Brace Strut Torque Specs
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Pasco, Washington
Brace Strut Torque Specs
Hi y’all,
(This regards a 96 vette base model)
I’m planning on doing my oil pan gasket and heard from a coworker that you can remove the two diagonal braces beneath the pan to get to it instead of pulling the engine.
What torque specs y’all recommend on the braces when bolting em back in?
Gabe
(This regards a 96 vette base model)
I’m planning on doing my oil pan gasket and heard from a coworker that you can remove the two diagonal braces beneath the pan to get to it instead of pulling the engine.
What torque specs y’all recommend on the braces when bolting em back in?
Gabe
Racer
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 432
Likes: 128
I just removed those braces when I removed the lower control arms on my car, and have some pointers. The ends of the braces have two bolts that go into the frame. The lower bolts can be accessed from underneath the car, but you will need a standard wrench to access the one on the passenger side, as the exhaust is in the way, no fitting a socket there. Do not use a 12-point box end on them, as they are in there pretty tight, and you'll round the heads long before they break loose. The upper bolts are easiest to access from the top, through the engine bay. Again, the passenger side is the pain here, as there's not much room. I used a small pipe on the end of the wrench in order to reach it easier, and get enough leverage to crack it loose.
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Pasco, Washington
I just removed those braces when I removed the lower control arms on my car, and have some pointers. The ends of the braces have two bolts that go into the frame. The lower bolts can be accessed from underneath the car, but you will need a standard wrench to access the one on the passenger side, as the exhaust is in the way, no fitting a socket there. Do not use a 12-point box end on them, as they are in there pretty tight, and you'll round the heads long before they break loose. The upper bolts are easiest to access from the top, through the engine bay. Again, the passenger side is the pain here, as there's not much room. I used a small pipe on the end of the wrench in order to reach it easier, and get enough leverage to crack it loose.
Another thing that I saw down there was that the engine mounts are bolted to the braces too! The engine won’t fall or anything if the braces are pulled, right?
