I know these pics aren't the best, but I'll take ANY imput I can get. I'm going crazy over here with this crossmember situation. I think my headers are to blame, but I don't want to lay out another 360.00. The headpipes touch the crossmemer. The pipes are not centered to the humps of the crossmember. The collector flange of one header is against the member. I'm gonna have to do something here. Can anybody tell if the member is right/wrong? Do trans mounts make a difference? Things have been changed over the years I'm sure. Whats up withe the one header being longer than the other?

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/collector_ov2.JPG

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/pass_side_collector2.JPG

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/driver_collector.JPG

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/EXHAUST-91.JPG

Yeah, Vince...headers usually don't pass thru the center of the crossmember humps. :(
You can do one of two things...either carefully reposition the collecter slightly using length of 2x2 inserted in the collector end OR beat a little relief on the crossmember with a BFH.
Look at the positive...better the headers are hanging too high than too low.
One header is always further back than the other.

Dont think I can reposition the headers cause then my Xpipe system will be all messed up. I crossmember @sswhoppin' in definitely going to happen.

One other option I just thought of...
Cut off the flanges and weld on these ball/socket setups from Flowmaster...
http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/flo-15925_w.jpg

Bill, I was thinking about that actually, but the flange is only one problem. The diameter of the pipe hits the 'member also, so I would still need to deal with that.

It looks like there's room there now, but as soon as the car is back on the floor, the pipes touch the member.

I know what your going through. I have Hooker super comps on my 67 and the collectors weren't even close. I took measurements and made a jig to hold the crossmember on a steel table and then cut it into 5 pieces and swapped the exhaust notch sections to the opposite sides and welded the crossmember back together.
The other option is to set the trans height and the ends that bolt to the frame and cut the crossmember apart and weld in some 1x3 inch rectangular tubing. you could fabricate something like what is in the pics on this website.
http://www.transmissioncenter.net/gforce_double_hump_crossmembers_.htm

I'm not savy enough to fab up a 'member, but I was thinking that I can extend the plate that the trans mount sits on enough to get the member away from the collectors. Then I'll just have to smash it flat a little. only problem is, the angle of the motor may change if I do it too much

If anybody know if there's a difference with trans mounts let me know.

how about raising the crossmember just a little bit by putting some washers or spacers of some kind between the frame rail and crossmember. It looks like its only just barely touching so a few standard washers might rais it up just enough?? shouldnt chane motor position too much

actually my above post will probably not work because the headers are always going to be at a relative hieght to the engine position. If you raise the crossmember a bit, i guess the whole problem moves up with it. I wasnt thinking. How bout just drinding off a little of the flange where its hitting?

If you raise the crossmember you also raise the transmission. The transmission mount is on the crossmember. No clearance gain.

Don't know why you're asking, but yes there are differences in trans mounts. The Energy/Poly one's are much taller than original.

A thinner trans mount will lower the whole arrangement some.

I'm not savy enough to fab up a 'member, but I was thinking that I can extend the plate that the trans mount sits on enough to get the member away from the collectors. Then I'll just have to smash it flat a little. only problem is, the angle of the motor may change if I do it too much

Come on guys this aint so hard...hot rodding is about creativity not about bolt togethers.! Move the crossmember back a few inches. Transmission swappers do this all the time, all ya need is a few holes new in the frame. Now get a pirce pf flat steel stock thick enough to form an extension to the steel crossmember pad. Bolt the extension to the crossmemner ...on top ot below whichever works best and you are done.

I suspect that bolting the new plate under present the c'member plate will work best. To get the angle right you can fool with a few washers between the trans and the transmount or between your new plate and the existing crossmember plate or whatever. Once you get exactly the angle you want leave the crossmember and the plate together and remove the crossmember from the car. Down to the local welder and have the plate perminently stitched into place on the crossmember.

Presto you are done.

Sounds like a plan (actually I did think about that). I'm just wondering if something ain't right with the setup that I have (wrong stuff?)

I had the same problem with my 64' using Hooker supercomp headers. I decided to make my own crossmember.

Here is a link in the drivetrain forum

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110222&highlight=crossmember

John, I came across that thread when I did a search. Your a little bit (alot more actually) more advanced than me. My 'member is in the way about as bad as your original.

Anything is possible with a car this old.

I have said this before and people get ****ed so please don't take offense. The isssue is the Hedders. Take them away the problem goes away. I am as anti hedder as they come, never had a set worth a damn and nearly burned a car down tp the ground because of one set. Just say "NO" to hedders is my motto.

If you gotta have have em then be prepared for this kind of BS. Special oil filters, special oil filter mounting (Pontiacs) remote filters, special motor mounts...Bull Si_T all bullsh_t at least for me it is all BS

Hope the suggestion works.

I agree..the headers are the culprit no doubt about it.

I havent had one problem of any kind with my cheapy summit BBC headers (I think they were around $100), besides the fact that the paint chipped off....but its better than rusty chrome headers!

My 1.75" Hedmans fit with plenty of clearance.

Cut the flange off and either shorten or lengthen the collector to clear the cross member. You have 3" (??) collectors and 3" head pipes. Collector length doesn't mean anything here.

Joe, I got 2 problems: my wife (just kidding), collector too close and pipes to big and hit the member.

Never really though much about this before... but the reason one header sticks back further than the other is because one cylinder head is back further than the other. If the headers are really tuned (rather than just nice looking) then all the pipes will be the same length. Which means IIRC the right side will be set back a bit further than the left.

Not that this helps solve your clearance problem... one observation on that topic is if you go the extended mount route I would recommend trying to bend the metal extension into a U shape much like the mount is on the cross member. Much better strength that way.

A little outside the box thinking here, but what about the motor mounts? And what the way the engine is bolted into the mounts? The mounts could be of a different height than the originals, assuming they've been changes, or the engine may be sitting off to one side. In the later model Chevelles, you can move the engine around a bit by looseing the mount bolts and prying the engine one way or the other.

Good point, Randy! :thumbsup:
Something I didn't consider...maybe try a shorter set of motor mounts.

Moving the motor around doesn't change the location of the collectors though. In other words, where ever the motor is moved to, the crossmember moves with it.