35olds

I have a '70 442 W30 Auto and recently stripped down the chassis to restore it. The cross member for the auto trans was bolted directly to the side chassis rails (with no insulators).
I've since seen rubber insulators & brackets lists on various parts suppliers sites like The Parts Place (see photo attached), OPGI and others but I can't see anywhere in the Olds Parts Books or Assembly Manual that shows these.
Can anyone verify for me that these were actually original equipment (a photo would be fantastic).
Thanks so much.

svnt442

I have never seen any type in insulator on any of the cars I have worked on over the years. That's not to say they weren't there from the factory, but I have never seen them and I have had my hands on quite a few since I was 15 (46 now).

My guess would be that they were not used (at least on the 68 and up cars), but that is just an "educated guess" on my part.

35olds

Thanks Randy. Thats what I'd suspected, particularly when they weren't shown in the parts book.
Cheers
Rohan

oldcutlass

None of the A body cars I have worked on have had these insulators installed. All xmembers were bolted directly to the frame. Not sure of the convertibles as I have never worked on one.

joe_padavano

A-body Oldsmobiles never used isolators. Other brands did. Yet another case of a mis-informed vendor trying to make more money off of parts that aren't correct for an Olds. Kind of like the repro plastic cowl screens for Chevelles that everyone claims fit an Olds.

35olds

Thanks Joe,
I thought that was probably the case when the parts book didn't show them.
Cheers
Rohan

70sgeek

Just curious - what would be the harm in using them? I have a new repro pair left over from my prior '72 Skylark that I was planning to install on my '72 CS ragtop when the drivetrain goes back in.

svnt442

If they weren't used from the factory, why would you add them?

70sgeek

Presumably for the same reason they were used in other A-bodies - to provide a little more road shock insulation for the crossmember. Unless they somehow change the crossmember/transmission mounting geometry in manner not shared with the other A-frames, I wouldn't see any downside for normal driving use.

66luvr

FWIW, These were used on Buicks, and the rubber pieces are still available from GM, part number1385001. Do not know what years Buick used them but they were on a 67 Skylark I owned.

svnt442

For me it's just another point of failure. They were not installed from the factory and to my mind they are not necessary. You can do what you like of course, it's your car.