crossmember application help.

[Hector405]

 www.bowtieoverdrives.com has a crossmember for 700R4 trans into a 75 to 77 Chevrolet pickup -
 I understand those years either had a TH350 or TH400 for choices in auto tranny -
will this work in my 85 which had a TH350C but now has a 700R4 ( and a fabbed up crossmember which doesn't tuck the exhaust system so I want a new one) is there some dimensional difference between the 85 and 75 to 77  frames which I am unaware of... why would they list just the 3 years on the applications???
Thanks

[VileZambonie]

You should be able to slightly modify a stock one to fit your truck. I would go with the later cross member though because the earlier ones were prone to cracking, The one in my 84 snapped right in half while I was driving

[Hector405]

stock one  is a single exhaust - hydro-formed part - would rather buy a ready to go piece without having to do all the fabbing.
Thanks
~Tim

[Captkaos]

Not much of nothing.  I have a 79 crossmember under my '73.  There is no "700R4" crossmember, they are all the same, the only difference is the position that is bolts down.  I can't speak of Bowties, so I would call and ask them.

[Hector405]

Had my pickup since the day it was delivered "as ordered" from Gene Williams Chevrolet in Oklahoma City -
and what I do know is that the crossmember I have doesn't work with the new tranny I am running... I fabbed one -but like I said - it doesn't do the exhaust fairly and the original doesn't fit up at all... factory 350 crossmember hits the pan on the 700... I guess I'll give em a call out in California and see what they tell me- figured maybe somebody would know here...
Thanks for the help...

[VileZambonie]

Do you have 2 or 4wd? There are different mounts and different crossmembers. If it's a 4x4 it mounts to the transfer case not the trans.

[Captkaos]

Had my pickup since the day it was delivered "as ordered" from Gene Williams Chevrolet in Oklahoma City -
and what I do know is that the crossmember I have doesn't work with the new tranny I am running... I fabbed one -but like I said - it doesn't do the exhaust fairly and the original doesn't fit up at all... factory 350 crossmember hits the pan on the 700... I guess I'll give em a call out in California and see what they tell me- figured maybe somebody would know here...
Thanks for the help...

Did you move it back to the 700R4 location?  That is the only way it could hit the tranny pan.  It should be bolted to the transmission mount at the rear.  I have converted serval truck to OD with the same tranny and I can assure you there is nothing different other than the mounting location.  I am using a 350 mount as I said and it is bolted to a 4L80E.
You can see it here:

[Hector405]

I have that mount hanging on a peg in my shop - yup same one...
what it does not do is compensate for the headers/dual exhaust... got one pipe ea side and an x pipe in there also... I ditched that crossmember a few yrs back... fabbed up my own ( still had the TH350C)- but... now I have swapped the tranny - 350c to 700R4 - plus alot of other stuff -truck is far from stock now- simply wanted a "store bought" crossmember that would
tidy up the crap underneath... I guess now I have to fab one up again ( hope I am better this time than last go round) The folks at bowtie overdrives seemed out of touch with my question so I am going another route...I think I found one at Art Morrison which will need a little tweakin but will do nicely...
Thanks for all the help...

[Hector405]

one more thing to add Chris -
Your mounting point is back on the aft end of the tailshaft -
The one on mine is right where the tailshaft bolts to the tranny...about 6 inches forward of yours as shown.
I spent a couple K on the Tranny so a couple hundred on a mount or time for me to fab is no biggie -
lookin at the pic and what you wrote had me thinkin I was some kinda idiot so I looked under the truck just a min ago ...
I see how the mount works with yours - wish that was the case with this one...

[Captkaos]

I had my factory '73 dual exhaust crossmember under the trans first but I put this one under thinking I was going to run only 1 remote mount turbo.  I am decided to go with twin turbos now.  You could possible change the tailshaft out to the longer one to make it work. But if you fabbed one up you would get exactly what you want.

[Blazin]

There is two diferent mounts for the 700R4 transmissions. Not sure about the electronic transmissions. The 700R4s in Taxis and Police cars had the mount in the tail shaft housing not in the main case like most. From what I have read the tail shaft mount lines up perfectly with the TH400 mount position.