Bolt in cross member radiator mount support

[ricko1966]

No pics to put up yet will try to add some soon.Anyways 2nd festiva my radiator support has rusted where the cross member bolts up.I made a pretty freaking decent brace and maybe it's my imagination but it also seems to stiffen the front end like a MK1 VW lower strut brace.Here goes trying to explain it.Get a piece of 36 inch long piece of 14 gauge angle iron 2x2 "(thicker won't be better, just more work). Strap the engine in place I've got a tool for it but a 4x4 under the hood and a ratchet strap would work.Hang the motor in place at the transmission end.Unbolt the front stabilizer bar, the front of the crossmember the 2 mounts on the crossmember and the 2 corner brackets.Drill 2 x1/2 inch holes 1 inch from each end of the angle.Now there will be 2 studs sticking down where you removed your corner brackets push the angle over the studs and put your corner brackets back on with 1 nut,mark the other hole you will need on each end to bolt on the corner brackets.Push the cross member back up and Mark the 2 holes you'll need to drill to bolt up the cross member.Take the angle back off and drill all the holes 1/2 inch.Now you can. reinstall the brace I had to bolt mine to the cross member 1st so I could use original bolts washers rubbers and a washer and nut on top that I could hold the nut with a wrench by doing it first.Push the brace and mount into place and bolt on your corner braces , stabilizer bar, and transmission mounts. Tips the holes being a little to large allows movement for positioning, if you grind 1/8th inch off the front of the crossmember it will go together easier. Bend the little lips of extra sheet metal at the bottom of the radiator support forward just a hair with a hammer or vice grips. Since no pic yet,orientation of angle is 1 flat across the bottom of the radiator support other flat is at front edge of radiator support pointing down towards the ground like a tiny air dam.

I am going to add these to all my festivas as preventive maintenance.

[ricko1966]

You can see where the corner braces trap the angle and barely visible is where the crossmember is bolted to center of the angle.Going to make another one for one of the other cars probably Thursday I'll try to put a pic of it not instalked.But really it's a no brainer 36 inches of angle with 2 holes on each end and 2 holes in the middle..