Breaking bell housings

[jbt352]

Thanks for all the ideas.
I like the idea of going back to the factory front mounts,considering the power level we are talking.

[Signman]

Great thread!
The reasoning for not using solid engine mounts to avoid this problem may be a good bandaid for the real problem: Chassis Flex.

When building my cars spent a lot of time making the floor pan stiff welding all seams top and bottom with the car level then locating roll bar mounts with chassis stiffness the intent within the rules. A lot of hard dirty work but makes stock chassis cars stiff and lets the suspension work.
Rubber body mounts on A and G bodies replaced with solid steel or aluminum helps a lot.
Even though this is a 13 second car doesn't mean there is no flex. Get rid of it and pick up some ET.

Good Luck!

[HandOverFist]

Been running street/bracket cars for years with solid motor mounts and rubber trans mounts at various power levels...never cracked a housing yet. We must just be lucky.

[Ed Wright]

About the solid side motor mounts:
If you run a production block (Bow Tie blocks didn't exist when I was showed this.)
Bare block, with something soft below the test cylinder, put an inside mic in the cylinder above the soft pad, front-to-rear, up top, barely tight enough to stay in place. A healthy guy with hand above & below the mic, press hard & fast together and watch the mic fall to the pad. The old guy-machinist that showed me this about 50 years ago was no body builder either.
Think about your ring seal during launch in the cylinders next to those solid motor mounts. I would use a torque strap with stock mounts myself.

[MAURICE BLENDHEIM]

jbt352… Mount the body solid to chassis by welding flat bar between frame and body mount reinforcement pads (helps reduce chassis flex). Check to see if your rear upper and lower control arm bushings are in good shape, worn bushings can change pinion angle on acceleration. I'd add a aluminum convertor cover off a mid 80's GM 4x4 to act as a case girdle in the bell housing area. You have lots of positive feedback from your post. Good Luck…Maurice.

[Dave Gantz]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

About the solid side motor mounts:
If you run a production block (Bow Tie blocks didn't exist when I was showed this.)
Bare block, with something soft below the test cylinder, put an inside mic in the cylinder above the soft pad, front-to-rear, up top, barely tight enough to stay in place. A healthy guy with hand above & below the mic, press hard & fast together and watch the mic fall to the pad. The old guy-machinist that showed me this about 50 years ago was no body builder either.
Think about your ring seal during launch in the cylinders next to those solid motor mounts. I would use a torque strap with stock mounts myself.

I remember reading years ago that Bob Glidden built engines on the floor so that the cylinder walls would'nt distort. That made me think some, and that usually hurts!