Here's some unattributed text from several sources I've accumulated from this
list over the years on the subject:
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Trans crossmember:
I have a 77 MGB with overdrive. I have replaced the rubber mount pads for the
transmission. I have a problem remounting the crossmember. I cannot seem to
tighten the two rear bolts. Has anyone got a solution for this? I have run into
the problem of just getting to the bolts on a 77 O/D conversion I did recently.
I ended up drilling two small holes in the crossmember at the same angle as the
mounts. This way you can line up the holes, and use a socket with an extension
to tighten the bolts without any problems. You do not even need to remove the
crossmember. The answer is easy, take off the whole crossmember, drop the
gearbox down about 6" and bolt the two mounts to the gearbox - dead easy. Now
take your crossmember and open out the holes on the angled plates with a
grinder so that they are about 1" slots - grind upwards so that the bottom of
the hole remains in the same place. Now offer up the crossmember to the rubber
mounts and refit the nuts and lock washers with an extra, wide washer to cover
the edges of the slots. An extra hole in the bottom of the cross member to get
in a socket to do these up is a luxury - you can get at the nuts fairly easily
as long as the tranny is dropped about 6".
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This whole process is made a lot easier if you drill 1/2" holes in the
crossmember when it is out. These holes make it much easier to tighten the
trans mounts- stick a 1/4" extension thru the holes and then place the socket
on the extension and then tighten the mounts.. Saves about an hour w/ an open
end wrench.
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Installing tranny mounts, and tranny rear back into MGB.. POST MKI
Assuming tranny is now back in car, and crossmember is still out, clean
crossmember, re-install mounts to crossmember, figure out forward facing
direction by looking at notes or check another MGB..! disclaimers apply..
Jack up back of tranny, offer crossmember to body and loosely apply one pair of
bolts from crossmember to body, one side only, no maybe both sides, just keep
her loose... lower tranny to near mount touching, keep things from being snug
so you can wiggle the mounts...
I use a drift, short stubby phillips might work, the drift is like a punch but
with a 1/4" or so stubby end, higher the car is jacked up the better.... use
the drift to secure one tranny mount hole in lign with tranny threads, work a
nut into the other thread hole while probing around
with the drift to change the mating angles..(hmmm) now go gently, the threads
are aluminum, don't round out the threads..., one nut is in, i think i go to do
the same on the other side, opposite nut... then while lining up the free hole
with the probe tighten down the nuts or lower the tranny to add more tension, a
small 7/16" socket with univ. joint a screwdriver handle driver will fit for
the rear facing nuts I think... not sure, but I recall trying this while I
could still pull the crossmember to the side to get at the nuts,,, while stuff
still loose, perhaps after two of the nuts are in I disconnected the crossmeber
from the body, or kept it loose the whole time and just held it up somehow....,
hmm, I think the initial procedure was correct... bolt up lightly, get 1 pair
of mount to tranny nuts started then unbolt crossmember from body to twist the
mounts out of the way to get at the forward pair easier....or to help enable
gettting a small socket on the nuts to tighten faster than a 1/8 turn of an
open end...sorry, have to be there, but I know these are tricks I have used to
get this done in less than 30+ minutes.... damn, the shoulders and neck and
arms are a hurtin just visualizin this again..anyway, the probe and pressure
from a started nut are the key and the a metal bar, 2x4 or something can help
position the other holes..and or move the crossmember out of the way to gain
access with a small socket to tighten up.
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