The transaxle lowering mounts, 3800 engine mount and 88 cradle stiffener below are custom built and are available for immediate delivery. If you are interested in these products, please contact me via PM or email for further information. I have a fact sheet available for these parts that explains more about them.
The Transaxle mounts replace all of the original mount pieces and are sold in pairs for $225 per pair.
The 3800 engine mount is designed for the 84 - 87 cradle to mount on the top of the cradle so that the original mount flange can be removed and make more room for the exhaust. The engine mount sells for $125.
The cradle stiffener was made to reinforce the 88 cradles under the front transaxle mount area where these cradles tend to crack. The cradle stiffener sells for $25.
These parts were all custom designed and documented by CAD drawings. The parts are laser cut and bent using computer aided equipment, assembled in custom jigs and welded by professional certified welders.
Thanks for looking.
------------------ Bill Levin
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11:54 PM
PFF
System Bot
Mar 22nd, 2004
FastFieros Member
Posts: 2698 From: Dallas Texas USA Registered: Nov 2000
Bill glad to see you are finally in production. Your work looks great! When are the 88 lowered mounts coming out?
------------------ Red 88 GT T-Top 3800 INTERCOOLED SUPERCHARGED White 88 GT Stock Please give me a rating if you appreciate my contribution. History of Skitimes Car
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01:42 PM
87GT3800SC5SPD Member
Posts: 307 From: Gig Harbor, Washington Registered: Oct 2002
I hope to be working on an 88 engine mount this summer, but will not promise what I can't produce. I am thinking that I would want to use the same engine mount as for the early cradle, but need to build a plate to attach to the top of the cradle so that the original mount flange can be removed. I have had a motor mounted on the 88 cradle with this engine mount, but did not have the time to build a prototype mounting plate. I think there is probably greater value in removing the original mounting flange on the 88 cradle because that cradle is more narrow than the early cradles and it is more difficult to get the exhaust through there if you run headers that drop the exhaust in the original location. On my 87, the 3" exhaust is able to come almost straight back from the cat without any bend with the flange removed and doesa not hang below the cradle.
If you use the WCF engine mount and a GM transmission tail shaft poly mount, it is 1 1/4" shorter than the stock 88 engine mount and will match the amount that my transaxle mounts lower the motor. I know the measurements work, but have not actually bolted it together to see what further modifications might be needed.
These transaxle mounts will work on the 88 cradles, butr the engine mount was specifically made for the 87 cradle.
I hope all is going well in TX and PA. I hope to see you both in Topeka if you are going.
Bill
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08:09 PM
Mar 23rd, 2004
KissMySSFiero Member
Posts: 5542 From: Tarpon Springs, FL USA Registered: Nov 2000
These look very nice. I Might get some for my V8 swap if I can fab up a poly front mount for my 88. For sure I'll take the cradle reinforcement bracket. Good stuff.
These look very nice. I Might get some for my V8 swap if I can fab up a poly front mount for my 88. For sure I'll take the cradle reinforcement bracket. Good stuff.
Thanks for the response. If you decide you want the mounts or the stiffener, just PM or email your address. You can use PayPal or money order for payment. I will email the PayPal email address to you as it is different than the email listed on the forum. The freight on a stiffener is usually about $6.00 for Express Mail and you receive it in 2 days.
Bill
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09:11 PM
CC Rider Member
Posts: 2037 From: Cameron Park, Ca Registered: May 2001
Is the 88 cradle stiffener designed to be welded in? Or does it just work by distributing the load, like a big washer?
I would possibly be interested in an 88 engine mount, as well. Do you expect it to be just a bolt in? Or weld in?
Nice work!
The stiffener bolts in from the bottom using the same bolts that attach the front transaxle mount. After it is bolted in, it is designed to be welded on the bottom along the front and back of the cradle cross member. The stiffener fits around the e brake cable so that no functionality is lost after the installation.
