transmission cross member

[truckdude239]

i got an 71 chevu c-10 with 3 speed trany i got to looking today and it looks like i'm missing an cross menber on the back of the transmission can anyone post pictures of the crossmenber anyone know where i can get one? how important is this cross menber

[truckdude239]

also anyone know what size the bolts going into the trans mount are?

[Gordo]

There isn't a cross member under the tail of the standard transmission in your 71. The cross member that holds up the back end is under the bell housing. If your truck was automatic you would have one under the tail end of the tranny instead of under the bell housing.

[truckdude239]

okay i was wondering the transmission i bought today has the mount on the back as does mine just no crossmenber

[shifty]

For reference only, this is what the manual tranny mount looks like (mounts to bellhousing):

http://satellitehead.com/images/68ch...%20%282%29.jpg


This is what the automatic tranny cross member looks like:

http://satellitehead.com/images/68ch...swap%20017.jpg

I just bought an auto tranny xmember from a board member on here, spent some time cleaning it up and painting it and got all new hardware so I can bolt my LS1/T56 to it

[truckdude239]

okay so i have to remove the crossmenber in the front to get the transmission out or can i remove the trans from bell houseing and the unbolt the bellhouseing and get it out without removing the menber? i never done anything like this before lol

[shifty]

is the engine still bolted to it?

[truckdude239]

yeah i need to go pick up another trans to bell bolt i only got 3 hold it in but yes its bolted to the engine still

[shifty]

if it's still bolted to the engine, you're looking at some fun

honestly, in my opinion, the fastest and easiest way you're gonna do this is like so:

support the tranny with a jack. get a sawzall. cut the xmember in the #2 cut marked below if possible. when it's free and clear, keep the tranny supported with a jack, unbolt the 4-6 bolts holding the bellhousing to the engine block, then drop the tranny, cut xmember and everything.

[shifty]

PS - if the above is not an option for you, the only other way I know of is to pull the engine so you can gain access to separate the bellhousing and tranny. honestly, it may be necessary to do things that way anyhow - you gotta think about inserting the splines on the tranny into the engine anyway.

i'm sure some of the other members have better or more suggestions than mine. i'm just sharing my experience.

PSS - just a word of advice: i found the easiest way to get those stupid rivets our is just to make the cut #2 shown above, sawzall the head of them off, then smack the flap of metal with a hammer - it will come out.

[Zeke]

Are you wanting to get rid of the forward trans mount and install an aft mount or just replace the transmission? The trans will come out without cutting the forward mount just like any other transmission. Support the engine, disconnect clutch linkage, shifter linkage, speedo cable and any other wires/cables attached to the trans. Remove the two bellhousing to mount bolts, bend the tangs on lock washers first, unbolt the bellhousing from engine slide it back and drop it out. You can then get to the bellhousing to trans bolts. If you cut the forward mount you will have to get an aft mount or replace the forward.

[Tx Firefighter]

Zeke, even that's the hard way.

Remove the two upper trans bolts with a ratchet and socket.
Remove the two lower trans bolts with a wrench.
Pull transmission out.

There's no reason to even unbolt the bellhousing from the engine. No jack needed at all. Leave it installed and mounted up tight, so it supports the engine. The only difficult part is getting the two lower trans bolts out, as they screw in from the front, inside the bottom of the bellhousing. a 3/4 inch box end wrench will get them though.

And truckdude, they all had the boss and holes in the tailhousing for a trans mount, even though the trucks didn't use a rear crossmember. Gordo told you right. The bellhousing crossmember is all trucks used when they had a standard transmission.

[truckdude239]

okay i got to pull the bellhouseing becfause i'm going to replace the clutch while the trans is out i bougth an new trans for 15 buxs guy told me give them 15 buxs for it its just takeing up space as long as i didn't have to cut anything lol

[Tx Firefighter]

You don't have to mess with the bellhousing to change the clutch.

Unbolt the clutch assembly and it drops right out the bottom. You can also remove the flywheel for machining that way too. Leave the bellhousing alone. That's what the big hole in the bottom of the bellhousing is for, so the stuff can be dropped out the bottom easily.

If you unbolt the bellhousing and remove it, you're wasting effort for nothing.

[shifty]

Wierd, with my setup, removing the four bolts holding tranny to the bellhousing would have been a nightmare, if possible unless I had an impact ratchet.

[Tx Firefighter]

Shifty,

Did yours have the two top bolts coming in from the back and the two lower bolts coming in from the front? I've always just used a good wrench on the lower 2 and a long extension and socket on the upper two.

[shifty]

On mine, all four were coming from the inside. I think the PO might have done this backwards, because in looking at the tranny, it looks like the bottom two should have had the head facing the pressure plate and the top two should have been facing the rear of the truck.

I remember distinctly they were all the same direction (head towards pressure plate) when I removed them because everyone kept saying it was a snap to drop the tranny off the bellhousing and I couldn't get to the bolts. Was a major pain in the tail.

Thinking about it more closely, I don't even think the top holes of my 3spd are even threaded. I wonder if this explains some of the weird behaviour the PO mentioned...

[Tx Firefighter]

I'd bet someone drilled the upper holes out and installed a bolt/ nut combo in it's place.

[truckdude239]

mine on top where screwed in and the ones in the bottom had nuts on the back of them

[shifty]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I'd bet someone drilled the upper holes out and installed a bolt/ nut combo in it's place.

it wasn't the original tranny. it was synchro'ed and i think it was you that told me that the sag' 3spds weren't synchro'ed until 69+. Mine is definitely synchronized. lord only knows what the person installing them did.

[truckdude239]

the one i bought for 15 buxs is slighty different then mine only differentce is my had 4 bolts and the new one has an place for 5 bolts from the trans to bell

[Zeke]

Tx Firefighter - you're right, it's been a while. Just unbolt the trans from bell housing and pull straight back to clear clutch and it will come right out.