[jlm69]

Hi All,

I might be making a bigger deal of this than what it is, but I was thinking about when it I comes time for the installation and removal of my engine & trans, both as a whole unit or separately. As you can see from the photos, I planned ahead so that I can bolt the mid-plate to the engine and then install the engine with mid plate using a dowel that I welded into place as an index to locate and hold the back of the engine where it needs to be while the front plate gets bolted in.

So, after that, comes bolting in the trans using the dowel pins at the rear of the block to locate the trans correctly and bolt it to the rear of the mid-plate.

So, here's where I might be overthinking this and making a bigger deal than I should.

If I want to remove just the engine later on for maintenance, but want to keep the trans in place without spending a lot of time disconnecting the shifter, cables, cooling lines, driveshaft and dropping the trans, how do I keep the trans in place without touching all this other than supporting the bottom of the trans either by a jack or straps? I know the trans support will hold up the rear portion, but what about the heavier front section?

I would think when it comes time to remove just the trans, I can leave the engine in place using the rear block dowel pins with the mid-plate bolted to the chassis.

Looking for options and Photos if you guys have any you want to share.

Thanks

[Tom Vaught]

People have used mid-plates for many years.
Gale Banks was running a Mid-Plate in his Trans Am Bonneville Racer at least 20 years ago.

He had quite a bit of engine "set-back" and used a fabricated Steel "Wheel-Barrow" to
make the revised firewall/ "secondary scatter-shield".

Nice work there.

Tom V.

[GTOGEORGE]

Originally Posted by jlm69

Hi All,

I might be making a bigger deal of this than what it is, but I was thinking about when it I comes time for the installation and removal of my engine & trans, both as a whole unit or separately. As you can see from the photos, I planned ahead so that I can bolt the mid-plate to the engine and then install the engine with mid plate using a dowel that I welded into place as an index to locate and hold the back of the engine where it needs to be while the front plate gets bolted in.

So, after that, comes bolting in the trans using the dowel pins at the rear of the block to locate the trans correctly and bolt it to the rear of the mid-plate.

So, here's where I might be overthinking this and making a bigger deal than I should.

If I want to remove just the engine later on for maintenance, but want to keep the trans in place without spending a lot of time disconnecting the shifter, cables, cooling lines, driveshaft and dropping the trans, how do I keep the trans in place without touching all this other than supporting the bottom of the trans either by a jack or straps? I know the trans support will hold up the rear portion, but what about the heavier front section?

I would think when it comes time to remove just the trans, I can leave the engine in place using the rear block dowel pins with the mid-plate bolted to the chassis.

Looking for options and Photos if you guys have any you want to share.

Thanks

I just pulled my engine out a few weeks ago, the trans will drop a little. You’ll need to install a couple of bolts through the MP into the trans or trans into the MP to keep it in place so the trans doesn’t drop too much, kinda of a pain. When yanking the trans out it’s pretty simple just yank! Be careful not to let the trans get too much of a angle…..you don’t want to crack the holes that the pins in the engine go to!


GTO George

[67Fbird]

^^^^ as stated ...what type of tranny bellhousing? clutch or slushbox? Scattershield will have a dozen "extra" bolt holes you could simply tap 2 holes in the MP for "tranny ONLY" support. If it's a BOP slushbox well.....that gets a little more creative like maybe drill out 1 of the top mounting holes in the case to 15/32 and tap the MP for a 7/16 bolt? allowing you to remove the 3/8 engine attachment bolt then insatall a 7/16 bolt thru the tranny....pull the engine leave the tranny'

[bluegoat65]

When pulling my motor with mid plate, I put jack under tranny pan to hold it up, then pull motor. Once motor out the way, I put two bolts thru mid plate and bell housing and hand tighten a nut on the end so it don t come out. let jack down and done. Reverse procedure to put motor back in. Hope this helped.

[jlm69]

Sorry I wasn't more specific with parts....

PowerGlide with Reid case