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Got mine yesterday also. Now I need to decide if I want to save these for my 70 Chevelle 5.3 swap or go ahead and do a swap on th 71 Chevelle wagon I recently bought (got a 4.8 combo sitting in the shop I might put in it).
So does that G-force cross member sit on top of the frame, and is it removable? I have a tubular cross member from ABC performance that uses weld in tabs between the boxed frame rails, and am waiting on the stock location mounts to see if it will work with them.
I completed the design phase of the Hooker A-body transmission crossmember today and so am posting a celebratory CAD image of the model here for you guys to get a look at it. The drawings will take a few days to finish and then the production phase will begin...I'm anticipating it will be 45-50 days before we see production units on the shelf.
I completed the design phase of the Hooker A-body transmission crossmember today and so am posting a celebratory CAD image of the model here for you guys to get a look at it. The drawings will take a few days to finish and then the production phase will begin...I'm anticipating it will be 45-50 days before we see production units on the shelf.
Will it fit the TkO 500/600 as well into a chevelle?
I don't have a TKO in my collection of trans cases as I've never been instructed to provide compatibility for them in any swap application we've done thus far.
Because the rear mount location on the TKO is about 1.25" further forward than the mount on a 4L60, this crossmember would have to slide too far forward to be compatible with the Hooker A-body exhaust systems and the holes in the crossmember feet would not line up with the factory holes in the frame.
With that said, if someone was to be using a different exhaust system and was willing to drill new holes in the frame, they could use this crossmember to install a TKO trans by merely making their own center pad spacer to go between the trans mount and the crossmember...the spacer height would be around 1.25".
I ordered the stock location or rear mounts any Idea when they will be in stock, and by stock location is that stock for the Pontiac or Chevrolet, my understanding is the stock location for Pontiac was the on the back side of the cross member and the Chevrolet was towards the front.
I ordered the stock location or rear mounts any Idea when they will be in stock, and by stock location is that stock for the Pontiac or Chevrolet, my understanding is the stock location for Pontiac was the on the back side of the cross member and the Chevrolet was towards the front.
The description means the stock location of the Chevy eng/trans mating plane. If you plan on using a stock trans crossmember, the only one that was validated for compatibility was the tubular style Chevelle crossmember; the geometry of the stamped crossmember used in the other A-bodies was unsuitable for inclusion. Those brackets should be hitting the shelf any day now.
Last edited by user 4737373; 02-09-2016 at 10:24 AM.
I ordered the stock location or rear mounts any Idea when they will be in stock, and by stock location is that stock for the Pontiac or Chevrolet, my understanding is the stock location for Pontiac was the on the back side of the cross member and the Chevrolet was towards the front.
The difference between the Pontiac (or any other a-body clones) and the Chevrolet mounts is mostly irrelevant. All of the clones had the bell housing mounting surfaces of the block in the same location. The difference between the location of the frame stands is due to the difference in where the engine mounts attached to the respective engines. The 68-72 a-bodies have holes for all the possible frame stands already drilled in the front crossmember.
Will these headers be offered in anything besides Stainless ? Hoping for a budget friendly set in mild steel , maybe ?
I don't believe so. The swap headers are part of the Blackheart line and I believe they are made in Bowling Green, KY and are only offered in stainless.
This update is for you oldstv...if you use the forward position engine brackets, you can bolt a 4L80 into the car at the same optimized inclination angle as any other transmission the Hooker components will support and you can use the stock crossmember as well as long as you use the crossmember spacers included with the Hooker engine bracket kit. Although you won't have to cut the floor open, you will need to have new body bushings installed in your car and you will probably have to dimple the floor slightly for clearance around the rear output speed sensor and the return cooler line fitting, unless you are using an early case 4L80 that has both cooler lines up front. This position also allows you to install the crossmember without having to partially pull the engine as others have had to do when using 1" set-back swap plates...it went right in like butter.
Why the change to now requiring a new cross member for the 4l80e ?
Originally Posted by Toddoky
Actually, you will see some mild steel versions of these headers become available near the beginning of the summer.
Great news !! Thanks .. ill hold off on buying headers as long as possible ,although the SS are a beautiful set I'm currently maxed out on my budget and just weighing my options now ..
I want to thank you for all your doing in the world of LS swaps , being out in the open and sharing all the knowledge is greatly appreciated ..
Why the change to now requiring a new cross member for the 4l80e ?
Great news !! Thanks .. ill hold off on buying headers as long as possible ,although the SS are a beautiful set I'm currently maxed out on my budget and just weighing my options now ..
I want to thank you for all your doing in the world of LS swaps , being out in the open and sharing all the knowledge is greatly appreciated ..
Nothing has changed regarding fitment of the 4L80, you can install one using the stock crossmember if you wish, but installation and future removal of the trans will be a pain in the a$$ since you cannot get the stock crossmember in or out of the frame with the engine in place on its mounts. I'm happy to share all the detailed information behind the design of the Hooker LS swap systems.
any idea when the next batch of headers or mounts are due in? i can say for sure that putting the crossmember in with the engine trans in is not so fun with a t56.
any idea when the next batch of headers or mounts are due in? i can say for sure that putting the crossmember in with the engine trans in is not so fun with a t56.
I can't say for certain as I don't monitor or have access to the production schedule. I can ask some questions tomorrow and see if I can find out anything conclusive. Yes, trans installation for the T56 and 4L80/4L85 sucks using the stock crossmember...the Hooker crossmember has a detachable foot on the passenger side, which enables it to install/remove easily.
I'm in the final stages of the 68-72 A-body LS swap application component development and spent last week prototyping a El Camino/wagon specific exhaust system and thought I'd share a couple photos of that here to get it added to this thread so I can answer any questions about it. There will be 2.5" and 3" versions of the system offered and both will be compatible with the Hotchkis, Hellwig and DSE sway bars. The 3" system will connect directly to the Hooker LS swap long-tube headers and the 2.5" version will require the use of available adapter tubes to make the hook-up.
01-29-2016, 12:21 PM
