... and solid mounts.

Not exactly what I wanted to find.

What part is that exactly?

a nice weld should fix that ..is that the front mount on a sbc or the cradle frame?

[This message has been edited by Erik (edited 04-13-2008).]

You guys are quick. Here is the general area ...




I am thinking weld + gusset.

Tina

If it was solid mounted, it was essentially designed to crack.

quote Originally posted by Will: If it was solid mounted, it was essentially designed to crack.

I have to say I totally agree. I'm sure you have your reasons but it surely is what I would do.

just grind the area a bit and apply some more powder coating, will look like new again and no one will ever notice Looks like it is time to beef up the cradle

Yup add some gusset plates in there and then it will be way stronger. I'd switch to poly though to give it a little movement to reduce the streses on the cradle. HP lost from letting it move a bit should be minimal.

gonna be at rock falls this summer at all Tina?

------------------
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT
418ci 'Mini-Rat' motor
dual stage nitrous injected
built 5-speed getrag

quote Originally posted by Will: If it was solid mounted, it was essentially designed to crack.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FieroBrad87:

I have to say I totally agree. I'm sure you have your reasons but it surely is what I would do.

Great

So what did the other guys with solid mounts do to fix/prevent this sort of problem.?
Guys ... have any links for me by any chance?

Tina

I had immediate cracks in front mount before going solid. Last time I dropped the cradle all was fine but I definitely haven't abuse it as much as you (no track drag racing). Mine is an 88. Some reinforcing here and there should do the trick.

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Red: TPI V8 + 6-Speed Yellow: Nitrous 3.4 + 4 speed Auto
304rwHP/366rwTQ

I would start looking to redesign a custom cradle lets face it your cradle is 20 + years old and the power level you are running repairing it is just a band aid on a big sore Tina

My 88 cradle cracked in about the same place on my 88 twice... (it was poly mounted and the isuzu/spec stage 3 lived, but not the cradle...). After the 2nd crack, I swore off stock cradle crossmembers. I replace them all with 2x3x1/8" steel tube and solid mounts and have been crack free ever since.







Here is another cradle I built this year (4.3 swap):

[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 04-14-2008).]

It looks like those cracks were there before it was painted maybe?

quote Originally posted by 2.5: It looks like those cracks were there before it was painted maybe?

I agree. You can see that the crack in the first picture Tina posted had probably been stop-drilled at least once previously.

[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 04-14-2008).]

quote Originally posted by 2.5: It looks like those cracks were there before it was painted maybe?

Powder Coated ... wasn't there before.
I sandblasted that cradle myself before it went to the shop to be powder coated.


As far as Rock Falls goes, ... I got Brainards, Cedar Falls , Tri States, and Rock Falls schedule hanging here
on my bulletin board. Wether I 'll end up making it to any of them of them is anybodys guess.
It be nice to see another Fiero there though.
Would take care of the "Never seen one with a V-8 before" statement I always seem hear

Tina

Tina,

Take a look at page 8 of my build thread in signature below, go a little more than half way down for photo of cradle. My car would tear up rubber or poly mounts, so an additional "third" cradle member was added,, and trans adapter plate modified to bolt directly to it (4 white arrows arcross the top of photo).

This helps reduce torzional torque twist of cradle when hard mounting the trans, rear engine, and front of engine. Naturally it also improves cradle strength, reducing flexing in hard cornering as well.

The car has been running this setup since 1993 with no cracks ever surfacing, and it's checked very carefully every two years when the clutch is changed out. In addition, anyone who's ever ridden in my car doesn't believe it's solid mounted, because it doesn't vibrate to where you really notice it (cradle is solid to chassis as well). You might also notice in the photo, some bolts in the outboard left member of the cradle (bolts on the rear side of cradle don't show in photo). That's another modification where the left leg of the cradle can be removed without undoing anything else to change out the transmission. I don't have anymore pictures of these areas, but you get the idea.

Tom

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Car History: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/025670.html

Tina,

These transmission mounts sure look like the stock rubber ones to me.


Are you running Archies solid front engine mount and the stock transmission mounts?

quote Originally posted by Jefrysuko: Tina, These transmission mounts sure look like the stock rubber ones to me. Are you running Archies solid front engine mount and the stock transmission mounts?

I know ... Thanks to the crappy picture posted, it is hard to tell what it is period.

Let's try this again ...




Thanks Cal, I'll check that out.
Cradle is not leaving for repairs for another day or two. Trying to come up with a game plan by then.

quote Originally posted by Will: If it was solid mounted, it was essentially designed to crack.

Sorry, you'll have to take your solid mount theory & use it someplace else, Tinas trans mounts are rubber.



BTW, Tina, there were no cradle cracks when we did the Clutch swap in August 2005.

It might be time to switch to solid mounts when you get a new cradle.

