mac79vette

I just got a spreader bar and would like to use it on my 79 with a stock water pump pulley, fan shroud and fan. I was looking at everything tonight to see where to weld on the tabs and discovered that the bar will not clear the water pump pulley. It needs to be about 1/2 in lower to clear. So in the photos that I have attached one is the way the tabs would look welded even on the bar that goes up against the control arm shaft. The next is about where it would need to be lowered to clear the pulley and the last is a thought that if I just tilted the brackets to a 45 degree angle and welded in gussets. My concern about lowering the mounting point is that it would apply toque to the bar that mounts to the control arm shaft. Any Ideas of the best way to install this?

terrys6t8roadster

Picture no 1 is how mine is but I have elect fan. Pict 2 is ok, being 1/2 lower shouldn't matter. I'd make up new angle iron brackets to fully cover the horizontal piece, mock it up, tack weld, grind, make look pretty, you know the routine. Patiance is the name of the game when working on our C3s. Pict 3 seems like the angle irons are raised, I didn't quite understand. T

scrappy76

I wonder if your motor mounts are worn out and your engine is sitting lower than it should. You can weld it the way it is in pic 2 and also run a weld on the bottom on the back side too, and maybe even add gussets to the top of the angle pcs going to the back plate.
I would not try and do it like you have it in pic 3

mac79vette

Engine mounts are new.

jb78L-82

I had a spreader bar that required welding of the mounts and gave up on the bar after numerous attempts to get it to clear the mechanical fan and the SBC. I went with the pre welded tab bar from speedirect and sold the other bar to a forum member-too many hassles and guess work...

ignatz

I welded in mounting brackets at about that angle and had no problems after years of autocrossing. Do not have a picture but my setup looks about the same. If you are worried about the stress on the control arm bolts, consider that you are applying stress on those bolts anyway everytime time you turn. The spreader bar has a 1/2" moment arm, so look up the tensile strength on those bolts and figure out what kind of forces you need to apply to break one!

mac79vette

I spoke with Van Steel and they told me to use a plat between the to pices to move the brackets down. They even 2 day mailed me the plates. All together now but its to late to start it up and drive it tonight, will take it out for a test drive tomorrow.

jb78L-82

Speedirect bar: Picture before recent rebuild of entire engine

PeteZO6

Here's another shot of the Speed Direct bracket. You can see the axis for the bolt holding the bar is well below the center line of the suspension bolts. To me it looks stronger than the welded up bracket.

I used the black grade 8 bolts instead of the supplied silvery bolts.

Pete