Trans. crossmember problems

[dan2286]

I am trying to put a factory crossmember for a 350 trans in my Cutlass and it is not fitting right at all. I can get it bolted in and the mount lines up fine, but I can only get one bolt on each side to go in. At first I thought I had the wrong crossmember, but I took it back to the guy I got it from and we tried it on a g body frame he had and it fit perfect. The mounting points on the frame for the crossmember are different on my car than the one we tried it on. Mine is an 84 and it has the mounting points for a 200/350 trans and the 200-4R trans. The one we tried it on was from a Monte SS and did not have the mounting points for a 200-4R if it matters. One thing I noticed is that the frame for the Monte had more mounting holes than mine has. I also believe the actual mounts on the frame are completely different than mine. Not sure in what way, I didn't get any measurements or pictures of his frame.

Here are some pics. They were all taken from the passenger side of the car.

I can get the mount bolted up with the crossmember sitting like this.

Kinda hard to see, but the bolt hole towards the front of the car is not even over the crossmember mount.

This is on the passenger side. You can see that one hole lines up.

From the passenger side again. The other hole does not line up.

My question is, was there any different set ups for the crossmember mounting locations? Did they use a specific crossmember and that is why mine is not fitting right, or is it supposed to just use one bolt on each side?

 

[gpguy]

Maybe its a 700r4 crossmember? I dont know if there is a difference? I have a stock crossmember I know it fits 350 trans. Im just west of cleveland you can have it if you want it. pm me if interested

 

[DrRansom442]

factory 700 crossmember huh? What did those come in?

 

[dan2286]

Maybe its a 700r4 crossmember? I dont know if there is a difference? I have a stock crossmember I know it fits 350 trans. Im just west of cleveland you can have it if you want it. pm me if interested

I am 99% positive it is the right crossmember because it fits fine on a different frame in the 350 trans location.

 

[anakputa]

Maybe the car was wrecked? If the transmission is in the right place. Install the mount on the trans and bolt it to the cross member. This is the trans is "square or aligned" properly, then you can persuade it to line up with the frame hole or make your own hole in the cross member. If everything is aligned.

 

[smoknum]

http://www.crossmembers.com/BODY.htm

 

[gpguy]

was this car a 8 cyl swap? Motor mounts on frame could be in wrong spot???

 

[DrRansom442]

wouldn't explain why the holes not lining up right. That Xmember isn't even close to laying right in the frame. Can someone take a measure of the passanger side mount holes ... maybe it's an illusion but they look too far back to me. Car is an 86 but the frame doesn't have the 200-4r extension running down the driver's side (sort of a moot point since he has the th350)

 

[dan2286]

http://www.crossmembers.com/BODY.htm

If a stock crossmember doesn't fit, why would this? Besides, this trans is not permanent, so I am not gonna waste a bunch of money on one. I already have a g force crossmember for the 200-4R I will eventually use.

 

[dan2286]

wouldn't explain why the holes not lining up right. That Xmember isn't even close to laying right in the frame. Can someone take a measure of the passanger side mount holes ... maybe it's an illusion but they look too far back to me. Car is an 86 but the frame doesn't have the 200-4r extension running down the driver's side (sort of a moot point since he has the th350)

This car is an 84. It has tons of 86 parts on it, but not the frame. This car does have the mounting location for the 200-4R, it is a separate part from the 350 location. Just can't see it in the pics.