Archie

quote Originally posted by Archie: Sorry, you'll have to take your solid mount theory & use it someplace else, Tinas trans mounts are rubber. BTW, Tina, there were no cradle cracks when we did the Clutch swap in August 2005. It might be time to switch to solid mounts when you get a new cradle. Archie

Tina just said herself (twice) that they're solid mounts. Her zoomed in picture seems to support that (or that is some funky looking rubber).

quote Originally posted by Will: If it was solid mounted, it was essentially designed to crack.

quote Originally posted by Archie: Sorry, you'll have to take your solid mount theory & use it someplace else, Tinas trans mounts are rubber. Archie

Archie, do you understand the word "IF"?

What is the big deal? It is par for the coarse. I have a solid cradle, solid mounts and cracked one transmission and one cradle in the last ten years between my current and last V8 Fiero. I have a few friends that run 30lbs of boost on thier cars and need to replace the engines every few months....doesn't seem to bother them. The more power a car puts out, the more stuff will most likely break. There is always a weakest link in the car, it all depends on what you beef up to make something else the weakest link.
Dave

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1987 GT (my toy-see above), 1987 GT (wife's toy), 1986 SE soon to be VR6, certified master technician/shop owner
www.njautobahn.com

Tina did you ever find a good solution to the strut tower cracks. (area between strut tower and trunk wall)

I don't have nearly the power levels you do, however I do drive my car extremely hard. With just 300lbs of torque I managed to destroy mounts, crack the strut tower to trunk area and now exploded 3 Isuzu's and one Centerforce Archie clutch.

The motor is out of my car awaiting the new Clutch Net clutch to arrive. While it is out, I plan to add a 6th engine trans mount. I have 4 on the lower engine-cradle (2 on trans, and 2 on engine) Plus a solid dog bone style mount up top using 2 heim joints with threaded rod. I am going to add another one up to help keep the motor from twisting.

As for cradle cracks, I would really consider putting triangulated gusset plates in the cradle. I was actually considering boxing in sections of the cradle, as it would not only help with the engine twisting things, I am thinking it would help with handling as the suspension would not be twisting the cradle as much.

I look forward to reading on how you end up with this.

------------------
85GT,93 Eldorado 4.9, 5spd Dual O2 Custom Chip, Custom Exhaust. MSD Everything Capt Fiero --- My Over View Cadero Pics Yellow 88GT 5spd Factory Stock.

quote Originally posted by Capt Fiero: Tina did you ever find a good solution to the strut tower cracks.

Not yet, but hopefully I get my welding guy to stop over sometime in next couple days.
Super busy guy, but the way I figure it will take a lot less effort convincing him to stop by, than try to shove the Fiero over there.

quote Originally posted by Capt Fiero: I have 4 on the lower engine-cradle (2 on trans, and 2 on engine) Plus a solid dog bone style mount up top using 2 heim joints with threaded rod. I am going to add another one up to help keep the motor from twisting.

Any pics?

The only pics I can find are the ones where I had it on my V6, but here is what it looks like. I will see if I can find pics of the mount and bracket installed on my V8.

quote Originally posted by Tina: It be nice to see another Fiero there though. Would take care of the "Never seen one with a V-8 before" statement I always seem hear Tina

That will be remedied this summer

That will be remedied this summer [/QUOTE]

Don’t tell me you have a seen the light,

... and are actually going to plant the big mighty SBC in yours.


Tina

My fiero's not ready yet, but its opening weekend this coming weekend and damn it its been way to long of a winter... Im going to bring my lifted 01 chev blazer down there for a few runs on sunday. Id be happy with a 15-sec run out of it.

Just be sure to tell everybody when your planning on going to RFR with the fiero and Ill try to be down there with the one in my sig... but again, it wount be ready to race til late July or so. I'll do the same when mines ready to make a few passes.

------------------
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT
418ci 'Mini-Rat' motor
dual stage nitrous injected
built 5-speed getrag

quote Originally posted by Tina: Don’t tell me you have a seen the light, ... and are actually going to plant the big mighty SBC in yours. Tina

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH haaaa haaaaaa


haven't I explained to you before, in order to go faster you dont install a boat anchor. They just drag you down
You guys need some company at the hangar tommorow afternoon ?
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MINNESOTA MAFIA Real men get blown
87 GT MP-112 powered, 3800 Supercharged on 19's 372 rwhp & tuning____88 GT T-top 1 of very few, 000,130.4 miles
87 GT custom______90 Grand prix STE Turbo_____98 ZX750R
Nitrous is like a hot chick with an STD, Ya want to hit it, but are afraid of the consequences.
IF YOU AIN'T BREAKING STUFF..................IT AIN'T MODDED ENOUGH
If your'e not living on the edge..........you're taking up too much room.
Best Fiero mounts available Best Fiero mounts available

[This message has been edited by PURPLE REIGN (edited 04-16-2008).]

quote Originally posted by PURPLE REIGN: You guys need some company at the hangar tommorow afternoon ?

Don't think we will be there this afternoon, ... few errands to run.
We will be there most of this weekend though. At least that is the plan.

Greg + Tina