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So, if we have a 2" or so drop in the rear, swapping to a Ford 9" from a 10/12 bolt would make getting driveline angles correct easier, is that safe to say. Just wondering if I understood that being the takeaway message in the last sentence above. I ask because I'm installing a 9 inch in a couple weeks but I haven't actually had a chance to compare it to my 10 bolt. Edit- of course as soon as I post this I came across posts on TC talking about this.
Also, somewhere in this thread there is a diagram showing the height of the trans mount vs frame attachment points for the hard top crossmember; is there something similar for the convertible one? I'd like to mock everything up at the right height and make tunnel mods now if necessary, that way when (if?) the crossmember hits the shelves putting it in the car will be easy.
Thanks
Yes, running a Ford 9" rear end on a lowered A-body will definitely make achieving optimized U-joint operating angles easier to achieved due to the fact that the pinion height on a 9" diff is 3/4" or 1" (I don't remember the exact number at the moment) lower than the pinion height of a GM 10 or 12 bolt rear end.
I'll have to get into the CAD model of the crossmember to pull any relationship dimensions and I'll see if I can get to it next week. I can't make any promises to that as the week will be busy trying to push things out before the holiday break.
As far as the crossmembers themselves are concerned, there are units now shitting on the shelf in inventory, so the last step is to get the Product Manager to send out the product release and get it listed on the website.
Right on. No rush, I won't be home until the 21st anyway. I wish he (as in the PM) would at least take 30 seconds to throw a couple up on your ebay store.
I'm debating getting the rest of the exhaust as well but I'm concerned that it might hit my rear coilovers (they are moved a bit inward from stock). Is there any amount of variability in the way the pipes are connected that would allow it to be moved inward any? I'm thinking 2.5" diameter tube instead of 3 just in case. I only have a cammed 6.2 anyway.
Mmmm...I'm not sure about the adjustability of the exhaust in that particular area, so I'll have to scan through my development photos next week to make a judgment call on that.
The 2.5" system would be unrestrictive on any combination up to about the 450HP level, so that might be something you keep in mind to assist your decision making.
All I've ever known to make it to the Holley ebay store site are discontinued, returned or blem items, so I don't think you'll catch any of the crossmembers making there way there.
Be aware that the first run of crossmembers was limited in quantity and I have no idea how much pent up demand there will be for them, so I suggest you put in an order for one as soon as they pop up on the Holley website if you want to ensure you get one from the first run.
You know I've never seen that particular store front, all I'm used to is an ebay store site we use to liquidate the type of items I mentioned previously. I could be wrong about regular run parts getting posted up there...I have my head buried in the development end of the business, so there's quite a bit of sales based things that take place that I'm clueless about.
There appears to be no rhyme or reason to what gets put there, so it's hit or miss. They have the adapter pipe but not the headers or exhaust in the size I need for example. Jegs has them at the Holley holiday sale price but the delivery estimate is next year, which is no bueno. I'd think if they drop ship from Holley though there is no way it would take 3 weeks to make it from Bowling Green to Nashville. Might just be a CYA holiday estimate
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.
Todd,
i was reading through my instructions today with the 71221006HKR forward position brackets and it states that i need install the STOCK transmission cross member for use with a 4l60/70 transmission. I initially was using the 4l80/85 transmission an have switched to a 4l75e.
1. does hooker refer to the 4l60/70 as a 4l75e? they should all use the same case dimension.
2. MORE IMPORTANTLY. do i have to use the hooker cross member with a 4l60/65/70/75e? i plan to use the 3" exhaust system and i was planning on purchasing the cross member, i guess i just wouldn't purchase it if it wasn't compatible with the 4l60/65/70/75e series transmissions. will this still line up with the holes in the frame rails?
Yes, you can use the Hooker crossmember to install a 4L60,4L70 or 4L75 transmission. It will require the use of the 12657HKR spacer block (or one you make yourself) to accommodate the elevation height of the machined 4L60-4L75 mount plane on the extension housing correctly.
