Bellhousing Breakage - Page 2

Jim Kaekel · 08-07-2012, 12:10 PM

Jody: I have stock rubber mounts on the motor and trans. I place a pair of jackstands on the front frame rails and a pair under the rear axle when I jack it up to change trans., etc. It has an H&R Parts 'n' Stuff anti-roll bar in the rear which stiffened up the car quite a bit. For example, if you jack up the left front under the lower control arm, a little bit after the left front wheel is off the ground, the right front comes off shortly after. Prior to the installation of the anti-roll bar, the left front, for example, would have to be way off the ground before the right front tire would raise off the ground, so the anti-roll bar definitely stiffened up the chassis. PS- Tell Toby I said "Hi"

dennis dunlap · 08-07-2012, 02:38 PM

Jim ,We had tranny case problems when we brought out the chevelle travis races,broke one on the chassis dyno, got to asking around and another racer with a similer combination suggested leaving the bolts on the cross member with a little bit of movement room between the cross member and tranny mount .... worked for us !! Kenny shawver makes a neat brace for the turbo 350 also . Dennis Rocketworks racecars

glen myers · 08-07-2012, 09:03 PM

Buy Shawver's brace it solved my problems after 3 broken cases in the 71 455 lo compression F/SA car after going from TH400 to TH350

BillK · 08-07-2012, 09:32 PM

Jim,

When I first built by 67 Camaro bracket car many years ago, I had the same problem with the TH400 behind a fairly decent small block. First time I just wrote it off as a fluke, second time six months later, my trans builder said "the drive shaft is out of balance" I could not feel any vibration going down track, small block turning around 7k rpm but . . I had a new shaft built and never had the problem again.

Might be at least worth checking.

Jim Kaekel · 08-08-2012, 07:50 AM

Thank you very much for the responses. I'm installing a brace on it.

Monte Howard · 08-08-2012, 05:21 PM

Jim, I had rubber motor mounts and rubber trans mount and a turn buckle on the pass. Side of motor for years no problems. Moved the turn buckle (engine brace) to the driver side and broke two cases. Removed the rubber motor mounts and put solid mounts on the engine, left the rubber trans mount and put the turn buckle back on the pass side and problem solved.

For some reason I think the problem was when I moved my turn buckle to the driver side.

08-07-2012, 12:10 PM	#11
Jim Kaekel VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,222 Likes: 134 Liked 498 Times in 104 Posts	Re: Bellhousing Breakage Jody: I have stock rubber mounts on the motor and trans. I place a pair of jackstands on the front frame rails and a pair under the rear axle when I jack it up to change trans., etc. It has an H&R Parts 'n' Stuff anti-roll bar in the rear which stiffened up the car quite a bit. For example, if you jack up the left front under the lower control arm, a little bit after the left front wheel is off the ground, the right front comes off shortly after. Prior to the installation of the anti-roll bar, the left front, for example, would have to be way off the ground before the right front tire would raise off the ground, so the anti-roll bar definitely stiffened up the chassis. PS- Tell Toby I said "Hi" __________________ Jim Kaekel 3836 STK

08-07-2012, 02:38 PM	#12
dennis dunlap Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 221 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Bellhousing Breakage Jim ,We had tranny case problems when we brought out the chevelle travis races,broke one on the chassis dyno, got to asking around and another racer with a similer combination suggested leaving the bolts on the cross member with a little bit of movement room between the cross member and tranny mount .... worked for us !! Kenny shawver makes a neat brace for the turbo 350 also . Dennis Rocketworks racecars

08-07-2012, 09:03 PM	#13
glen myers Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: GAINESVILLE,VA Posts: 81 Likes: 0 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Bellhousing Breakage Buy Shawver's brace it solved my problems after 3 broken cases in the 71 455 lo compression F/SA car after going from TH400 to TH350

08-07-2012, 09:32 PM	#14
BillK Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Waldorf Md Posts: 222 Likes: 10 Liked 26 Times in 15 Posts	Re: Bellhousing Breakage Jim, When I first built by 67 Camaro bracket car many years ago, I had the same problem with the TH400 behind a fairly decent small block. First time I just wrote it off as a fluke, second time six months later, my trans builder said "the drive shaft is out of balance" I could not feel any vibration going down track, small block turning around 7k rpm but . . I had a new shaft built and never had the problem again. Might be at least worth checking. __________________ Bill Koustenis

08-08-2012, 07:50 AM	#15
Jim Kaekel VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,222 Likes: 134 Liked 498 Times in 104 Posts	Re: Bellhousing Breakage Thank you very much for the responses. I'm installing a brace on it. __________________ Jim Kaekel 3836 STK

08-08-2012, 05:21 PM	#16
Monte Howard Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Potomac,IL Posts: 268 Likes: 1 Liked 48 Times in 14 Posts	Re: Bellhousing Breakage Jim, I had rubber motor mounts and rubber trans mount and a turn buckle on the pass. Side of motor for years no problems. Moved the turn buckle (engine brace) to the driver side and broke two cases. Removed the rubber motor mounts and put solid mounts on the engine, left the rubber trans mount and put the turn buckle back on the pass side and problem solved. For some reason I think the problem was when I moved my turn buckle to the driver side. __________________ Monte Howard 3209 STK, 3208 SS