Give it a shot anyway. Worth a try. Looks like it is kinda pressed in..... might be able to simply drive a screwdriver thru it, and take it out in pieces too.

 

I had to drill mine out. Grease didn't work. Older mechanic friend showed me the trick. Drill enough body from the bushing and it will loosen its friction hold. Ended up with a few divots in the crank but that won't affect anything.

 

I ended up drilling 2 holes in the sleeve, opposite each other, and as wide as I could make them. Then I used an assortment of chisels and punches to break the sleeve into 2 pieces. It took a while but I was able to maneuver the two pieces out. I nicked the crank with the drill bit (just a little too deep) but it didn't affect the sleeve seating in the hole.

I lined up the transmission to the engine and got them bolted together. However, the rear of the transmission sits well below the cross brace. Do I just jack it up a little or am I going to create a problem or have I already created a problem?

 

Just jack it up where it needs to be.

 

How did you remove the stupid cross brace? Frame spreader? Magic? That was half the job for me right there. Stupid design.

 

The frame rail is tapered so it is narrower at the bottom than the top. I didn't realize that before hand so I beat it straight down with a 3lb hammer and block of wood. The brace actually squeezed together. When it came out it was like letting a spring go.

I did a test fit before bringing the transmission back under and brought it up as high as I could get it and brought it in on an angle. So next time i will pound it up to break it free then remove it on a diagonal.

 

That's what I thought too but the fuel lines are directly above it. There's no room to go up. And we got it back in by coming from the rear and greasing it. Like I said, stupid design.

 

What I did was beat it at an angle and it goes in an out like a breeze. I was told before (I think by HeyYou) that the cross member is put in before the cab was. I did see a truck at Carlisle where this company makes crossmembers that come out with 4 bolts. Thought about buying one...

 

Hopefully this is my last question on this job. The exhaust is supposed to go back in after the transmission cross member. My exhaust is no longer factory so it does not go over the axle and out the back. It goes from the cat then to a muffler and out the side just in front of the rear tire.

How hard is it to get that front cross pipe through the cross member and back into position? I really don't want to take the exhaust apart. Will it go back in from the rear? Or does it have to go in from the front? I took it out the rear after the cross member was out. I remember it was a huge PITA, but can't figure out how I did it.

 

As it isn't stock, that is one you are going to have to figure out. Got a welder? Could always cut it, install it, then weld it back together.