solid trans mount potentially bad?

chevyboy_z28

New Member
Jan 1, 2004
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Wixom, MI
ok heres the deal, after swapping trannys i had to have a mount fabricated b/c the mounting location on the trans didnt line up with the crossmember. the custom piece came out great (solid steel) and has been doing fine the past couple days ive driven the car, but my brother in law (ASE certified in everything under the sun) seems to think that the mount will be harmful to the trans, and possibly the driveshaft/u-joints. he says that theres nothing there to absorb the torsional vibration from the engine like the stock rubber one did, and thinks a cracked bellhousing or hundereds of u-joints and twisted driveshafts are in my future if i keep this solid mount. i told him that i respected his knowledge, but if this were true then they wouldnt make poly trans mounts, b/c theyre basically the same thing (solid mount with polyurethane covering). he says if anything i should get soild motor mounts to cut down on the torsion/motor torquing side to side and maybe ill be ok. i agree that they would help, but i just replaced the motor mounts last year when i put the headers on ($120...i wanna get my moneys worth!). what do you guys think, i had a solid/poly mount on my lt1 camaro and didnt have any problems however it was an automatic if that makes any difference?
 
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Your brother in law is right. With a solid tranny mount and rubber motor mounts you can break the tailshaft housing or the bellhousing. The poly mount does have some cushioning built in for movement.
 
chevyboy_z28 said:
my brother in law (ASE certified in everything under the sun) seems to think that the mount will be harmful to the trans, and possibly the driveshaft/u-joints. he says that theres nothing there to absorb the torsional vibration from the engine like the stock rubber one did, and thinks a cracked bellhousing or hundereds of u-joints and twisted driveshafts are in my future if i keep this solid mount.

He is 100% right.


The thing is poly mounts is you are supposed to replace all three together. That way vibration is limited, but not eliminated all together. Some guys do all three mounts solid, but i wouldn' recommend that on a street car.

But a soild trans mount with factory engine mounts puts a lot of stress on the bellhousing and tailhousing.

PS. I am a Mech. Engineer if that helps give what i say any weight.