430 Front Motor Mount Install Question

[bcomo]

Has anyone replaced the front mounts in the 430 while the engine is in the car? I'd like to replace mine with the new repro mounts from Bird Nest.

The Shop Manual makes it sound easy by raising the engine 1" and then swaping the rubber.

WHO ARE THEY KIDDING!!! The stud alone is 1 1/2" long to just get it to the base of the rubber. Then the rubber mount is about 2" thick to clear that. So, that means jacking the engine about 3 1/2" to 4".

If you look at the exhaust header on the driver side, you'll see that it's only 1 1/2" from hitting the driver floor board. That must mean that you would have to drop the headers at the manifold.

Am I off base here? Has ANYONE done this in the car?

[Hawkrod]

I have not done it in the car on a 430 but I will point out that you are mistaken about the disance required. First off, the thickness of the mount itself is not an issue as it is already above the frame so you do not need to lift the engine any higher to get that out. The only lifting you need to do is to get the stud clear and because it goes through the frame at an angle you are not pulling it straight out. I pull a lot of specialty mounts and brackets at the local self serve auto wreckers and the trick is to get just enough height to unbolt the mount and then tip the stud out of the slot. Almost anything will come out with an inch or so of lift. I do a lot of 73-79 460 pickups and they are a bugger because the bellhousing hits the firewall at about an inch. Those don't have a stud but wrap around the mount and sit in a cup on the block (the mount and cup are what I sell) but even on those an inch will usually do it. Hawkrod

[bcomo]

Hawkrod:

Thanks for coming to my rescue on this.

I thought that the mounting stud was stationary. Then you are saying that I can move the stud itself upward after the bottom nut is removed?

Then, once the nut is removed, I can push the stud up and tilt it, along with the rubber mount, outward. The stud will remain, and the mount will slide out off of it. Is that correct?

If I can get that clearance in the mount before the left side exhaust header hits the floorboard, then I don't think that I'll have to disconnect the headers.

[tbird430]

You are taking pics for us right?

[bcomo]

OK, if I can get to do this before winter.

I thought that you were on your Honeymoon?

[Hawkrod]

The stud is not separate but once you unbolt the mount from the block and from the frame it will "wiggle" around quite a bit and you can tip it to slide the stud out of the slot. Hawkrod

[bcomo]

I understand about being able to wiggle the bolt.

But I'm confused about one last thing.

The manual only says to remove the nut from the stud and then raise the engine. Are there any other bolts from the metal brackets that have to be removed or lossened?

Thanks

[tbird430]

Honeymoon will be taken at a later date....

[bcomo]

I ordered the motor mounts today, and should have them in a week. I've crawled under the car many times, and I don't have a warm feeling about getting that engine high enough to get the mounts out easily.

My situation is that I have A/C, and the bell housing is only about 2" from the A/C shroud before it hits the shroud. I went through that when I changed the starter.

The other item, for all 430's is that the head pipe is very close to the tranny filler pipe on the passenger side, AND very close to the tunnel on the driver side. When I did my starter, I had to remove the head pipes form the manifold on both sides. I think that I'm looking at the same thing -- hope not.

I've called around and still can't find anyone who's changed 430 front mounts "in the car".