[77birdman]

On my 77 Bird, on the drivers side one of the header pipes hits the lower A-frame when stepping on the gas. I bent the pipe a little but still sometime contact occurs. The way I look at it I have two choices, chain the motor on the left so it wont lift, or put some shims under the motor mount.
Any comments on this?

[gtofreek]

I chained my engine down from the drivers side head to the stud for the upper control arm bushings. I did it to stop crushing air cleaners.

[b-man]

Chain it down.

Believe it or not, this a fix recommended by GM to their dealer mechanics as a fix to this problem (chronic broken motor mounts) on their cars back in the day.

[BVR421]

I forget what year it was, 1967 ?, the fix Bart mentioned was a GM supplied dealer retrofit kit which was a 1/4" steel cable installed like the chain in the pic. It was for 396 Chevelles IIRC.
A solid motor mount on the drivers side will get the job done as well.

[77birdman]

Thank you................chains it is

[Sirrotica]

In the past on dirt track cars I have used a turn buckle with locknuts that way you can tighten it and lock it where you want it. The car ripped new mounts off in a week or two and I didn't want solid mounts. I just went to a good hardware store and found what I needed and welded a bolt to the frame and attached the other end to a head bolt with the ground stud. I used that setup for 3 years and it worked flawlessly.

[HWYSTR455]

The cable is easier to work with than a chain, fyi...

[77birdman]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

The cable is easier to work with than a chain, fyi...

There is more adjustments to be had with a cable, however it is a lot easier to put a bolt thru a chain then securing a cable. First I will attach a chain to the block then see where the link winds up on the frame at the other end, drill a hole and its done. I am not looking to chain down the engine, just want to limit the upward movement of the driver's side.

[Sirrotica]

And a turn buckle is easier yet, set it and forget it. I think it looks more professional and is a cleaner looking install than chains or cables. But it's your car, do what suits you best.

[77birdman]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

And a turn buckle is easier yet, set it and forget it. I think it looks more professional and is a cleaner looking install than chains or cables. But it's your car, do what suits you best.

How does it work, what does it look like? Is there a website where I can look?

[Sirrotica]

I can't give you a website or picture because I've never seen anyone else besides myself use this setup. I came up with it because I didn't want to use a chain to limit engine movement. The car was junked long ago so I can't take a picture of it. http://www.doityourself.com/invt/u606137 , This is the style turnbuckle I used, the one pictured is 1/4 ", I used a 3/8 " X 6" long. I used a studded head bolt in the center of the head, the same ones that the factory uses to attach the battery cable to. I put a flat washer and a lock nut on the stud to secure one end to. The other end I welded a 3/8 " bolt to the frame rail and dropped the other end over the bolt and used same washer and lock nut. The turnbuckle is at a 45 angle from the engine and goes straight over to the frame rail. Just adjust the tension and your done. I imagine you could also attach it to the front of the head surface if you don't want to change the head bolt. In a 2nd Gen firebird you might have to use a different anchor location on the engine as the engine in a 69 GP sits quite far back in the chassis. You might have to attach it to the front of the head or the left front head bolt. Hopefully I have described it well enough that you can fabricate it if you so decide to. I used this setup to supplement the weak design motor mounts that are used in the 69 GP chassis. They broke frequently in my dirt track race car and I started using the turnbuckle and raced the car for 3 years with zero motor mount problems after fabricating this setup. I would use this setup again if I ever have a car that I don't want solid mounts and has a need to limit the engine movement. It worked well for me and I think it has a better appearance than cables or chains, plus it's easily adjustable, and I thought I would pass the information along. Also the turnbuckle is fairly inexpensive even buying 2 locknuts and flatwashers and a good quality 3/8" bolt to weld to the frame, you'd probably have change left from a ten dollar bill. I'd be glad to answer any questions if I haven't given you enough info here.

Brad

[77birdman]

That was a great explanation and the picture explained everything. I don't weld, I guess I can drill a hole in the frame and use a #5 grade bolt on both ends.



How about a tshirt which says this bird ain't no chicken?

[Sirrotica]

Birdman, you could use the hook to eye style (shown here: http://www.doityourself.com/invt/0562884) turnbuckle and just drill a hole in the frame rail and run the end of the hook through the hole if you don't weld. No need to even use the bolt with the hook end on the frame side. I saw you had weld on frame connectors and I thought you had access to a welder.

The Firebird shirt you asked about is shown below, besides black, it is also offered in white and gray. Just PM me if you'd like to order one. Here's the link to the Garage Sale section where I have an my ad posted, tells prices and all the other things you might need to know to order.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=577362

Here's the front of the shirt:



Here's the back of the shirt: