"Home-Brewed" modified K Frame with B Body mounts

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"Dart67"

"Dart67"

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Got this from the sand blast powder coat man a lillte while ago.
This is my "Home-Brewed" engine cross member for my convertible .
This started out as a stock small block k frame. It has gone through major modifications. Cut and boxed for large capacity oil pan, steering idler converted from one year only 1967 to 1968 and up, 3 extra steering box mount bolt holes 1" to the left of the stock location.
AND Most important the motor mount pads/brackets converted to B Body mounts.

Dart B Body motor mount crossmember.jpg
 
I can see the reason for moving the steering box over but I'd have to see this in front of me to see how it DOES NOT affect the pitman and Idler arm.
 
Kern Dog said:
I can see the reason for moving the steering box over but I'd have to see this in front of me to see how it DOES NOT affect the pitman and Idler arm.
Click to expand...
I'm sure Herb will let you know, that car is documented well in a couple magazine articles...
 
I was just wondering, cause I just picked up a k frame that's been modified from a guy in Florida. Said he got it from Roy Rivera . I'll have to look into it !
 
Professor Fate said:
Nice work, but enlighten me on the purpose behind moving the steering box over 1"? Exhaust clearance?
Click to expand...

I did that WAY back when I had power steering on the car for header clearance. Worked great.. It does throw the steering wheel center off a little. But it never seemed to affect the driveablity or handling any. Drove it that way for a number of years before I went back to a manual box.
 

I'm curious about the engine mounts too. You have them mounted where they almost look even as far as fore/aft.


1753838423465.png


The stock 67-72 position of the engine mount pads...

67 72 A V8.jpg


Your right side looks close to stock but the left side of yours seems further back. The B body K member below....

70 B V8.jpg


.....has the pads almost even which I don't think that I noticed before now.
One quick way to tell an A body K member apart from a B is that the A is flat across the front, the B is curved.
 
Kern Dog said:
I'm curious about the engine mounts too. You have them mounted where they almost look even as far as fore/aft.


View attachment 1716436029

The stock 67-72 position of the engine mount pads...

View attachment 1716436033

Your right side looks close to stock but the left side of yours seems further back. The B body K member below....

View attachment 1716436031

.....has the pads almost even which I don't think that I noticed before now.
One quick way to tell an A body K member apart from a B is that the A is flat across the front, the B is curved.
Click to expand...

It is further back than stock and are almost even. It uses ALL B Body Left side as well as B Body Right side components mated to my custom fabricated k frame mount pad.

I made a k frame stand/fixture to hold the engine in the proper front to rear / left to right / up and down position. The built my mount to the engine.

See this post....
www.forabodiesonly.com

Added More Photos - "Home-Brewed" 67 Dart 440/512 B Body Engine Mounts

I thought I would share photos of the trial fit I did this morning of my Very modified 67 Dart K Frame. This "New" K Frame was built completely on the stand and engine locating attachments/fixtures that mount to the k frame stand that I designed and built. It was never in the car when the...
www.forabodiesonly.com www.forabodiesonly.com
 
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I remember back when I was in my early 20s, I put Big Blocks in 2 different small block cars without have to modify anything. 1 Dart & 1 Challenger. I don't remember what I actually did to make them fit but I didn't take moving and modify the k frame. Just wondering.
 
RAT ROD AL said:
I remember back when I was in my early 20s, I put Big Blocks in 2 different small block cars without have to modify anything. 1 Dart & 1 Challenger. I don't remember what I actually did to make them fit but I didn't take moving and modify the k frame. Just wondering.
Click to expand...
I have a 340 Dart GTS convertible and I had to cut out part of the drivers side k-frame mount so the big block oil pump would fit on the k-frame, I still have that car with the cut...
 
HemiSSDart said:
I have a 340 Dart GTS convertible and I had to cut out part of the drivers side k-frame mount so the big block oil pump would fit on the k-frame, I still have that car with the cut...
Click to expand...
Your right, I think I remember doing that.
 
