1955 through 1957 Chevrolet Cars
Except Convertibles
These cars came from the factory with a
bell housing mounting system at the rear of the engine and biscuit insulated
rods supporting the front of the engine. These early engines didn't have
the bolt bosses cast into the sides of the block where modern style
rubber engine mounts are attached. The electric starter motor was mounted
to a transmission mounting adapter plate positioned between the engine
and the transmission. Without this adapter plate bolted to the rear
of the engine there was no place to mount the starter motor! Later engines
had the bottom passenger side rear of the engine block drilled and tapped
for vertical starter bolts. These bolts allowed the starter to be mounted
directly to the engine block without the need for an adapter plate and
allowed the adapter plate to be removed and other model transmissions
to bolt direct to the rear of the engine without the use of any adapter.
This engine/transmission mounting system was very difficult to work
on and made the installation of more modern engines and transmissions
a real pain!
The original bell housing mounting brackets
were supported by two support members that projected inward from the
cars main frame rails. These supports make routing modern headers and
large diameter exhaust systems very difficult. Since the bottom of the
supports are almost even with the bottom of the frame rails and the
exhaust had to route under them. Modern large diameter exhaust pipes
are exposed to damage whenever traveling over objects such as speed
bumps.
Removing the bell housing support members
from the frame rails opens up the area between the transmission and
the frame rails. With this arrangement, modern exhaust can be routed
directly through the area the bell housing support occupied. This higher
exhaust tube routing, positions the exhaust tubing above the bottom
of the frame rails. The frame rails now protect the exhaust, tubing them
from impact damage. Removing the bell housing supports from the frame
rails, also makes hooking up shifter linkage much easier, since this linkage
can make an unobstructed path down to the transmission shifter shaft.
If you are going to mount a new style (with
side engine mount bosses cast into the block) we strongly recommend
using our modern engine and transmission mounting system. The side mount
adapter kit is very easy to install. Simply position them to determine
which front cross member rivets to drill out, bolt them in place, mark
the frame where the new bottom attachment bolts need to be drilled.
Once drilled you just bolt them in place!
