auto trans install problems ?

[barthmonster]

91 Rolla 3-speed. I finally got it out, but a couple of different sets of directions both said to take out the center-beam (north-south cross-member) which is attached at the rear BY being sandwitched between the control-arm x-member AND the rear trans mount piece of crap..

question: besides buying a trans jack and taller jackstands for the front-end what can I do to make the rear trans mount attachement go smoother ??

Do I a) install the 'ears' of the mount in the car first then try to bolt it to the trans when the trans is up (my hands are big now...) OR
b) install the mount to the trans and try (AGAIN !) to guide the ears onto the rubber mount in the car to slide the bolt through...

the man who invented that rear mount by the rack-and-pinion shoud be put in front of a firing squad....

[eage8]

I'm in the middle of doing the same thing (kind of... a 6 speed manual lol)

the way I'm planning on doing it is attach both the ears and the mount to the transmission and then raise the trans support and main subframe back into place sliding the mount's studs through the holes in the subframes while I'm raising it.

did you lower both subframes?

[barthmonster]

no, but I can if that's easier.

You lowered the cross-member that has the A-arms on the end ??

[barthmonster]

some day I'd like a silvertop or blacktop with manual trans so I'll need to know the easiest way for that too....

[SuperRA]

Originally Posted by barthmonster

the man who invented that rear mount by the rack-and-pinion shoud be put in front of a firing squad....

I'm sure they didn't really care. These were designed to be assembled with the engine and tranny attached to the subframe before being attached to the body. That's mass production for ya.

[barthmonster]

If this SONOFA you-know-what gives me any more shit I'm pulling the engine and both cross-members and I'll put the shit together in the driveway and use the cherry-picker to pull it up onto the bottom of the FRIGGIN' car !!

That would work right ???

[eage8]

Originally Posted by barthmonster

no, but I can if that's easier.

You lowered the cross-member that has the A-arms on the end ??

yeah, that's how my haynes manual said to do it... you could probably do it differently but it seems like the easiest way.