RAT ROD AL said:
I remember back when I was in my early 20s, I put Big Blocks in 2 different small block cars without have to modify anything. 1 Dart & 1 Challenger. I don't remember what I actually did to make them fit but I didn't take moving and modify the k frame. Just wondering.
Click to expand...
A big block swap into an E body with an original small block seems to be much easier.
 
Kern Dog said:
I'm curious about the engine mounts too. You have them mounted where they almost look even as far as fore/aft.


View attachment 1716436029

The stock 67-72 position of the engine mount pads...

View attachment 1716436033

Your right side looks close to stock but the left side of yours seems further back. The B body K member below....

View attachment 1716436031

.....has the pads almost even which I don't think that I noticed before now.
One quick way to tell an A body K member apart from a B is that the A is flat across the front, the B is curved.
Click to expand...
Remember he is using B mounts, not A so they might/ will be some different than the A
 
Yeah, I did read that but I don't know how that affects the attachment to the block. I thought that the drivers side had everything further forward since #1 cylinder is the furthest cylinder in front. I figured that the left mount would be forward of the right.

101 R.JPG


102 R.JPG
 
Kern Dog said:
Yeah, I did read that but I don't know how that affects the attachment to the block. I thought that the drivers side had everything further forward since #1 cylinder is the furthest cylinder in front. I figured that the left mount would be forward of the right.

View attachment 1716436069

View attachment 1716436070
Click to expand...
I think it might be, but it sure ain't by MUCH! I'm kinda likin the mods. That K member in the original post looks a little more lean than a factory piece and I really like moving the box over for header room. This is the kinda things Chrysler should have done.
 
Oh, I agree that it is interesting. The movement of the steering box mounts do open up possibilities of clearance for bigger headers. I just wonder about the positioning of the steering linkage. At rest, the steering arm called the Pitman, if pointed straight back, would seem to cause the idler to then be at an angle unless the idler arm mounts were also shifted to the left an equal amount. With that, I wonder about angularity issues, Ackermann angles and such.
For a drag car that mostly drives in a straight line, this may be of no consequence but I'm curious about how it might affect a street car that occasionally turns from lock to lock.
 
When I get back home, I'll definitely check out the K Frame I picked up and compare to the modified one you posted on top. Seams ot may have similar modifications !
Click to expand...
 
Dart67 said:
I did that WAY back when I had power steering on the car for header clearance. Worked great.. It does throw the steering wheel center off a little. But it never seemed to affect the driveablity or handling any. Drove it that way for a number of years before I went back to a manual box.
Click to expand...
I have an aftermarket front set up in my 68 fastback , but have done this modification to the stock k frame , (no motor mounts,I use elephant ears) for maybe future use ...
 
Kern Dog said:
Yeah, I did read that but I don't know how that affects the attachment to the block. I thought that the drivers side had everything further forward since #1 cylinder is the furthest cylinder in front. I figured that the left mount would be forward of the right.

View attachment 1716436069

View attachment 1716436070
Click to expand...

The Mounts and brackets I am using are Stock B Body Engine Brackets and 440 Source Mounts.

OEM Spec Engine Mount - 66-72B 66-73C 70-74E​

They are bolted on the engine in factory locations. The top left corner of the Drivers side mount is trimmed a small amount to clear the steering box that is mounted using the factory/stock mounting holes.

On a stock Big Block A-Body, The hard to find engine mounting bracket mounts to special cast/drilled and tapped holes on the front lower left corner of the block and uses a hard to find motor mount. Both of these parts I believe were also used on some C-Bodys.

I did all this mod and fab work so I could use Factory B B-Body parts with very little or no mods to the parts.

Here is the Drivers Side..

102_2557.JPG


Here is the Passenger Side.. I did Add a pipe on the back side of this bracket and drilled it to match the Drivers Side mount as I like the idea of the longer mounting bolt going all the way across and the nut on the outside is easier to get to.

102_2558.JPG
 
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