The engine mount pictured was designed specifically for the 87 cradle so that the original engine mount flange could be removed to make more room for 3" exhaust. There are no immediate plans for an 88 engine mount, but I have had this one on an 88 cradle just to see if it would be possible. I think it could be adapted, but nothing further than that right now. A regular 3800 engine mount for an 88 cradle with the use of a GM transmission tail shaft mount will lower the front of the motor about the same as the amount that these transaxle mounts lower the motor.
Hi Bill, It's been a while, glad to see you finally got your mounts on the forum. The work looks first rate, as I know it would be. Good to see you around. Hope to see more of you. We need to get another trip going somewhere. You, CCrider, me and a few others. Like on the 20th run. That would be great. Just a little bump for you.
Bob...
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02:43 AM
PFF
System Bot
87GT3800SC5SPD Member
Posts: 307 From: Gig Harbor, Washington Registered: Oct 2002
Thanks for the reply. All we need to do is meet again in Salt Lake City and head for Topeka in June. There are a lot of great roads between here and there and we could have another great time. It would be nice to get together again.
Bill
[This message has been edited by 87GT3800SC5SPD (edited 03-25-2004).]
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06:59 PM
Mar 28th, 2004
87GT3800SC5SPD Member
Posts: 307 From: Gig Harbor, Washington Registered: Oct 2002
Bill, do you have a part number or application data for the "GM transmission tail shaft poly mount" that you refer to?
BTW: I had your stiffener welded into my cradle not only at the bottom edges but inside at top as well. Also, I found and repaired the cracks you indicated would be found on all 88 cradles at the front trans. mount location... on the top near the bolt holes. I had to sand area down like you said to find them.
Good advice and good hardware!
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11:21 AM
DKOV Member
Posts: 1564 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Mar 2001
Haven't seen you at the past few club meets and I was beginning to wonder what happened. I thought I seen you out on 164th near the house the other day but you were going the wrong direction and I couldn't tell for sure.
Give me a call or drop me a note
Scott "DKOV" Kovalik
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11:58 AM
87GT3800SC5SPD Member
Posts: 307 From: Gig Harbor, Washington Registered: Oct 2002
Thanks for the report. The part can be seen on this page http://www.suspension.com/chevy,fullsize.htm . There is a picture of the mount at about the center of the page. You can get them either zinc plated or chrome for either $21 or $44.
Bill
quote
Originally posted by fierobill:
Bill, do you have a part number or application data for the "GM transmission tail shaft poly mount" that you refer to?
BTW: I had your stiffener welded into my cradle not only at the bottom edges but inside at top as well. Also, I found and repaired the cracks you indicated would be found on all 88 cradles at the front trans. mount location... on the top near the bolt holes. I had to sand area down like you said to find them.
Good advice and good hardware!
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08:39 PM
87GT3800SC5SPD Member
Posts: 307 From: Gig Harbor, Washington Registered: Oct 2002
I wouldn't get that close to your house and not stop to see what was happening on your side of the river. Besides, my car is in my garage getting some much needed attention to get back on the road. When I'm back running, I will get up to see stuff that I have been reading about that is going on at your house. I can't believe that you finally got to the meetings and I had to miss due to being out of town. I'll have to get that fixed.
Bill
quote
Originally posted by DKOV:
Hey Bill
So this is where you've been. LOL!!!
Haven't seen you at the past few club meets and I was beginning to wonder what happened. I thought I seen you out on 164th near the house the other day but you were going the wrong direction and I couldn't tell for sure.
Give me a call or drop me a note
Scott "DKOV" Kovalik
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08:49 PM
Mar 31st, 2004
DKOV Member
Posts: 1564 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Mar 2001
Sorry, I have not done those yet. I had a discussuion about building mounts for the automatics as recently as last night, but I will not promise anything that I cannot mail out to you the next day.
