I have noticed that many of the members at some point have expressed the desire to swap out their original TH350 tranny xmember with the factory dual exhaust xmember. Seeing as those are not always easy to find or readily available, I thought I would post my solution to this problem.
Basically, this is a straight bar xmember, so you need to buy a piece of rectangular tubing. This should be 1.5" x 3" tubing with a wall between .083" and 1/8".
The 1.5" measurement is the actual height differential from the original xmember height from the base of the inside of the frame rail to the bottom of the tranny mount. So the tranny will sit the same as original specs.
Mark the original locations of where the tranny xmember sits to help line up new xmember. you will need four grade 8 bolts/nuts/washers for xmember mounting, plus 2 addtional bolts/washers for mounting to the tranny.
Mount the xmember to the frame first. the length is bewteen 32-33". ( i do not remember exact measurement offhand) Make it a tight fit. Make sure to line up the front-to-back tranny mount positioning with a straight-edge or ruler. Drill the necessary holes (2 per side) and mount the xmember. Mount with bolt heads facing the ground.
Now lower the tranny until there is only an inch or so bewteen it and the xmember. You need to mark the locations for the tranny mount on the new xmember. This is very crucial to be sure to line these holes up properly. I believe it is 1.5" space between the 2 holes. Using a ruler or straight-edge, line it up with the mounting holes, and mark the xmember. Double-check and triple-check your markings. Drill the xmember and check your work. If all is well, bolt the tranny to the xmember, double-check everything, and give it a test run. As a final piece of work, remove the xmember and paint it whatever color you like. Or, have it chromed!
Good luck!!
