I am pulling my motor and 4 speed muncie out to go though them this winter and clean everything up. I have run into a snag with the crossmember. I have removed all the bolts and it will not come out. I have slid it forward, backward, side to side. I have jacked up the tranny but still cannot seem to get it out. Any tricks or help will be appreciated.
Thanks
Scott

Scott.

Loosen the rearmost subframe bolt on each side a few turns; this allows the subframe to drop just enough so the crossmember can be removed. Otherwise it gets jammed up between the subframe and the floor.

Jody

Thanks, I was looking at that but did not want to start wrenching on that if I did not need to. But that makes sense.
Scott

I always "unscrew" the crossmember. Move one side forward & the other side back. Sometimes you need a doubled fist to persuade it.

Doubled fist? Yow!! That sounds painful! Let me be the first to suggest a BFH. They can be very persuasive without all the bruising.

Ditto on the hammer and a block of wood if your particular about scuff marks.

Ditto, I use a dead blow hammer.

Tim

I probably could pursuade it out with a bfh. I might try that if I don't have any luck trying to loosen the subframe bolts. I don't want to snap them off and would think they are in there pretty good.
Scott

sounds like it might be time for you to throw in some new body mounts while it's apart over the winter. the CE mounts are about $35 or so, and will give you a LOT of room to get the crossmember out and in.

I like the idea of dropping the rear of the subframe. Wish I had thought of that. Also, how do I know this, with a nicely painted underneath, the 'friction fit' of the crossmember and floor pan neatly smeared off the paint at that place.

Does the Subframe bolt have a nut at the top to hold or is it built in? I don't want to have to start taking body panels off.
Scott

The nut is in a cage underneath the seat support. Unless the cage is rusted through or is weakened and breaks loose the nut will remain in place.

The nut & cage will be rusty, and the cage will break and the nut will spin round and round while doing nothing useful... unless you're working with a recently restored car. Use the BFH... put some rags on top of the crossmember to minimize floor scratching