jbarrick80 Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 The other day i was run off the road by a truck. Unfortunately it bent my the engine cradle. What is exactly involved with changing it and does it matter if the cradle is out of an automatic because my car is a 5 speed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 It doesnt matter if the car is auto or standard, the cradle will be the same. Whats involved in changing it, is alot. You have a couple options. If you have a lift, you can drop the cradle with the front suspension, considering you have something to support the engine and tranny. Or you can just jack the front of the car up, put it on jackstands, get a cherry picker to hold the engine and tranny, while you lower the cradle and front suspension. Its alot of work and it not easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 It doesnt matter if the car is auto or standard, the cradle will be the same. Whats involved in changing it, is alot. You have a couple options. If you have a lift, you can drop the cradle with the front suspension, considering you have something to support the engine and tranny. Or you can just jack the front of the car up, put it on jackstands, get a cherry picker to hold the engine and tranny, while you lower the cradle and front suspension. Its alot of work and it not easy. I wouldn't say its not easy, its alot of work, and not for the faint or heart. Personally I would rig up something to hold the engine in place since a cherry pickers legs would get in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbarrick80 Posted November 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Can I just unbolt the rack and a-arms so i don't have to drop the whole suspension with the cradle? I have made a support that goes across the strut towers and will use a chain hoist to hold the motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Can I just unbolt the rack and a-arms so i don't have to drop the whole suspension with the cradle? I have made a support that goes across the strut towers and will use a chain hoist to hold the motor. You could although it might make more work for you in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbarrick80 Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 I have started to take the GP apart today. i have the rack unbolted. All of the hoses and wires as near as i know. Also i have taken the a-arms off at the ball joint and unbolted and supported the motor. I'm going to leave sway bar and a-arms attached. Is there anything else i need to do before i lower the whole cradle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Engine Mounts need to be unbolted. That's all I can think of at the moment. PS-4k posts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Intermediate steering shaft! or are you disconnecting the rack from the frame? I took the entire frame with everything attached out of one of my cars and swapped the engine and tranny as a unit right off the loose frame and them slid it back under the car. I removed both front struts, the lower control arms, both CV shafts, and hung the front calipers from the body with coathangers. I slid the frame in and out after raising the body about 2 and 1/2 feet in the air with jacks off the frame. it depends what is easiest for you. the above would have been much easier if i had a concrete pad and a pair of skateboards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Intermediate steering shaft! or are you leaving disconnecting the rack from the frame first? He said he's hung the rack up I thought. If that's the case then he's set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 I typosed my statement. oops. I was trying to clarify what he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitaloutsider Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Glad to see someone taking on a big project and not junking their car or whining about it. Major props, dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 Glad to see someone taking on a big project and not junking their car or whining about it. Major props, dude. Yeah, or welding it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbarrick80 Posted December 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 yeah i hung up the rack. I don't believe in junking a car i can fix for like 50 bucks. I actually thought it was easier than pulling the motor to do the clutch. Plus i've been told this is a rare care not worth junking. I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitaloutsider Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 Didn't even realize it was a 282-equipped car. Cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbarrick80 Posted December 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Well my regular parts won't call me back. So i called a regular junk yard and they want $45 for the subframe a-arms and sway bar way cheaper than i had hoped. I asked about another 282 trans just in case i would need one in the future but nope can't find one. Finding a 282 in central Pa is like finding a needle in a hay stack. Anyways should be done with it in the next week. I'm so happy i miss driving it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 any pics of said car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbarrick80 Posted December 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 no not right now but i'll get the digital cam out and take a few. they will be up in a little. The car doesn't look all that great the tops of the fenders a primer gray and hood is charcol color. The guy that had it before me hit a deer and went as cheap as he could to fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbarrick80 Posted December 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 i started putting the new subframe in today. the one front corner bolt for the subframe keeps on spinning like the nut up inside is spinning. is there a way to get to this to hold it tight? others than that i'm done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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