trans crossmember problem

OK, maybe I don't have a big enough hammer, but my crossmember will not come out!

I'm trying to do my clutch and the dman thing will not budge but maybe 1/4"

what do I need, a 10lb sledge? Part of me thinks that if it is this tough to come out, what kind of pain will it be to put it back in?

any suggestions?

thanks

It sounds like yours is like mine was the first time I pulled it out....
A high lift jack, or a bottle jack and some boards will spread the frame enough to get it out. You dont want to spread it too far apart. Just enough to get it loose enough to hammer out. The first time I did mine, I went too far with the high lift, and we ended up bending the pins in the jack trying to get it out. Also, you could warp the frame and screw all kinds of things up. I warped mine at the time enough to only need a hammer to take it out. Since then, it has opened up more on its own and now just falls out by hand.

i take a hammer and drive it all the way up to the floor board then i drive it back. i have never needed a spreader to get one out.

well, the trans is in the way so I can't drive it up to the floorboard, I'm gonna go to home depot tonight an buy a nice sledge and pound the brown stuff out of it. If I had a hi-lift i'd go that route, but I'd be afraid of warping the frame permanently. BFH is my destiny.

thanks
Ken

oh it is a real peach to get out and even more fun going back in ! you just gotta get it just right ! push bottom center towards rear end and walk it out.
but a BFH does help !

Ken in AZ,

If you do anything, get or borrow a port-a-power tool to spread the frame, in & out.
I have seen it in action, Man it is easier.

WAYNES WORLD

Raise the rear mount high enough that the studs are almost out of the crossmember then roll the top ears of the crossmember towards the back of the truck. The frame get wider toward the rear so if you easily hit the front side of the bottom of the crossmember causing it to go up and back it will come out with ease.

hey thanks guys! I went to ACE and got a sledge...4-5 evenly placed blows lowered it enought to pull the transmission back to allow me to install the clutch and the new input shaft.

I'm still not finished with it, seems that every step of the way is like pulling teeth....case in point - the new input shaft had a nick on the end of one of the splines not allowing it to go into the clutch disk, so I tried to file it down and I guess thee metal is to durn tough and it wouldn't file down....so I had to chip it off with a pair of dykes.....then the plastic alignment tool was being a jerk and allowing the disks to sag when installing the pressure plate so I had to use the input shaft as the alignment tool.(good thing I test fitted everything every step of the way otherwise I'd have one hell of a time getting the trans in there when it came time)

Tonight I'll be trying to get that crossmember back up in there, hopefully I can just jack it back up in there (crossing fingers). good thing I live 3.7 miles from work and can just ride my beach cruiser to work...you should have seen me yesterday, riding home on my cruiser with a 10lb sledge over my shoulder...classic (ps: I'm 240lbs 6' 1")

will let you know how it turns out!

again....many thanks

Ken