Author Topic: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967  (Read 4213 times)

67L48

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 139
    • View Profile
Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« on: August 20, 2022, 12:59:00 PM »
Taking out my engine and found something curious to me. It’s a 1967 350 motor. 11A build date for the car. Engine is numbers matching and I’m 99.99999% positive that it’s never been out of the car. I’ve owned it since 1989 and it had only 32,000 orig miles at that time.

Anyway, as we dig into it, we found a braided steel cable fastened with a bolt/nut on the passenger side. It wraps around the exhaust manifold and through the engine mount. I have no idea if this was original and what it is for.

I attached a pic, but it was hard to get anything decently

Any ideas would be helpful ... e.g., was it original, should I put it back when I replace the engine, etc.

The only thing I could think of was one of those safety cables to keep the engine from twisting or bucking ... but wasn't that a big block thing?  I can't imagine putting that kind of restraint on a stock 350 small block engine.

Thanks.

67L48
1967 Camaro SS 350
PG, factory air, console, fold down rear seat, PS, PB, butternut yellow, #s matching, original manual/warranty/POP, <60K miles
Northeast Iowa

67L48

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 139
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2022, 01:00:30 PM »
Taking out my engine and found something curious to me. It’s a 1967 350 motor. 11A build date for the car. Engine is numbers matching and I’m 99.99999% positive that it’s never been out of the car. I’ve owned it since 1989 and it had only 32,000 orig miles at that time.

Anyway, as we dig into it, we found a braided steel cable fastened with a bolt/nut on the passenger side (similar to a steel shackle). It wraps around the exhaust manifold and through the engine mount. I have no idea if this was original and what it is for.

I attached a pic, but it was hard to get anything decent to show the full shape and how it sits against the mounts and such.

Any ideas would be helpful ... e.g., was it original, should I put it back when I replace the engine, etc.

Thanks.

67L48
1967 Camaro SS 350
PG, factory air, console, fold down rear seat, PS, PB, butternut yellow, #s matching, original manual/warranty/POP, <60K miles
Northeast Iowa

x66 714

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1787
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2022, 01:59:04 PM »
The cable was part of a recall that happened in 1971.....I think. For a restoration I would leave it out as that's not how it left the factory....Joe
See America's First, Chevrolet

1968 Z/28 Corvette Bronze. Black Hounds Tooth. 02E Los Angeles born 3/13/1968 pnt OO. Purchased March 1976
1969 SS396 Yellow/Yellow 08E Norwood born 8/28/1969 pnt 76E. Purchased April 1981

william

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3119
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2022, 02:11:18 PM »
All 8-cylinder engines were involved in the recall.

The cable on your car is home-made, on the wrong side. It was the left side mount that failed.

Learning more and more about less and less...

Petes L48

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 793
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2022, 03:09:04 PM »
SBC's were also under the recall for installing the engine stop lift kit. If you use the later design interlocking mounts, it's not needed. 

Sauron327

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1359
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2022, 05:12:47 PM »
All 8-cylinder engines were involved in the recall.

The cable on your car is home-made, on the wrong side. It was the left side mount that failed.


The last 67 I did had the cable on both sides, not homemade. Ends were professionally crimped like the LH side. My 67 only had one on the LH side.

67L48

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 139
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2022, 08:06:21 PM »
Thanks for the replies.  My car was a CA car with A.I.R. in it, originally.  The cable definitely didn't look home made.  Looked very professionally constructed by somebody.

I only had the cable on one side.  It looked exactly like the cable on the right side in this pic and was looped into place exactly like the instructions in the background in the bottom left (around the manifold and through the engine mount) -- the second cable and bracket were not present:



Then, based on people's notes above regarding a recall, I found this brief excerpt online:

Report Date: December 29, 1971
Campaign Number: 71V235000
Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Summary: THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A SEPARATED MOTOR MOUNT MAY ALLOW THE ENGINE TO LIFT, WHICH MAY AFFECT THE THROTTLE LINKAGE, MOMENTARILY INCREASING THROTTLE, POSSIBLY TO FULL THROTTLE.

Consequence Summary: UNEXPECTED LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL MAY CAUSE LOSS OFVEHICLE CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.

