shock tower crack
 

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)

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

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