440 mounted with a motor plate in a 67-69 Dart

[Arco440]

I mounted mine and my only issue was getting the spacer made for the crank pulley.
I did have to trim motor place on left side for the alt,but other than that very happy with it.72 duster with 440 in body headers and auto 727.

 

[Purple Haze]

Not picking a fight, but what exactly are the problems? I have plated the last 2, and won't even consider any other option. If I had to run A/C, maybe I would have to do something else, maybe not, never tried it. I love the simplicity, ease of installment, and strength. I've never busted a motor plate, but I've ripped up plenty of stock mounts. I like the look too.

I have never run one but have heard of problems with alternators, and other components, not to mention the vibration. If you run a Milodon gear drive which has its own cover (1/4" thick ) and then add plate thickness and a electric wp may have problems with fan and radiator. I would agree with you on the mounts but not the through bolt one's used with the DC K. I run a DC K with through bolts and a torque strap, best way IMO.

 

[DrCharles]

Does anyone make a water pump stud kit for use with a plate/ears? The P.O. of my Dart used a combo of bolts and allthread.

Sorry I'm out of the country right now so I can't look for you, but I bought standard length studs directly from McMaster-Carr... I think five were the same length and one is an inch longer (the lower driver's side). It'll be pretty cheap if you get them from McMaster.

-Charles

 

[BEEQUIK]

If using a motor plate do you need to use a mid plate? What happens if you don't?

 

[DrCharles]

Well, there has to be some "give" somewhere or you'll break things when the chassis flexes... front plate can be mounted rigidly to the frame, although that will pass a lot of vibration, but use a standard rubber or poly transmission mount.
I never used a midplate, so I can't comment on that.

 

[bOb shingler]

you can find studs at you friendly neighborhood hardware store in the specialty draws.
you don't have to use a midplate with a motor plate. nothing happend if you don't.
if you use a solid trans mount the trans tailshaft will brake sooner or later.

 

[godfatherofchry]

you can find studs at you friendly neighborhood hardware store in the specialty draws.
You don't have to use a midplate with a motor plate. Nothing happend if you don't.
If you use a solid trans mount the trans tailshaft will brake sooner or later.

x2,...........been there dun that.......

 

[DR HEMI]

You are not damping or insulating anything from vibration here.

The insulators need to be under the weight of the (engine) plate.

I would NEVER use a motor plate on a street driven car unless the driving
only consisted of finding a race and then carrying it out.

Please try resizing your photos before posting them. That's why the text
is running off of the (previous) page.

Try Photo Magic Resize 1.1 (Freeware). I have used it for years - works great.

http://www.soft32.com/windows/photo...ree-download?gclid=CJmJnInckrECFSMCQAodQwzndg

 

[BBBCUDA]

You are not damping or insulating anything from vibration here.

The insulators need to be under the weight of the (engine) plate.

I would NEVER use a motor plate on a street driven car unless the driving
only consisted of finding a race and then carrying it out.

***********************************************************

I never understood the aversion to a motor plate. Almost every incident of someone I have run into that hates them, has never used one, or even ridden in one for any length of time. The whole vibration issue is greatly exaggerated, you might feel a LITTLE more vibration at idle, as soon as the revs come up, it is gone. Motor plates are just different than the norm, and some people can't accept that.

I drove one, a 383/727 in a '72 Valiant as a daily driver for 4 years, over 80,000 miles. I live in Vt. so that included beating it through mud season, and winter, plus track trips. I never lost any fillings from my teeth, and guess what? it never broke like so many factory rubber mounts have for me. I love motor plates, and prefer them 100% over a factory mount in anything other than a resto.

 

[DrCharles]

You are not damping or insulating anything from vibration here.
The insulators need to be under the weight of the (engine) plate.

What you overlooked is that those bushings have inside "shoulders" that meet in the middle of the 1-1/8" diameter holes I cut in the motor plate, when the through-bolt is tightened down. Nowhere does the mount or the bolt come in contact with the plate - therefore it is indeed insulated!

