1995 Mustang Super Stocker

[pmrphil]

Originally Posted by SBillinson

I'm not sure where CE is sourcing their material these days. I bent the hell out my mid plate after about 10 runs. They're 0.90" thick I believe. I ended up having to weld two of them together and rosette weld all over the place to get them rigid enough.

Rotational or forward/aft bending? Anything that leaves hard should have travel limiters that keep engine/transmission from moving in any direction.

[Kirk Morgan]

I was thinking about leaving the transmission cross member in to control the forward and rear movement of the engine. I have seen some cars with a strut mounted to the motor plate also.

[Hacksaw]

Add an engine limiter. You can't rely on the crossmember to control the movement.

[SBillinson]

Originally Posted by pmrphil

Rotational or forward/aft bending? Anything that leaves hard should have travel limiters that keep engine/transmission from moving in any direction.

Thanks Phil. I have 1" chromoly tube limiters with rod ends on both sides of the engine.

Here are photos of the bends.

[SBillinson]

Originally Posted by Kirk Morgan

I was thinking about leaving the transmission cross member in to control the forward and rear movement of the engine. I have seen some cars with a strut mounted to the motor plate also.

I can't speak for others, but I've always used motor plates and limiters, and a stock replacement transmission mount. The last thing I want is to break a transmission tail shaft housing and spray transmission fluid under my tires.

The stock mounts are forgiving, whereas tail shaft housings can and do break under heavy load especially when mounted solid to the crossmember.

[SSDiv6]

When I built my former 1994 Mustang Comp Super Modified car, I used the centered engine and mid-plate. As Steve said, not only for header clearance but also because the torsional loads have an effect on the suspension settings and adjustment when the engine is not centered.
For a transmission mount, I used a Polyurethane mount.

[1347]

Originally Posted by SBillinson

I'm not sure where CE is sourcing their material these days. I bent the hell out my mid plate after about 10 runs. They're 0.90" thick I believe. I ended up having to weld two of them together and rosette weld all over the place to get them rigid enough.

I decided to make a one midplate that incorporates the factory plate which serves as a locator for the starter, and the midplate You were right, it wasn't .060, its .090, I use a 5/8 chromoly tube limiter and after almost 200 runs, nothing has bent. I still use the trans mount also,

[Kirk Morgan]

So the tubing you used as a limiter where did you place them? Thanks for the advice as what to do.

[1347]

[QUOTE=Kirk Morgan;675238]So the tubing you used as a limiter where did you place them? Thanks for the advice as what to do.

I made a bracket that bolts to the original passenger side motor mount bolt holes in the block. The tubing attaches to that with a heim joint, and the other end attaches to the crossmember my strut rods attach to.

[pmrphil]

Originally Posted by SBillinson

Thanks Phil. I have 1" chromoly tube limiters with rod ends on both sides of the engine.

Here are photos of the bends.

Somehow, it's allowing the engine/trans to still move. Had a dragster once that would bend the plate with only 2 inches between the block and side rail - the limiters were on the frame rail which would move on launch. Moved the limiters to a tubing junction and the movement went away. Can't allow movement if it's placed correctly. Chassis twist, or flex, may be doing it. That's kinda ugly.