These mounts were created because nothing was already available that would lower the motor and be stronger than the stock mounts mounted in poly. You can get poly that uses the stock stamped mounts and you can get stronger replacements for the stock stamped mounts, but the combination does not lower the motor, which was a requirement of mine for my conversion. The mounts turned out well, so I decided to share the results. The development of any automatic mounts will probably happen the same way, but there is no firm timeline and I would not want anyone waiting on their conversion for me to develop something from scratch.
Although they look like a few pieces of metal, it is both time consuming and expensive to develop and have quality pieces fabricated. The rewards are great, but there is always something to give up to get great things. I wanted custom mounts and gave up a lot of time and money to develop them. The intent in sharing the idea was to save others the time and money for development so that they could get their projects done quickly and start to enjoy the benefits.
Thanks for your interest.
Bill
[This message has been edited by 87GT3800SC5SPD (edited 04-09-2004).]
Sorry, I have not done those yet. I had a discussuion about building mounts for the automatics as recently as last night, but I will not promise anything that I cannot mail out to you the next day.
I can completely understand that.
quote
You can get poly that uses the stock stamped mounts and you can get stronger replacements for the stock stamped mounts, but the combination does not lower the motor, which was a requirement of mine for my conversion.
That would be a requirement for me as well. I'm assuming that an M112 and an intercooler would interfere with the stock hood at the normal height; I'd rather have the engine lower than a massive bulge in the hood.
Thanks.
[This message has been edited by Doric (edited 04-10-2004).]
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11:01 AM
Apr 12th, 2004
87GT3800SC5SPD Member
Posts: 307 From: Gig Harbor, Washington Registered: Oct 2002
Hey Bill, your mounts look great. I saw the stiffener that Carl has and was wondering if I should get one for my Formula, could give me some more info on it.
Donovan
------------------ Silver 87GT T-TOP Red 86 GT T-TOP White 85 GT Black 88 GT Red 88 GT (COMING SOON) Black 88 Formula
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02:25 AM
Apr 17th, 2004
87GT3800SC5SPD Member
Posts: 307 From: Gig Harbor, Washington Registered: Oct 2002
Hey Bill, your mounts look great. I saw the stiffener that Carl has and was wondering if I should get one for my Formula, could give me some more info on it.
Donovan
Donovan,
Of course you should get one! Not just because Carl has one, but because your cradle is likely to have a crack in it already.
There is a fact sheet in the file section of the Yahoo Group 3800V6SuperchargedFieros@yahoogroups.com or I can email one to you.
Thanks for the post.
Bill
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10:19 AM
Apr 19th, 2004
87GT3800SC5SPD Member
Posts: 307 From: Gig Harbor, Washington Registered: Oct 2002
Response to the PM has been sent. Thanks for your interest.
Amir's (Rare87GT) photos best describe the need for the cradle stiffener and mounts that are stonger than the original stamped steel, single bolt style mounts. I would agree that there seemed to be a high degree of stress put on these mounts in the last 1/2 mile of their life, but you get the idea. I only wish there was a way to save the transaxle.
Amir - Thanks for the pictures and the order for the cradle stiffener to repair your cradle. The original design was to get these things installed to prevent the damage like you have had, but if they work to repair the cradle later, I guess that's OK too. Good luck on your repair.
Hey Bill, just recieved your great product earlier Monday afternoon. Thanks for the speedy shipping. I am swapping in an 88 cradle into my 87 and want to run 3" exhaust, btw I also have the aluminum oil pan which I have seen possibly requires to be notched to accomodate that big of an exhaust size. As in Robert's swap on his page : http://www.fieroexcitement.com/esWorkCompletedNewEngineMods.aspx
I already have the WCF poly mounts but can it be possible with your engine mount and poly truck tranny mount and a built up platformed boxed spacer on top of the cradle that I can hack off the 88's platform mount and not hack my oil pan. If you think i'd be better off dropping everything down with your mounts then I'll sell off the WCF mounts, but is there a problem with stress on the axle bearings or the angles of the axles dropping the powertrain a what 1.5 inches? Also my car will be lowered 2 inches already. Overall, I really would like to run 3" piping. What do you think?
