Skip Burney

Well after I cut out my cross member and made it a simple bolt in installation I put in the new engine tonight and all I can say is WHY did I wait to long. It makes everything so much easier. If you are ever thinking about it DO IT!

bj1k

You have to wonder why the factory didn't just make all of the cross members unbolt . It makes no sense. Just another thing that makes these cars hard to work on.

doorgunner

I think you answered the question = Anything to discourage the average person from doing their own repairs

Skip Burney

It really makes things easier that's for sure, from the looks of the welding on the frames they were built as cheaply as possible and adding a bolt in cross member might have added a whole 5 bucks to the cost of the frame manufacturing

Frankenvette

I'm installing a Ford T5 5 speed and very thankful I have a removable cross member.

rays699

automatic have bolt on cross member, WHY!!!!

The Punisher

So glad mine was bolted in. made the swap to a 4spd a little easier

Staylor63

I heard from an old time corvette guy that they were welded in for manuals because of the added torque on the frame....sounded reasonable.

Shark Racer

Probably because you can remove a 4-speed without dropping the crossmember, but NFW you could drop an auto with the crossmember in place.

Skip Burney

Have you ever done it? I tried twice in my 73 and it was a bloody nightmare. Now no problem at all I left 8 inch stubs in the frame sides and made 4 plates with 3 3/8 inch bolt holes in them. I bolted the plates together in pairs and tack welded them to the frame stubs. Then I dropped a centerline to the shop floor and trimmed the center section to fit between them and lifted it into place with a floor jack and tacked the center section into place. Then I took it all apart and welded everything up solid, sand blasted, primed and painted and everything lined up perfectly. Now I have 3 bolts on each side and it drops out like it should have all along

Shark Racer

No and I didn't say it was easy. My 78 was originally an auto car. Aside from the machinations around disconnecting the transmission, getting it out is easy.

I know it's possible, and that you can even fit a larger trans (Tremec TKO) using a fixed crossmember. Would I want to do it? No. Bolted in is going to be way easier. It looks like a production, separate the trans from the bellt, get some angles on the engine-bell pair and the trans, then sneak the transmission out.

76vette1

While in high school in Minnesota in the early 70's, the school had a ride-along program with the police for students to spend an evening riding along with an officer. During my ride, a call came in about a burglary at the Chevy dealer. It seems someone climbed over the fence surrounding the back lot, jacked up a new Corvette and removed the 4 spd from the car and climbed back out. The officer asked the service manager if he wanted to prosecute the person if caught. The service manager said no, he wanted to hire the guy. He said he had guys working for him that could not remove the transmission with the car six feet in the air, and here a guy did it with the car sitting on the ground. I never did hear any more about it.

Skip Burney

My hats off to that thief, I tried it twice and lost 2 pints of blood, about 2 square feet of skin and invented 4 new cusswords for the English language. I swore then and there as I was pulling the engine that I would never put the engine back without cutting the crossmember

69ttop502

Skip, I have had the Muncie in and out of my 69 more than I would care to admit and it isn't that bad! Would be glad to help lol! Now, the Richmond I am putting in is another story!

Bill

midigike

Funny I was just reading a story about the winnest, non factory supported L88 and one of the issues they had was ripping the crossmember out of the car during a race from all the power and having to use a logging chain to make a field repair at the track. Then going back out to get 2nd place and 6th overall. So I now understand why manual trans cars are welded.