Installing Transmission From the Bottom?

[FloridaPhil]

I'm trial fitting a C6 into my 1968 Ford Ranger 2WD (360FE) before I install the rebuilt tranny. I have the manual transmission, bell housing and flywheel out of the truck. I haven't cut the floor to mount the high hump cover yet. I've been waiting to see how the C6 fits. Man, it's a tight fit with the front suspension cross member in the way. I can see I'll need to remove the exhaust manifolds and header pipes. Will the trans fit up in there or should I take out the engine and put the engine and tranny in the truck as a unit?

[mrollings53]

When I pulled my C6 last year I went down and out from under the truck. Don't see why putting it in can't be the same. I did have to remove the crossmember that the tail housing bolts to and slide it back to get the tranny out. My motor and exhaust were removed by this point, so I didn't have those to deal with. I would look for a transmission jack or adapter that can be placed on a floor jack. Won't have to worry about the transmission falling on you that way.

[basketcase0302]

I did have to remove the crossmember

Never pulled mine yet, but through the years here that's always been the consensus. With the cross member and manifolds out of the way it should go in.
Tight have you...but should go in from all the members who've posted here through the years.

[FloridaPhil]

Sounds good. I'll remove the exhaust manifolds and pipes today and give it a try. I hate installing motors and transmissions as a unit. That's a lot of weight hanging up there and it makes me nervous. Thanks!

[70_F100]

If you don't remove the front crossmember, it will be nearly impossible, especially if you don't have the floor cut out.

[FloridaPhil]

I removed the exhaust pipes and manifolds and it made a lot more room, but the top of the transmission is hitting the floor. I've decided to cut the floor (low hump) and use the cover (high hump) I bought a few weeks ago. I need to see a picture of the stock cut out floor so I can see where they cut it. I'll post the question and see if anyone's got a pic.

[FloridaPhil]

I cut out the floor for the high hump and I still need more room. You may be able to squeeze it in there with some firewall massage, but I'm not too keen on that. Besides, I may want to remove the transmission again some time... I can see that I need to remove the front crossmember to be where I want to be. I searched this forum and found out about grinding out rivets and replacing them with grade 8 bolts and nuts to remove the front crossmember. Works for me. Before I start ginding away, I would like to verify that I only need to grind out the 4 rivets on the bottom of the crossmember (two on each side)? The top of the front crossmember on my truck looks to be bolted to the frame. I don't think I need to do anything to the front suspension or remove the rivets from the brackets holding the suspension arms. If I grind out the bottom rivets and unbolt the top, will the crossmember come out easily? I have the truck in the air with the wheels hanging so there shouldn't be any load on the front suspension.

[Whateverman]

i guess i got lucky and haven't had any rivets to grind off the front crossmember in any of my trucks (& the only truck i had that even had a riveted front x-member was a f350)..... there isn't even any evidence that the front crossmember in my ol' pig was ever bolted to the frame at the top....holes are there,but not ever bolted..... its also been running grade 5 bolts in the other 4 holes for the last 20yrs that i've had it ....but whatever,thats my truck....you'll be glad you've eliminated the rivets at the end of the day thats for sure..

you can leave the radius arm brackets & etc alone,you don't need them outta the way just the x-member
the x-member can be a bit of a pain in the @$$ to get back in sometimes (especially if you try putting it in backwards like i usually try to do)...but it comes out pretty easy after a good smack with a persuasion device

[basketcase0302]

I would like to verify that I only need to grind out the 4 rivets on the bottom of the crossmember (two on each side)?

If I'm not mistaken there are actually four per side. Two on the outside of the frame rail and two on the bottom of each bracket.
Here's a picture of when I did mine:
http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... can085.jpg

[FloridaPhil]

Thanks for the feedback. Removing the front crossmember is definately the way to go. I'm warming up my Dremel tool...

[DuckRyder]

Trucks that came with a C6 have a bolt in crossmember to start with... no way is it going in from the bottom without removing the suspension crossmember.

It won't come out "easily" but it will come out, if I recall correctly the trick is to push it forward then raise one end and rotate...

[FloridaPhil]

I removed the top bolts on the front crossmember and started grinding out the rivets. My truck has two on each side at the bottom of the front crossmember. I can see I'm going to need some heavy duty grinding disks to get through these rivets. I used a box of the small Dremel disks and only succeeded in grinding off the top and bottom head of one rivet. The crossmember is loose around the rivet, but what's left of the rivet is stuck in the bracket. I'm off to Lowe's to buy some reinforced disks and a couple of carbide drill bits. Looks like I'll need to drill them out after I cut off the heads. Are we having fun yet? Love it...

[DuckRyder]

I would probably be thinking4" angle grinder:

[basketcase0302]

even after I used my 4" angle grinder on the rivet heads, (they're hardened steel) they still take quite a bit of persuasion to get them out.

[FloridaPhil]

I finally got the S.O.B. front crossmember out of there. Used three Carbide drill bits and a 4 boxes of reinforced Dremel disks. Now, you can drive a heard of camels through that transmission tunnel... Glad that's over!