Theres a bar that goes across the fender lips you connect to the motor on front wheel drive cars that holds the motor and in place while you remove the sub frame,but I'm not sure if it can be used on rear wheel dr cars ,I dont see why not..I suppose you could use an engine hoist and a balancer..

 

What is the best way to remove a 1978 Trans Am sub frame without removing the engine or trans.

Not sure what you are getting at...Are you saying leave the engine with the body? (impossible)....or leaving the engine with the subframe? (doable)

 

What DBM said. We have used the bar across the shock / strut towers and also have supported it with an engine hoist. Just double check everything to make sure it is safe.

 

gantry crane ?

Junk yard removal is to hang the motor with an old seat belt, and drive shaft across the fenders, , and leave the fenders dented , WE have a gantry crane that would straddel the car up on jack stands and we could hang the engine and try to drag the sub frame out. But I would just pull the engine and trans , safer and less chance of damaging a good car. WE pulled a couple Jag IFS in the junk yard hanging the engine but they were crusher cars.

 

The front of the car has been stripped down to the frame during my restoration. I removed fenders, inner fenders, bumper, radiator support, you get what I mean, EVERYTHING has been removed from the doors forward. I do not have access to one of those cranes to pull out the engine. I do not have anyone to help me either, except for my girlfriend, so you know that leaves me limited.

I was wondering, would it be possible to support the sub frame with cinder blocks that I can get from Home Depot? Maybe then I could then remove the sub frame bushings and lift up the body?

 

NO CINDER BLOCKS! That is a way to get yourself killed!

I am confused here, the motor is bolted to the sub frame, the exhaust would need to be removed to get the sub frame out, the shift linkage would likely have to be removed and a number of other things that connect the engine to the sub frame. The front sheetmetal is off so the radiator is out, what the heck is left? Pulling the motor and trans is my a hundred miles easer at this point than TRYING to keep it there.

I have to say, this is just my opinion here so don't take it personal, I am talking in generalities here.

If you don't have the tools, don't do it. And, why do you need to remove the sub frame at all? If you are doing a "restoration" you would be pulling the motor anyway, you need the right tools! You can rent a hoist, you can buy one at a cheapie place like Harbor Freight, but you really need a hoist if you are going to be doing a car like this and plan on pulling the sub frame.

Of course you could get creative and make it happen. If the car is in a building with a strong enough roof joists you can hang the motor from it, then simply drop the sub frame out from underneath. At that point, you know the motor will only be held by a few wires! You WILL be pulling the motor out at that point I guarantee it. But honestly, I would find a way to make it happen correctly, how about a nice swing set? The swing set I have (I made from thickwall industrial conduit) would probably hold the motors weight, if not a piece of extra metal across the top could do it, I would make something to be able to pull that motor and trans out. Then jack up the body unbolt the sub frame and drag it out from under the body.

How about renting an engine hoist, you don't have access to a rental place?

Brian

 

Yes, I know I have to remove the drive shaft, brake lines, steering column, and all the other goodies, which I have done by the way. I only wanted to see if I could do the job without using a engine crane.

Since I went this far I would like to remove the sub frame, I just do not have an engine crane. has anyone done it any other way.

If I did use cinder blocks I am not gonna be under them to get crushed.

 

You would have to support the motor somehow from above it, "hanging" from something. That or have the motor sitting on blocks under the oil pan. If you were to lift the car up and have the body on jack stands (BE VERY CAREFUL that you don't have it so when the weight of the motor and sub frame are removed it will still be safe on the stands and not topple over backwards). Then put the engine on blocks of wood under the oil pan and tranny pan. At this point the body and the engine would be held up by the jack stands and blocks. You could then unbolt the sub frame and slide it out forward. I don't know where the oil pan sump is but if it's hanging out in front of the sub frame crossmember then of course you would need to drop the sub frame down quite a bit before you slide it forward.

The motor will be very unsteady on the blocks, be careful!

