Transmission brace 6 cyl 3 speed

[keith golanowski]

Can anyone who has swapped a 6 cyl for a 350 or any v8 tell me if the standard trans brace that is riveted to the frame has to be removed so I can install my turbo 400 trans.

It looks to me like this brace has to be removed and if so what is the best way to remove the rivets?

Thanks Keith

[randy500]

You do have to remove the manual trans cross member which bolts up the bellhousing. Its riveted so there are many ways...
1. Grind the heads off and punch them out
2. Grind the head and then drill them out.
3. Cut the rivets with an air chisel....I think is the easiest method, need a pretty good air chisel to make a clean cut though.
4. I guess you could cut out the cross member with acetylene torch or plasma cutter.

[keith golanowski]

Originally Posted by randy500

You do have to remove the manual trans cross member which bolts up the bellhousing. Its riveted so there are many ways...
1. Grind the heads off and punch them out
2. Grind the head and then drill them out.
3. Cut the rivets with an air chisel....I think is the easiest method, need a pretty good air chisel to make a clean cut though.
4. I guess you could cut out the cross member with acetylene torch or plasma cutter.

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[keith golanowski]

im wondering if there is easy way to get at the top ones under the cab
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[DjS71]

I used a 3lb hammer and a cold chisel (w/hand guard) to bang the heads off since it was too close to the cab for a grinder and I don't have a big boy compressor & air hammer. Then I just used punch to get them out, again, crappy point of approach to the rivets themselves but thems the brakes without taking the cab off.

[kda2000]

The cross member is actually 3 pieces -- use a 4 1/2" electric grinder. grind the 2 heads flat on the lower rail and then the two on the attaching point on the cross member -- The use a punch to knock them out -- the heads have to be totally gone, its incredible the holding power of just a little steel. Even with the head gone a rivet will hold and resist coming out, unlike a bolt, its formed to the hole by the riveting process. Remove the small end pieces once the 4 rivets on each side are removed, and then you have access to the upper rivets -- still a pain to get to but can be done. Wear eye protection.

[EARNHARDT#3]

I used a sawzall with a Milwaukee Torch blade and sawed it out. Those Torch blades are the ONLY metal blade to buy. Expensive but worth every cent.

[JimGreg72]

Yah, I just went through this on my 72. It's a genuine PIA. I used a grinder with cutting wheel to cut the heads off and then punch um out. Can't get the grinder to the ones that go under the cab though. I was able to get a small hack saw in there and cut the heads off that way. It took me 4 hours to get that thing out of there!