You're definitely lucky. I couldn't get the puller to stay on straight, so it was back to the pry bar and hammer. I smacked each side with a 3 lb mallet a couple times, and then applied the bar. It finally popped free onto the bolts (good idea). Thanks again. :cheers:

 

69ttop502: IM your address so I can send you a case of beer :)

I read this thread a few days before I removed mine and tried it with the gear puller after about 3 hours of prying on it. After the gear puller, it took about 5 min getting it to line up and with a huge "SNAP" it came right down. I tried to find this thread afterwards to thank you for the advice but couldn't find it. This method definately need to go in a "Tech Tips" section somewhere.


[Modified by Maurice, 6:31 PM 1/28/2003]

 

A little heat might have helped, I used a steel splitting wedge and a pickle fork. I drove the pickle fork in on one side, on the outside of the grommet socket, between the crossmember and the frame support. I drove it in as far as I could with a 5lb maul, then put a 4ft pipe on it and rested my 250lb body on it. It didn't budge a millilmeter. I then went to the other side and did the same thing, still no movement. Then I got the splitting wedge out, it is about 1-1/2" thick at the back and about 7" long and 1-1/4" wide. It fit in the space I'd already made with the pickle fork. I started hammering it in. I was hitting it so hard my wife actually came out of the house to see what I was destroying (she thinks I'm crazy for working on cars anyway and was sure I'd gone over the edge.)
I had a floor jack about an inch below the center of the pumpkin, and I had the half-shafts still attached. I also had some folded up old blankets over the exhaust pipes (I still had the exhaust connected.) So when it dropped it wouldn't fall too far until it hit the padded pipes.
After about 5 minutes of extreme pounding one side popped free. It dropped down until the half-shaft was on the exhaust pipe. I went to the other side and started pounding on it, about 3 licks later it popped loose.
I lowered the floor jack until both half shafts were laying on the exhaust pipes. Then I crawled under and wrestled the whole thing out.
When I went back I made sure those rubber bushings were well lubed with water-resistant grease.

 

Great thread guys, just doing mine now, it's a bitch!

 

I realised I was being too gentle so I went out there and gave it a firm pry with a 3' pry bar and success! went round the other side and success again! All took less then a minute, is this a world record??

The only other thing I did was spray the bolts with WD40 10 minutes before.

 

As some of the others have said, a gear puller is a life saver here. Here are some photos of how I rigged mine up.

 

wedges between crossmember and frame pound in as far as possible then walk away for a while then reset wedges constant preasure will release them

 

I did this a couple months back, soaked the bajesus oit of the c.m. ,,, Loosen the bolts all but a few turns..... I used a 8'ice spud, about a 30 lb bar. Put he flat end over the lip of the c.m. ,,,, put a milk crate or something to catch he bar, and just sit next to it and laen steady. Ididmineat nigh,it was daed quiet i coild actually hear the rust crackling before it dropped. The crate caught the bar and savedmy back,and the bolts caught the c.m. .....for what it is worth.

 

Guys, this isn't like removing a stuck wheel. The rubber on the cushion has bonded itself to the metal of the mount. What Tooliepig thought was rust crackling was actually the rubber peeling off the mount. Just use some patience. Drive some wedges in and walk away. Give the rubber time to release itself. 5 min. If it didn't let go drive them in some more. Same with the puller. Put a load on it and wait a little.

 

Actually that makes sense as there was not ant signs of heavy rust. Interesting point. Tje method did work well though.

 

Soaked everything before hand.
Backed the bolts partway off.
Two largish chisels


All few good hits to load them up and POP


Time and pressure is a wonderful thing, plus I just don't like prying on stuff while the car is up on stands, regardless of how many of them I put under there
Mooser

 

Same here. I was lucky in that mine came right off.

I will say this, my motorcycle jack was one handy tool during the suspension & rear end work.

 

Mooser, in your last pic you can see the rubber starting to peal away from the mount on the right side.
Mike

 

I used 2 jaw puller also but the trick to keeping it secure is removing the attach bolt and replace with a bolt you put a divet in the head so the puller can sit securely in while you rotate. Then the whole thing pops with a big BANG.

 

Hi Mike
Not sure what you mean there? Do you see something I missed?
Mooser

 

New member here . Fought with my rear cross member for 2.5 days . Do not remove the tabs on the bottom as previously mentioned . The last thing I tried was air hammering in 2 large pickle forks on the passenger side front and back on the pad . Then soaking with PB Blaster from the top side while holding the rubber lip down next to the steel cone so penetrant could seep in . Left it under pressure and heard a bang from the garage 2 hours later . Found it hanging up by the lose mounting bolt .
With one side free I used the leverage and weight of the Pumpkin with the 2 forks installed on the drivers side and soaked with PB . Lowered the R side down at least 12". Ten minutes later the left side let go and lowered the whole deal it down as soft as a feather . A long fight that tested me to use all my tricks with no damage . A labor of love lol !

 

Mine took many many days of time and pressure including a puller given a turn every few hours and ratchet strapping a cinder block to hang from the crossmemnber. A real beach of a job on mine.

 

You don't have to drop the crossmember to drop the differential. You only need these two simple tools.



Done it myself twice, here's my original post on the subject

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1595211961

 

Probably unnecessary to re-start a thread that began 21 years ago with a question like this.

Better idea to start a new thread.