Brian

 

Cinder blocks are VERY easy to break, under JUST the sub frame, yeah I guess you could use them. But if you went and got a couple of 4x4 posts and cut them up into 1 foot long pieces so you could stack them you would be WAY better off. They are more stable because they are so square, and it would be much safer.

Brian

 

Ok, So I could get wood and cut them to shape. I could then raise the car a little bit and stack the wood up supporting the frame and as well as wood stacks supporting both trans and engine oil pans. I then lower it onto the wood stacks. I then put wheel chocks on the rear tires so the car does not slide out. I remove the frame bushings. I Then carefully lift the body and rest the body on jack stands?

 

Is´nt the front sheetmetal supported at the rad core support,
which in turn sits on the sub frame ?
So hanging the motor off the fenders is´nt possible.
The motor has to come out with the subframe and if the trans crossmember is also a part of the assembly much better, if not it´s all going to flop about.

 

Well, now, that's another thought. Remove the engine and sub frame as an assembly and leave the engine and trans on it.

Why do you want to remove the sub frame? If it is to paint it you could work around the motor, PIA but doable. Plus you would be able to do a nice job on the firewall with the motor out of there.

Brian

 

Ok, So I could get wood and cut them to shape. I could then raise the car a little bit and stack the wood up supporting the frame and as well as wood stacks supporting both trans and engine oil pans. I then lower it onto the wood stacks. I then put wheel chocks on the rear tires so the car does not slide out. I remove the frame bushings. I Then carefully lift the body and rest the body on jack stands?

A balancing act that´s going to end in tears.
Better to construct a cradle for motor and trans and screw/nail/glue it all together, jackstands under the body.

When I was stuffed for a crane to get my motor out I ended up begging one off a local bodyshop for a couple of days.

 

Apart from all the problems you´ll have to negociate,
just look at the size of the subframe....too much for one man and his girl.

 

Ok, So I could get wood and cut them to shape. I could then raise the car a little bit and stack the wood up supporting the frame and as well as wood stacks supporting both trans and engine oil pans. I then lower it onto the wood stacks. I then put wheel chocks on the rear tires so the car does not slide out. I remove the frame bushings. I Then carefully lift the body and rest the body on jack stands?

No, I am saying lift the body up on jack stands. You can put them under the sub frame as well until you get it up, but you need the body supported by the stands (or blocks of wood).

The tough part will be lifting the motor up to support it. I am thinking you won't need to lift the whole car, just the front. Remove the bolts from the motor mounts and tranny mount. Jack up the front of the car under the sub frame. Put stands under the body at the rockers. About an inch or so from touching. Then put blocks of wood under the engine oil pan and tranny pan, about a half inch from touching. Now let the jack down lowering the whole car, the motor and trans will rest on the wood blocks first lifting the motor and trans a little, then the body will come to rest on the stands. You now will have the motor and body supported. The motor and trans will be "floating" on the wood blocks and not touching the body or frame.

You then will loosen all the sub frame bolts and using your jack lower it off the bottom of the car.

I have to tell you, I still think this is crazy, but you wanted ideas.

I would do as Malc suggested and just remove the frame with the motor. But if you MUST have the frame out and leave the motor, what I explained is going to do it.

Brian

 

Apart from all the problems you´ll have to negociate,
just look at the size of the subframe....too much for one man and his girl.

That is what I am saying, if you were to have the motor up on blocks and the body supported by jack stands you could with the jack under the subframe crossmember remove the bolts and lower the jack. The sub frame will likely fall off the jack or something making it a friggin fight and a half but it will slip off on one side and you can drag it out.

My problem with this is it is VERY DANGEROUS! Without having the body properly supported with QUALITY jack stands, and BIG jack stands not the little "3 ton" Harbor freight junk but a 10 or 12 ton set it could EASILY fall over if the sub frame were to hit it.

Now, if the motor were out of the way this wouldn't be a big deal, you can work with it removing the sub frame would be MUCH easier. With the motor balancing up on stacks of wood you have a bunch of stuff that can go wrong.

