Ats Crossmember ??

[jasonsnova]

ok well i just finally got my new ats crossmember just now(very nice looking!) anyway does anyone know what trans mount i should be using? i'm installing a 02 f body style ls1 t56 into my nova with a gen1 smallblock using a mcleod adapter. will my old th350 mount work? thanks~

[TitoJones]

We use a T400 poly mount from energy suspension.

Tyler

[jasonsnova]

isnt the th350 - th400 the same demensions?? if not i'll pick up a th400 one

[DarkoNova]

What adapter are you using? Are you using the hydraulics or no? How did you handle the floor mods? I'm looking to mate a T56 to my 350 so I can get better than 14-ish mpg.

Thanks,
Matt

[jasonsnova]

omg 14ish??? my car was getting 2-3mpg thats why its getting a t56! lol! anyway floor mods should be minimal as far as i can tell, the worst part will be cutting a new hole for the shifter to go through the floor. atleast thats how its planned....i'll know this weekend!

[DarkoNova]

Wow I was told that T56's were huge and the trans tunnels in 3rd gen Novas were small, so they required major surgery to fit. 14 is alright, but I'll be driving about 300 miles a week soon, and I need premium ($3.59 here in Cali), so overdrive is a MUST, lol.

Matt

[jasonsnova]

yes the trans is big, but ive been told it will all work....i'll know soon! oh and isnt my 71 a 2nd gen nova??? not sure about fitment on a 3rd gen nova

[DarkoNova]

62-65 = 1st gen
66-67 = 2nd gen
68-74 = 3rd gen
75-79 = 4th gen



Matt

[jasonsnova]

I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT 62-67 WERE 1ST GEN....I GUESS U LEARN SOMETHING EVERY DAY!

[maxharvard]

i used a 400 mount for mine... here's a word of advice for using that ATS crossmember... yes it is a very nice piece... but machined to very tight tolerances with small bolts (smaller than i'm used to). Here's what i did to make it easier:

imagine you are looking at the car from the back... i took the passenger side ear of that 3 piece crossmember and attached it to the center section, then wedged it between the frame and floor board to then pull it up in a sweeping motion to meet the left side ear already attached to the frame.

It seems that from year of sagging the passenger side floor board will interfere with the ATS crossmember (tyler told me that it was designed this way) and the only way to get enough leverage to get the crossmember in place is to do what i described so you wont cross thread the bolt holes.

~Eric

[jasonsnova]

thanks eric! i'll be tackleing it this weekend, while the floors in my car are mint, im hoping i wont have to slice and dice them up too much! i was looking at it last night and it is gonna be tight, i may have to redo my flowmaster exhast h pipe too.....maybe...lol! seems like alot of maybe's!

[jasonsnova]

update....its a big yes to have to cut floors with a t56! motor and tranny are now in looks like i'll be doing some body work soon... thier is no way a t56 is gonna fit in to one on these with out some floor love! also anothe issue i ran into was that with the ats crossmember in,in the all teh way back position it still needed to go back anothe 3/4" so i ended up removeing the rear most bolt on the stainless part that bolts to the frame brackets and only using the front bolts it still works fine because ats was smart enough to use a centering pin in that piece . i think the reason for this is that thier crossmember is designed for use with a lt1 style bell and i'm useing a t10 factory style clutch setup which i think may of set me back that extra 1/2-3/4" heres a pic of the crossmember before i removed the rear bolts on the ats crossmember and a pic of my poor floor thats gonna need some love now!

[TitoJones]

Ah ha! The reason you are having issues is the T56 variant. The only one we have found in our years to always require surgery is the T56 with a old school 4 speed bellhousing and mechanical linkage. the T56 tail case sits too far rearward and our crossmember won't work with it.

I'd re-drill the frame and put the other bolt back into the adapter.

Tyler

[jasonsnova]

wish i knew this before,cause yes i'm useing the mech linkage and a muncie style blowshield....i may redrill the frame later i just really needed to get it all in place for drive shaft mock up so i can call dennys back!!

[DarkoNova]

Ah ha! The reason you are having issues is the T56 variant. The only one we have found in our years to always require surgery is the T56 with a old school 4 speed bellhousing and mechanical linkage. the T56 tail case sits too far rearward and our crossmember won't work with it.

I'd re-drill the frame and put the other bolt back into the adapter.

Tyler

So what bellhousing is needed to mate it to an old school SBC? Interesting to know that T56's don't actually *need* floor mods.

Matt

[jasonsnova]

no mater what you do witha a t56 your gonna have to do some floor mods, even if you went with a LT1 style bell and a viper trans with a lt1 input shaft you are still going to have to cut a hole for the shifter to come through the floor and it will still come right through the rear welded in body crossmember(the floor support that the seats are mounted to and the sub frame is bolted to as well). if you want absolutely no floor mods go with a tko 600, but if you want to row 6 gears your gonna do a little bit of fabing! for me even though i wasnt crazy about the idea of welding up my floors with 411 rear gears the t56 was a better choice!

[MarkM66]

T-56 fit in mine just fine. No cutting needed, exept for the shifter hole.

[DarkoNova]

T-56 fit in mine just fine. No cutting needed, exept for the shifter hole.

Awesome, care to elaborate on the crossmember, bellhousing, etc?

Matt

[MarkM66]

Awesome, care to elaborate on the crossmember, bellhousing, etc?

Matt

GM F-body trans, and bell housing. ATS crossmember, and modified slave/master cylinder.

I think mines the first generation ATS c/m, because it looks different then yours. I'm just using a TH350/400 Energy Suspension tranny mount. The tranny fits very close to the floor, like it should.

[DarkoNova]

Awesome, thanks.

Matt