shock tower crack

[alphachip]

Here goes...had anyone heard of this happening?

I'm in the process of detailing my engine bay...289 and c4 are out of car. I was getting ready to reinstall them yesterday when I noticed a crack in the shock tower. I could swear it wasn't there before.

I was just wondering...can this happen when the weight of the engine is out of the car. I sure know it shouldn't happen. The car is a california car...no rot...surface rust only.

The big question is can I get away with welding the cracks...they've spidered a little...I drilled the ends to relieve them and no futher cracking has been observed.

Any info or thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jim (67 mustang convertible...289...c4...red on red)

[Rev]

Is this going to be a show car? How much power do you anticipate?

If it was me, being a powermonger street driver, I would just weld up the cracks and put in one of the popular shock tower reinforcement kits before reinstalling the drivetrain. This is assuming that "correctness" is not a factor.

Rev

[Ron1]

Shock tower cracking has been and still is, a very common problem on the 64 1/2 thru 70 Mustangs and Cougars. As Rev said....Pro-Motorsport Engineering in Sandy, Utah, (801)571-6097 makes a repair kit to cure the problem. It not only repairs the shock tower but also re-inforces it, to keep it from happening again, because it will.
I would also recommend a Monte Carlo bar to straddle the engine compartment from tower to tower, and make sure your export braces are in good shape and tight to prevent any twisting.

Ron