Corrective Summary: INSPECT ENGINE MOUNTS AND INSTALL RESTRAINTS WHICH WILL LIMIT ENGINE LIFT AND ELIMINATE POSSIBLE SECONDARY EFFECTS TO THE THROTTLE LINKAGE DUE TO ENGINE MOUNT SEPARATION.

Indeed, the motor mount on the driver side (opposite where my cable was located) was separated ... for how many decades, who knows!

[...]
And I found this old thread with a lot more information, including the original recall letter from GM.  I originally posted this when I was busy removing the engine.  I'm now sitting down and have time to research this further.  Very interesting stuff.  I still don't understand why I only had one cable, instead of the two prescribed by the recall.  But, I definitely need some new engine-side motor mounts!!

https://www.camaros.net/threads/gm-motor-mount-recall-1967-69.170417/
« Last Edit: August 20, 2022, 08:31:30 PM by 67L48 »

67L48
1967 Camaro SS 350
PG, factory air, console, fold down rear seat, PS, PB, butternut yellow, #s matching, original manual/warranty/POP, <60K miles
Northeast Iowa

169INDY

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1790
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2022, 11:12:40 PM »
Affected Units:: 6,682,084
Jim
68 SS/RS L35 Th-400 LOS
69 Pace Car L48 Th-350 LOS
68 Z28 M21 LOS

rich69rs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1110
  • LF7/M35/Z22/Z87
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #8 on: August 21, 2022, 02:53:40 AM »
Affected Units:: 6,682,084

From the link in #6 post above. 

Richard
Richard Thomas
1969 RS

67L48

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 139
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2022, 01:41:42 PM »
The guy at GM who came up with the idea for the cables should have never had to work again in his life, since he saved GM about $250MM (in 1971 dollars).  $1 in 1971 is around $7 today, so imagine today a guy/gal saving a corporation nearly $2B!

I'd still like to know the story about why my car only had a cable on one side ... something I'm sure I'll never know.

67L48
1967 Camaro SS 350
PG, factory air, console, fold down rear seat, PS, PB, butternut yellow, #s matching, original manual/warranty/POP, <60K miles
Northeast Iowa

fsc66

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
    • View Profile

fsc66

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #11 on: August 21, 2022, 01:50:24 PM »
More info;

rich69rs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1110
  • LF7/M35/Z22/Z87
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #12 on: August 21, 2022, 03:55:37 PM »
GM/Chevrolet’s attitude and response to this problem has always amazed me.  Can you imagine that sort of response (we’ll fix it by installing a cable wrapped around the exhaust manifold) in today’s world to a similar problem? 

Also, why didn’t those owners who had this recall performed ask Whiskey Tango Foxtrot over??  Really, the fix is installing a cable??  What’s next, duct tape?

Clearly, IMHO, not Chevy’s finest hour to say the least.

Richard
Richard Thomas
1969 RS

dannystarr

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1745
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #13 on: August 21, 2022, 04:23:27 PM »
I have survivor cars with 2 and with 1. I feel some installers got lazy and only did one side. And said to themselves, that's good, that will work. And went to the next one.

As far as removing it because it didn't come from the factory that way.... MCACN Vintage Certification does NOT subtract judging points if in place. I talked to Steve S about it, and he said he feels it is part of Chevrolet. Sure, it came later, but Chevrolet did it, developed it, sent the letter, and maybe they even did all the installs. I don't know if any of the work was farmed out. Maybe someone knows... So basically, overall, it's    "CHEVROLET"

 NOW... we move to Mr. Jerry M   Who I have great respect.  I asked Jerry; he feels since it did NOT come on the car from NEW, that it shouldn't be on the car. At least during HIS judging. Of course, it can be put back on after inspection.

So there ya have it. 2 schools of thought on the subject. I have 2 cars missing both sides. I bought them and have to get them installed before they go up for sale. I have original dated letters and the envelopes they were sent in. So I want to do it.

Danny
 

GMAD_Van Nuys

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 300
    • View Profile
Re: Braided steel rope around 350 engine, 1967
« Reply #14 on: August 21, 2022, 07:52:51 PM »
A friend's mom drove a 1969 SS 350 Camaro for years and I remember seeing a cable on the driver's side.  There were no cables on my neighbor's 1968 Z28, although when he built the engine, we did replace the engine and transmission mounts.