benji94

I've seen a bracket, some what triangular, fastened with two bolts to the inside of the left side frame rail just below and to the rear of the brake combination valve. Sorry I don't have a pic.

Anyone know what I'm talking about? What is it for? I've seen it on 71-72 Cutlass 442 frames. I do not recall taking one of these off my frame when I took it apart nor am I finding it in any of my boxes of parts. So I'm wondering whether or not its something I need to get, depending on what, exactly its for.

Thanks.

501Paratrooper

Is it a battery cable tube and bracket?

benji94

Nope...this is on the inside of the lower left front frame rail, bolt just behind the proportioning valve...I'm wondering if its a bracket for the brake line but if so I don't know why my car didn't have it.

dc2x4drvr

That is the bracket for the transmission equalizer. You'll need it:0

benji94

Aha!...any thoughts on how the car managed without one...or maybe, just maybe (its been known to happen), it was there and I've misplaced it during disassembly over the past three years.

I've checked Fusick and Inline Tube's parts listings but haven't found it.

Thanks.

Tom442

Could it be part of the backdrive...tranny to steering column lock stuff??

boese1978

Almost positive it is a bracket with a pivot point that is used to hold the "Z" bar on manual transmission cars. I know this from first hand experience.

benji94

Maybe???...but my z-bar attached to a smaller bracket bolted (with two bolts) to the top of the frame and in front of (and higher) than the proportioning (combination) brake valve.

I'm searching for a pic some place but haven't come up with it yet.

dc2x4drvr

Thttp://wildaboutcarsonline.com/members/AardvarkPublisherAttachments/9990351010928/70_Sec_7_-_Sec_8.pdf
This should help..

benji94

Ok, found a pic: silver bracket lower left???

droldsmorland

Thats for Automatic trans shift linkage. Theres a nylon ball that lives in that round area at the end.

benji94

SUPER!...I was beginning to think I had something critical missing. Since mine's a 4-speed I'm guessing it never had one to begin with. The pic is from a 72 W30 4 speed car restored by Inline Tube...wonder why they put this bracket on the car if it was a 4 speed car???

Ok. thanks all. Clears that up and I can go out in the garage and get back to work.

dc2x4drvr

Uh, no, that bracket on the MT car is for the back drive linkage...do you happen to have an Assembly Manual, the drawing is in Group 7, page 142. The bracket is used on AT & MT cars..

droldsmorland

Ahhh yes dc that is part of the lock out linkage for a stick car. Memory’s the second thing to go. The other part I described looks similar hell it might even be the same part knowing GM? The car will operate without the lock out assembly but you may not have reverse lights or be able to get the key out of the ign sw. On a 70 I believe the back drive rotates the collar on the steering column which in turn switches on the rev lights and allows removal of the key once in park. Of course all of this can be modified and bypassed over the years.

boese1978

Not for a automatic! That is for a manual transmission, my guess is they put them on all the frames as I have the exact same in my auto car and had the same ( that held the z bar) on my 4speed car.

joe_padavano

One more time, for 1969-up, this same bracket was ALSO used for MT cars for the backdrive linkage that locks the shifter with the ignition.

boese1978

I am referring to my '68's, in the automatic car it is and was unused, on my 4 speed car, it is / was used as part of the linkage.

benji94

Ok, got it! I do have the assembly manual and saw the part in there. That's when I started looking for it in my boxes of stored parts. Couldn't find it.

So my car apparently didn't have it when I got it ('78) so I have to assume the original owner must have taken it off. He had put headers on it so I'm wondering if the linkage had to go to accomodate headers?

I did have backup lights and never had a problem of getting the key out of the ignition so something must have been bypassed somehow.

I'll probably put it back to gether as I found it unless there is a significant reason otherwise (besides originality). Otherwise it looks like a number of parts I would need besides just the bracket.

Thanks all.

Eddie Hansen

Perhaps previous owner removed it it is for the linkage have the same on my 69, if you left the column in the locked postion meaning reverse , disconnected the wire from the column and used a switch on the tranny the reverse lights would work and you would have no issues with the key if it is a 68 ignition is in the dash so no issues there I was perhaps wondering if it was a column shifted manual but probably not, there are linkages etc that attach to that and your shifter they bind up so folks remove them sometimes

rcorrigan5

On my '68 4-4-2 auto on the column, that bracket is used to hold the transmission linkage.

Randy C.

69442C

There was an early back drive linkage for the 69 Cutlass/442 cars that did not use this bracket or the cross shaft. Instead, te shift arm that connects to the trans had a hole for the back drive rod. And...with this set-up, the arm on the colum that the back drive rod attached to was also different....as in shorter. If the short arm on the column is used with the conventional back drive set up, the geometry is all wrong and the automatic floor shifter cannot be pulled down into 2nd and 1st gear. Found this out the hard way. This early back drive is detailed in the assembly manual.

benji94

Interesting...its an M20 (original w/matching vin derivative on the case) 4 speed w/Hurst shifter on the floor with a console. There was a switch bolted to the tranny that activated the backup lights. I thought it was the way they came but obviously not! The column appears to have been original and unmolested as far as I know when I took it out, but then I'm obviously not an expert on it.

Having thought about this some, I'm beginning to recall that many years ago, maybe in the mid-late to late 80s I might have removed this bracket at the time I put a new set of headers on the car since it was just there with nothing attached to it and it served no obvious purpose. Not sure, but I'm starting to have a vague recollection about it.

It does seem like a lot of hardware for what little it does. Safety factor I guess.

Thanks.

Eddie Hansen

Benji my 69 also has the m-20 4 speed , it had this linkage 'thingy, and basically when you put her into reverse an arm off the tyranny moves an arm on the steering column base and rotates the column ,cover, etc into the lock position or reverse. When mine bound up I just removed the linkage ( I did keep it) and move the column into reverse when I wanted my back up lights to work lol... your switch may be original I don't know for sure I can only be sure of what came on mine.

ROCKET VAPOR

benji94

So yeah, I'm guessing all these rods would be in the way if headers were to be installed!

Thanks for the 'complete' picture!