Bob's Resource Website (2007)
Studebaker Hawk transmission and Motor mounts



Changing motor mounts: The shop manual doesn't cover this aspect of maintenance, only tell you what they are and look like.

This car is a GT Hawk. The car wasn't jacked up, but is resting in 4 garage dollies. You have enough room to roll around under the car on a carpet, to get at various items.

Tools required to manipulate bolts and nuts in the sizes of 9/16", 11/16 and 5/8". Also required, is an 8 foot length of heavy chain ( 3/8"link cross section) and a means of securely, fastening it together.

This exercise was fairly straight forward, once the routine was determined. In this case, I planned on changing the Powershift mounts also, so had all four to do. I changed the trans mounts first, but in case you're only doing the motor mounts, you still have to follow some of this scenario.
Note: There's a large spacer between the Drivers side trans mount and crossmember.

First, loosen the six nuts from all four mounts. You can access the top motor mount nuts from under the fenderwell, on both sides, using a 9/16" box wrench. The underside can be undone with a socket.
If you're changing the trans mounts, then you can crack the trans mounts to trans case bolts (5/8") also, but leave them in place, at first. Undo all the nuts on top and bottom of the motor mounts, to almost the full length of the stud.
I'll make a statement that, I believe you have to have the motor mount nuts loosened to almost the full length, in order to raise the trans high enough to remove the old (Trans) mounts. I didn't think it was wise to remove the nuts altogether, in that the engine might shift without any restraint.

Jacking points: Transmission:

    Using a short length of 2X4, on the pad of a floor jack, wedge the wood on the trans pan flange, on the drivers side, behind the trans mount crossmember. The rear flange next to the rear extension case is the most accessible. NOTE: Do not make the pan itself a jack point. Using a floor jack, you can raise the trans about 3-4 inches and it will take almost every bit of allowable height to remove the trans mounts. They will not come straight up, but after removing the case bolts, pull them upward and they will seem to fall out easier, toward the front of the car. Be careful of where you put your fingers.... Replace the mounts, on each side of the trans, at this point. Snug up the case bolts, but only thread the retaining nuts (11/16") on 2-3 turns.

    At this point, you can get the Passenger side trans mount out also, but it can't be ruled out that you might need to move the jack and wood closer to the other side of the flange. Again, only 2-3 threads on the retaining nuts.

    Moving up to the engine mounts, keep in mind, this end of the job is a LOT heavier than the transmission, so really be really careful where you put your fingers.

    Engine: Since the nuts were previously loosened to allow the trans to raise enough, all that remains is to jack the engine up and swap out the mounts.

      There may be a surprise here to some, in that.... what happens when you remove weight, from the front of a car, let's say when you pull the engine. The coil springs will raise the frame of the car as the weight diminishes. When you jack up under the engine, you're removing weight from the springs and the car will go up with the jack, until the coil springs are relieved.
      So what you have to do, to alleviate this, is to wrap a chain around the top of the frame and the lower control arm. You don't have to involve the upper control arm, but thread the chain through shock opening and down thru the coil spring. Bolt the chain together, taking up as much slack as possible. What you are doing, is limiting the movement of the suspension. Now when you jack up the engine, the suspension action will stop almost immediately and the motor mount brackets will widen right away.
  • First, though, remove the loosened nuts from both top and bottom of both motor mounts.
  • To change these mounts, you have to separately jack up each side of the engine.

    Jacking the engine up on the passenger side: Use a 18" length of 2X4 and wedge the small dimension between the PS exhaust manifold and engine block, just behind the motor mount. PUt the other end in the cup of a floor jack. The wod will ake a set and will not slip, if you jack straight up. You have to raise the engine around 3.5. inches to swap the mounts. Be careful where you put your fingers. With the trans mounts restraining any lateral movement, the only way the engine will go is up. Make a note of which holes the motor mounts are in. On LHC cars, the mounts are in the right side, on RHC cars, the mouns are in the left side. Once adequate height is reached, you can carefully maneuver the old mounts out and having the new right next to you, insert them. ON the Drivers side: use a 12" length of 4X4 and situate it on the front of the starter,where it bolts to the bellhousing and rest the side on the oilpan OR use the 18" 2X4 and place it between the tie rod and main crossmember, wedging it between the exhaust manifold and engine block. Its a bit tightere for this on the drivers side, given the angle of the exhaust headpipe and the power steering control valve. Again, NEVER use the bottom of the oilpan as a jack point, you will certainly ruin it and perhaps crush the oil pump pickup.

    Total time for me to do this was a couple hours.. / RJ


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    Some technical opinions are my own from experience, other informational data is from online sources with credits when available and while care has been taken to be as accurate as possible, it is offered only as a guide and caution should be exercised in the application of it.