If I'd put a pad between the mount and the frame, the through-bolt (and spacer that keeps the frame from crushing) would effectively bypass the isolator and transmit the vibrations directly to the frame rail.

See the article on BBD's Tech Pages if you want the details.

 

[godfatherofchry]

***********************************************************

I never understood the aversion to a motor plate. Almost every incident of someone I have run into that hates them, has never used one, or even ridden in one for any length of time. The whole vibration issue is greatly exaggerated, you might feel a LITTLE more vibration at idle, as soon as the revs come up, it is gone. Motor plates are just different than the norm, and some people can't accept that.

I drove one, a 383/727 in a '72 Valiant as a daily driver for 4 years, over 80,000 miles. I live in Vt. so that included beating it through mud season, and winter, plus track trips. I never lost any fillings from my teeth, and guess what? it never broke like so many factory rubber mounts have for me. I love motor plates, and prefer them 100% over a factory mount in anything other than a resto.[/QUOTE]
X2 my thoughts exactly............Amen...............Artie

 

[AndyF]

I have motor plates that are a direct fit for A-body cars. I can also provide a stud kit for a stock water pump if that is what people want. Lots of guys switch to an electric pump when running a motor plate, but some people do stay with the belt driven pump. I also have crank pulley spacers if a person is going to go that way. Everything is on the website.

www.arengineering.com

 

[dtmlevatan]

Hi Andy.... I'm going to be ordering a big block plate, spacer and a bracket kit from you soon.

 

[needsaresto]

There are some other advantages to using a motor plate. Like the motor not rocking back and forth when your on and off the gas. Thats 650+ lbs torqing it's way back and forth,not to mention the torque of the big block. Believe it or not it really makes it difficult to achieve a clean launch having all that weight and torque rocking the car. Even a street car would benefit. I have the shumacker mounts and will use em,but I figure a mid plate behind the motor and in front of the trans would help the rigitity of the car as well if it were tied into the firewall.

 

[AndyF]

Hi Andy.... I'm going to be ordering a big block plate, spacer and a bracket kit from you soon.

Sounds good. I have a big block A-body car sitting in my shop at the moment getting the full treatment also.

Mancini Racing usually has my motor plates in stock and so does Hughes Engines. They'll also have the spacers, alternator kits, frame brackets, etc.

www.arengineering.com

 

[AndyF]

There are a couple of ways to make a stock type water pump work. If it was me, I'd mill the back side of the water pump housing down 1/4 inch and then use a .125 spacer behind the crank pulley. That gets everything back into proper alignment with a 3/8 motor plate.

The alternator mounting is another issue. I have alternator bracket kits for motor plates, but not for use with a stock water pump. I don't know anyone who sells a kit like that. I've built them before so it can be done, but it does require some fab time. I run a motor plate in my car with a belt driven water pump and a 60 amp Denso alternator. It all fits and works just fine but it isn't "off the shelf" parts.

 

[the67fish]

If it is belt alignment that is the problem, have the water pump housing milled. I have a 1/4" Barton plate, and I just took .250" off the pump housing. The alternator bolts right to the plate, belt lines up fine. It did on the last one too.

Oh I fixed it and the alternator also, just had to space the crank pulley out a mile LOL and use a two grove water pump pulley.

 

[Old Man Mopar]

***********************************************************

I never understood the aversion to a motor plate. Almost every incident
of someone I have run into that hates them, has never used one, or
even ridden in one for any length of time.

Don't "assume" (you know what that can do.....).

This is a low deck "B" motor with a motor plate in a Duster we built
over 35 years ago......So I know what I'm talking about.

But.........If you guys are happy, believe me, that's all that matters.

 

[needsaresto]

Lol,motor plate this and that.Doesnt anyone just chain the sucker down anymore? I've also seen plenty of turnbuckles used for extra security,but I guess if you really want a rock solid engine,a motor plate is the way to go.