<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Half-Inch Stud:
Does a front & rear engine mount plate keep the fractures away? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
A conventional Pontiac engine block isn't designed to be a structural member in the chassis of the car. The plate is to locate the engine in the car for better torque transfer by eliminating the flex in the engine mounts. The cracks in the block are caused from the internal stresses of the torque transfer through the block. If I remember correctly Pontiac's generally fail through the lifter galley and split lengthwise down the block. Think of the engine block as a brittle pop can and you grab the ends and twist it when you floor it.
Uneasyrider