This is really pushing it and dangerous. Can it be done safely, sure, but one wrong move and someone gets hurt or parts get broken.

Brian

 

Ok, So I could get wood and cut them to shape. I could then raise the car a little bit and stack the wood up supporting the frame and as well as wood stacks supporting both trans and engine oil pans. I then lower it onto the wood stacks. I then put wheel chocks on the rear tires so the car does not slide out. I remove the frame bushings. I Then carefully lift the body and rest the body on jack stands?

Please listen to Malc and I and get the proper tools to do this! If you leave the engine on the sub frame you can much more easily remove it all, just support it and unbolt it from the body that is supported by jack stands under the rockers, then pull the sub frame forward (it could even be on the wheels).

But honestly, this stuff is HEAVY and not real easy to man handle.

Brian

 

A balancing act that´s going to end in tears.
Better to construct a cradle for motor and trans and screw/nail/glue it all together, jackstands under the body.

When I was stuffed for a crane to get my motor out I ended up begging one off a local bodyshop for a couple of days.

I am so blessed, I can get this stuff so easy. I know it's not like this for everyone but I have a rental place no a quarter mile from me. But when I needed a hoist, I just made one phone call to a friend and he was there in literally minutes with a break down engine hoist in the bed of his truck for me. I actually have been storing it for him, I have it in my shed and have pulled and reinstalled the motors in my Gran Sport and Rambler with it.

But if I didn't have that one, I would rent or simply hunt one out thru my friends until I found one. There is no way I would do this without pulling the motor.


Brian

 

I´m thinking the best way to do this is, body off subframe/motor.
The trans crossmember nust be a part of or bolted to the front subframe,
so that has to be fixed, wheels immobilised.
At the trans crossmember insert fixed supports, as is, not raised.
The body to subframe mounts are removed and the body lifted and moved rearwards.
There is no way that subframe is coming out leaving the motor behind as
the motor/subframe is the subassembly not body/motor.

If this is to renew body mounts or paint the subframe as mentioned before, it can be done without removal, one side at a time is how you do it.

If you get it done, remember it all has to manhandled back into place.....

Remember how many men it took to do this sort of thing on Overhaulin´ ?

 

Wait, I never said I wanted to remove the frame and leave the engine there on the floor. I wanted to remove the frame with the engine and trans still attached.

You guys got me confused, I only wanted to remove the sub frame bolts/bushings so I could paint the firewall, floors, and frame easier. I then plan to use new bushings that I bought for reassembly.

I never intended to remove the engine/trans from the sub frame, I only wanted to remove body from sub frame.

 

What is the best way to remove a 1978 Trans Am sub frame without removing the engine or trans.

We misunderstood.

What is the best way to remove a 1978 Trans Am sub frame with the engine and trans in situ ?

Better ?

 

Yes, I'll correct it.

What is the best way to remove a 1978 Trans Am sub frame from the body without removing the engine or trans from the sub frame.

Sorry after I re read my original statement I could see how it could be confusing.

 

Yes, I'll correct it.

What is the best way to remove a 1978 Trans Am sub frame from the body without removing the engine or trans from the sub frame.

Post #20.

Like I said you can renew your body mounts without removing the subframe entirely, do one side at a time.

When I painted my firewall I removed pieces as necessary to get access, not the whole poophouse.

I sure do wish I had the heavy stuff to get this sort of thing done, I´d like to lower the front axle of my 3rd gen but it´s too much for me alone.
I could build a cradle across the front fenders to hold the motor up while the axle came down, but like you I´m one person.

 

Like this but without ruining the fenders and paint ain:

 

Ok, So I could get wood and cut them to shape. I could then raise the car a little bit and stack the wood up supporting the frame and as well as wood stacks supporting both trans and engine oil pans. I then lower it onto the wood stacks. I then put wheel chocks on the rear tires so the car does not slide out. I remove the frame bushings. I Then carefully lift the body and rest the body on jack stands?

Will this idea work?