Cable Motor Support

[TooManyReels]

I have seen on some 69 Z-28 ( I believe mid year cars) a cable support/motor restraint kit installed on the drivers side. Was this an original factory installed part or an add on by the dealer to keep the motor from flexing and breaking motor supports.  Does anyone one know of the part number is for this system or what this part is called.

TMR
Eddie

[Charley]

It was part of a recall. If you are restoring your car to as built when new it will not have that cable setup.

[TooManyReels]

Thanks..
Just curious why you see it on some cars and not other ones. Was it due to the breaking of the driver side motor mount. They look kind of cool on the cars I've seen them on..
TMS
Eddie

[z28z11]

Thanks..
Just curious why you see it on some cars and not other ones. Was it due to the breaking of the driver side motor mount. They look kind of cool on the cars I've seen them on..
TMS
Eddie

It believe it was intended to do just that - restrain engine movement in the case of mount separation/failure, plus it would limit rotation (supposedly) to prevent that failure. It was a dealer service bulletin, but I wonder how many left the dealer floor with them added before the sale (after the service notice ?).

My '69 X77's was still on it when I bought it in '73 - I have no way of knowing when it was installed, though. I removed it when I installed headers in '74. I kept my original manifolds to reinstall, plus I have an NOS kit to reinstall the cable when it gets to restoration sometime in 2025 -

Regards,
Steve

[bertfam]

Take a look at REPLY #12.

Ed

[z28z11]

It was a dealer service bulletin, but I wonder how many left the dealer floor with them added before the sale (after the service notice ?).

My '69 X77's was still on it when I bought it in '73 -
[/quote]

I reckon that solves that - previous owner must have responded to the recall. I still intend on putting mine back on - just the way I drove it in '73.

Thanks Ed -

Regards,
Steve

[bertfam]

It was a dealer service bulletin, but I wonder how many left the dealer floor with them added before the sale (after the service notice ?).

I'd say none. The recall was issued in December of 1971, long after the first gen Camaro left the dealer lots.

Ed

[rare396bronze]

Have 68 car 327 one owner car & she say's she received a recall letter to have cable kit installed after she had owned for awhile. Is still on car motor has never been out yet.

[Azure1969Z/28]

does any one have pics of the cable kit installed on a 69?

[JohnZ]

<< does any one have pics of the cable kit installed on a 69? >>

See pics below of the restraint and dealer instructions - the recall was announced in December, 1971, and the letter to owners informing them of the recall was dated March, 1972.

[69Z28-RS]

I've always wondered if that manner of engine restraint, could possibly cause issues with the control arm shaft.  Does anyone have any information of evidence as to that ever being the situation with any of the cars it was applied to?

[BULLITT65]

I think you would have to be running some pretty crazy horsepower for it to show anykind of wear on that control arm shaft. I have had some big block cars that broke the drivers side motor mount even with it broken it didn't move many inches, just enough to break the fan shroud on one of my cars, but not much more. You would really have to put some effort in to see some major affects.

[red69]

In late 72 my 69Z already had headers on it, thus the cable kit would not work, the dealer checked with someone up the chain, and installed new motor mounts. I'm assuming they were interlocking.

[JoeC]

from what I remember , on the original motor mount, if the molded rubber broke free from the metal, the engine was free to raise up quiet a bit

the redesigned motor mount had a tee shaped metal safety catch built in, so if the molded rubber broke free from the metal, the engine did not raise up as much.

It you replaced the original motor mount with the new design you did not need to reinstall the safty cable.

I remember replaceing some of these when I worked at a service station in high school. The machanic hated doing them so would save them for me to do.
The test for a broken motor mount was to raise the hood, start the car, put it in gear with brakes on, and gas it. Then watch how high the engine would torque up. Looked like the engine would pop out.

[BULLITT65]

The original owner of my car was so worried about it, besides having the the factory recall one installed, he also had them install a cable on the passenger side! The ironic part of it, is the guy baby-ied the car so much he probably never had the rpms past 4k...lol