I need to lower my tranny to get access to the Governor housinG....I removed the cross-member and rotated the universal joint properly but the tranny is still held up there by a long triangular bracket running along-side the driveshaft.
how can I safely loosen this bracket and and lower my tranny a bit. Thanks.

 

You don't need to loosen that.

Get 2 sets of jack stands. Block the front wheels SECURELY. Jack the rear of the car up by the pumpkin, as high as you conveniently can. Support the "frame" on 1 set of stands at the spot RIGHT IMMEDIATELY AT THE FRONT END of the rear lower control arms. Let the pumpkin back down as low as it will go. Jack it back up an inch or 2; just enough to get it up off of the shocks. Support the axle tubes with the 2nd set of stands at that level. Not the shock brackets, not the sway bar bushings, not ANY OTHER PART, besides THE AXLE TUBES.

Supported like that, there will be basically no force on the torque arm, and the trans will be free to move wherever you need it to.

Now you understand why we're always talking about replacing the trans mount in these cars: it's under TOO MUCH STRESS trying to pull it apart all the time. Gets worse when you give it power. Bad design.

 

Thanks-- for the reply------- By the way- I already have the front wheels ON Ramps. Will this pose a problem for me when raising the rear Hog on a jack. I need to get room under the car to pry off that governer cap. thanks.

 

Nope, ramps are cool; AS LONG AS you can keep the car from rolling.

 

The long triangular bracket is the torque arm. It keeps your rear axle straight, or if you'd like, it keeps the axle from clocking out of position under throttle. You can take off the torque arm only by removing the two very long bolts connected to the axle near the pumpkin as sofakingdom described above. The rear axle has to be lowered to get the bolts up and out.

Energy Suspension makes a nice new poly bushing to replace a worn used one out; #3.1111 or #3.1112 depending on which way the torque arm faces. Or if you are so inclined, UMI Performance makes a nice torque arm relocation bracket that can solve a few more issues with this whole design.

Good luck on the tranny problem. If you need anything else let us know.

 

No need to take any of that out, apart, or otherwise disturb it, for what he's doing. In fact, for the first dozen or 15 or so T-5 swaps I did after tearing em up in my car, I still didn't even know how to take that thing out. Never had to touch it.

 

No problem. Just giving him some more options sicne he'll be under there any way.