RX-2 Crossmember Removal
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,438
Likes: 6
From: Outskirts of Road Atlanta
RX-2 Crossmember Removal
The paint on my crossmember sucks (yellow bodyshop overspray) plus I installed the motor without the oil pan, baffle, etc and it's really tough to fit between the motor and crossmember. I can't imagine it'd be possible to put together the oil pickup and everything else, too. If you remember, I picked up a new transmission crossmember at pullapart with fasteners, so here's my plan. Please shoot a hole in it if you can.
Jack car up with jack under the main crossmember.
Put jack stands under the frame rail.
Install and securely fasten new tranny crossmember (support the tailshaft with a block of wood, or something)
Lower main jack, settle the car onto the jack stands.
Slide the jack back to the bellhousing, and lift until I have contact.
Loosen engine bracket from mounts (don't think it's even screwed down, actually)
Give the jack a pump or two, so that the motor bracket comes off the mounts just a hair - now totally supported by the jack and tranny crossmember
Disconnect lower control arms from the main crossmember (wheels and struts are dangling in the air now), cut the paint with an exacto (so it doesn't chip apart) and remove the four bolts that hold my main crossmember in
Drop crossmember to be painted, and expose belly of the motor for oil pan/baffle work
I'm not 100% sure that I'm comfortable supporting the motor entirely off the bellhousing, but I have to leave the whole underside exposed, and there's no really good way to support it from the motor bracket, unless I run a chain through the mount holes from above with a cherry picker. Doable?
Jack car up with jack under the main crossmember.
Put jack stands under the frame rail.
Install and securely fasten new tranny crossmember (support the tailshaft with a block of wood, or something)
Lower main jack, settle the car onto the jack stands.
Slide the jack back to the bellhousing, and lift until I have contact.
Loosen engine bracket from mounts (don't think it's even screwed down, actually)
Give the jack a pump or two, so that the motor bracket comes off the mounts just a hair - now totally supported by the jack and tranny crossmember
Disconnect lower control arms from the main crossmember (wheels and struts are dangling in the air now), cut the paint with an exacto (so it doesn't chip apart) and remove the four bolts that hold my main crossmember in
Drop crossmember to be painted, and expose belly of the motor for oil pan/baffle work
I'm not 100% sure that I'm comfortable supporting the motor entirely off the bellhousing, but I have to leave the whole underside exposed, and there's no really good way to support it from the motor bracket, unless I run a chain through the mount holes from above with a cherry picker. Doable?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Steelwheelz
2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992)
6
Sep 15, 2015 03:22 PM
