the cross member. I think that you had already mentioned that you had to make some steel engine mount spacers. That's what I would do also. It might be risky to replace the engine mounts with new ones
because there is a good chance that you will end up with worthless off shore bubble gum junk that will collapse in a few days.
Jay

djfordmanjack · 2021-01-20 05:11

absolutely Jay. I am pretty sure that there was plenty of clearance when the car was built 20 years ago, but even oem mounts will settle a bit and we know the new replacement stuff.

hiball3985 · 2021-01-20 07:29

Yes, we know about replacement stuff

When I removed the original engine for rebuilding I installed a temp engine with new mounts. Driving around for a few days with the hood off and every time I hit the slightest bump in the road you could see the engine bounce around like it was mounted on Jello.

gasman826 · 2021-01-20 07:44

New or old...drill them engine mounts and run a bolt through them.

Ford Blue blood · 2021-01-20 08:23

The 351C pan has the same problem as the 351W. I used 3/8" flat stock to space the mount off the frame brackets and 1/2" flat stock to space the mount off the engine. Pan has a good solid 3/8" to 1/2" clearance now. With out the spacers the pan was sitting on the cross member and there was a small gap on either side depending on which way the engine was pushed.

Forgot, the mounts used are 63 Galaxie 289......

djfordmanjack · 2021-01-20 08:30

Jay, Jim, Gary and Bill, thnx for further input, much appreciated. gives me lots of ideas to play with!
Gary I take it by a drilling a bolt throught the motor mounts, you mean this as a safety measure, if the rubber should tear ?!? It would only be lightly tightened with a self locking nut ?

lalessi1 · 2021-01-20 08:32

Quote from: gasman826 on 2021-01-20 07:44
New or old...drill them engine mounts and run a bolt through them.

Based on your advice a while back I bolted through mine, the third set in as many years. I haven't had an issue since. Great idea.

gasman826 · 2021-01-20 11:59

The idea of bolting the mounts came from the Federal Recall around 1968 to fix GM mount failures. A lot of early recall fixes were really ugly and the GM fix was really high on the list. The fix was a little piece of cable looped around the exhaust manifold and the upper control arm shaft. It looked like something I would have done when I was 16. I had a broken mount in my '63 Galaxie that would hold the throttle linkage WOT. Ford missed the governments wrath. Mind you, I was 16 so my Galaxie and the R code Mustang got a new mount and a short chain welded to the frame and bolted to the head. Ford upgraded most newer vehicles with a rivet through the mount so I just use a bolt with jam nut on older style mounts. Just as effective, invisible and neater than the chain. Moroso or somebody sold a turnbuckle kit to upgrade the chain.

Fairlane62 · 2021-01-20 13:22

The 1984-1993 Fox Mustang mounts have a safety strap incorporated into the design. They're also a little taller than the earlier mounts.

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Ecode70D · 2021-01-20 16:27

Quote from: gasman826 on 2021-01-20 07:44
New or old...drill them engine mounts and run a bolt through them.

Gary... That's a nice trick , drilling and bolting the mount together.

Jim... I in the late 50s l rebuilt the Y block in my 56 Ford and drove it around the block and l got stopped by the cops.
I forgot to state that I still had the hood off the car. They didn't give me a ticket after I told them that I just installed the
engine and was just testing driving it

Rich It was the MDC police Do you remember them when you lived here? They later merged with the Registry police, Mass
Capital police and State Police.

hiball3985 · 2021-01-21 08:31

Thats funny Jay. I guess it was never illegal here in Calif. There was a period of time for years many guys ran without a hood.

Ford Blue blood · 2021-01-21 10:08

Forgot to mention the mounts used were 63 Galaxie 289. Might be the Mustang mounts would work better without the spacers? I'll add this info to my original post....

brushwolf · 2021-01-21 12:01

Quote from: Ford Blue blood on 2021-01-20 08:23
The 351C pan has the same problem as the 351W. I used 3/8" flat stock to space the mount off the frame brackets and 1/2" flat stock to space the mount off the engine. Pan has a good solid 3/8" to 1/2" clearance now. With out the spacers the pan was sitting on the cross member and there was a small gap on either side depending on which way the engine was pushed.

Forgot, the mounts used are 63 Galaxie 289......

My 55 Crown has a 351c and whoever put it in there sure got it mounted low. Have to go see what motor mounts it has and how much oil pan clearance, but it does not get driven very hard or often anyway. This discussion makes me suspect it may be Galaxie 289 mounts as well.

I bought a pair or two of the 63 Galaxie 289 mounts, but didn't use them as they looked prone to separation. My son took a pair to use for a 5.0 engine swap into a Datsun 280zx. I have the triangular Butch's Rod Shop? adapter mounts on the 351C sitting here for my 57. I also modified those by welding a triangular plate across on one open side for strength. Only need access from one end, I think...

Have not set the motor/trans in yet to see engine height and pan clearance, or figured if the forward or rearward holes in plates that bolt to block are the better position, but need to finish up underside of body right now. I am going to Florida for a month and don't want it sitting in bare metal while I am gone cuz wood heat in back garage will be taking a break also.

brushwolf · 2021-01-21 12:11

If I didn't already have these aftermarket mounts (which I actually bought to install a 351w in a 54 Merc tudor, but sold the car after pole building collapse....), I would be inclined to try those 84-93 Mustang mounts though. They look quite sturdy and I like the descending angles of the block mount segments better than the right angle connections of these aftermarket pieces.

djfordmanjack · 2021-01-22 13:02

Oh wow, that is nice additional info ! didn't think about that before. but those appear to be the typical early Ford/streed rod donut rubber mounts that are easily available. I even have them on my 34 that Jay built in the 1980s. they are similar type of thick flame cut upper plates and those early Ford donuts. those triangular bottom brackets could also be built from scratch.

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engine/transmission for my 57 Del Rio project? Y bock or 351, AOD or C4 ?