need help please
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 43,187
Likes: 45
From: Littleton, CO USA
Car: 82 Berlinetta/57 Bel Air
Engine: L92/LQ4 (both w/4" stroke)
Transmission: 4L80E/4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12B-3.73/9"-3.89
It's not really a problem. Better to call it "necessary".
You have to get at the nuts inside the crossmember that hold the mounts in place. The easiest way to do that is to drop the A-arms. But, dropping the A-arms isn't easy to do when you don't have the weight of the engine to help compress the front springs. If you have access to a spring compressor, that may help (haven't tried it myself, but have heard of those who have).
I did mine with the A-arms in place using a combination of socket/u-joint/extensions, box-end offset wrenches, a lot of sweat, a little blood, and dirty grease up to the elbows. If you have a 10-year old around with small hands that can hold a wrench for you, that may help, too. After his hand has been jammed between the wrench and crossmember a couple of times, he'll probably tell you what you can do with it.
If I recall correctly, it only took me about 6 hours to get the job done. Well, maybe it was 10 - it's been 4 years, and there are some things you'd just rather forget.
You have to get at the nuts inside the crossmember that hold the mounts in place. The easiest way to do that is to drop the A-arms. But, dropping the A-arms isn't easy to do when you don't have the weight of the engine to help compress the front springs. If you have access to a spring compressor, that may help (haven't tried it myself, but have heard of those who have).
I did mine with the A-arms in place using a combination of socket/u-joint/extensions, box-end offset wrenches, a lot of sweat, a little blood, and dirty grease up to the elbows. If you have a 10-year old around with small hands that can hold a wrench for you, that may help, too. After his hand has been jammed between the wrench and crossmember a couple of times, he'll probably tell you what you can do with it.
If I recall correctly, it only took me about 6 hours to get the job done. Well, maybe it was 10 - it's been 4 years, and there are some things you'd just rather forget.
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Armington,Illinois,USA
Car: 84 Camaro
Engine: v6 to v8 swap 357ci chevy
Transmission: TCI Turbo 350
Thats how I did it also.Didn`t want to drop the arms.It can be done with a combination of swivel socket and extention.Use a magnetic socket or some butyl to keep your nut from falling off .
Yeah I went through it too. Me and two of my buddies took turns under the car working on them. What a pain the butt it was. It took us 2 or 3 hours. It would have taken longer but my buddy John had done it before, and after laughing at me struggling with it he jumped in and finished it up.