Yes, you can use the Hooker crossmember to install a 4L60,4L70 or 4L75 transmission. It will require the use of the 12657HKR spacer block (or one you make yourself) to accommodate the elevation height of the machined 4L60-4L75 mount plane on the extension housing correctly.
todd,
as always, thanks for the prompt response! last thing to purchase from the swap system is the exhaust!
Any word on the boxed frame crossmember release ? With the stock crossmember I am only 2 deg. down on the motor . Will the new crossmember set a little lower ?
Could you use the thinner energy suspension trans mount to lower the end a bit? Or just cut and reweld the stock one? I gave up on waiting for the holley crossmember. I'm using the shorter mount with my modified stock crossmember now but the Gforce one works fine with the hooker headers too.
Could you use the thinner energy suspension trans mount to lower the end a bit? Or just cut and reweld the stock one? I gave up on waiting for the holley crossmember. I'm using the shorter mount with my modified stock crossmember now but the Gforce one works fine with the hooker headers too.
chuckd I have the shorter mount in there now . Even when I hook the pipes to the headers they are not square . I just might have to build my own .
I cut the mounting tab off and rewelded it back on as low as I could (since it's easy to add height with spacers/mounts). That's pretty much it. My current exhaust narrows too much too soon for the Gforce crossmember to fit, but once I redo my exhaust from the headers back I'm going to switch over to it. My factory crossmember works, but the Gforce one is unquestionably more solid.
I had been holding out for the hooker part to take the driveline angle concerns out, but since my car is lowered 2+ inches I don't know that it would work anyway. If the hooker crossmember is out by this summer I might reevaluate, but for now I'm focusing on just driving the car whenever I'm home.
Not sure. I'm not sure a specific number matters as long as the output shaft, driveshaft and pinion are all properly aligned relative to each other. The angle the motor needs to be at depends on the angles of the driveshaft and pinion more than anything else, so 3 might or might not be right in your case. At least that's my understanding. Adjustable upper and lower rear control arms are worth their weight in gold when messing with this stuff, at least in IMO. I'm not an expert however.
chuckd Thanks for the advise !! I got started yesterday morning on the modifying the stock crossmember . Cut the transmission mounting pad off and lowered it 1/2 " this gave me 2.6 deg. angle down on the motor and trans . This made sliding the the pipes onto the headers square for a better fit .
Sure, I've tested the fitment of the factory FEAD's from the truck, F-body/GTO including the A/C compressors/brackets.
I've also validated the fitment of the Holley accessory drive set-up at all three offsets (Corvette F-body and truck), which means the stock Corvette FEAD would also work. The 4th-gen accessories are a good match for the A-body, as long as you are using a rear-biased engine position and you are not trying to install a 4L60-4L70, 4L80/4L85 or T56 trans without having to cut the floor while achieving optimized U-joint working angles.
You can install a TH350, TH400 or 2004R at the rear-biased engine position without cutting the floor, the engine and transmission have to be forward-biased If you are going to install any of the modern transmissions and don't want to cut the floor. Once you move the engine/trans forward, the 4th-gen F-body FEAD is only an option if you relocate the alternator and PS pump with a kit such as the Holley system. The Holley or Corvette systems fit like a dream at either fore/aft position and the truck FEAD can be used by simply swapping out the PS pump pulley for one that is less than 6" overall diameter.
Here's a couple of pics for you that depict the clearances described...
Where can I find a less than six inch size serpentine power steering pulley for my model year 2000 LM7 truck motor PS pump? I spoke with Ryan today at Lee Power Steering and they don't carry a pulley that size for that pump but they do have the adapter hose fittings for my original Saginaw power steering gear box. I'm trying to fit that LM7 engine into a 1970 El Camino using the Holley forward bias engine mounts and the 302-2 pan but no luck so far on finding a suitable pulley - using a 4L60E transmission. And I'm too much of a cheap tight wad to buy a complete new accessory drive unless absolutely necessary.
Any help here would be greatly appreciated but I will keep looking.
12-16-2017, 05:31 PM
