Expert: Brad Sears - 12/16/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have a 56 tbird that I am in the process of pulling the engine and transmission. The speedometer cable connection at the transmission is impossible to get to. Is there an access hole in the floor pan? Before I pull the carpeting out I thought I would seek advice. If not what is the best way to disconnect.

ANSWER: The way that I have always done that is to leave the front engine mounts connected and drop the rear transmission mount. Make sure that there is a jack under the tail shaft. Then let the back of the transmission drop down and you will be able to disconnect the speedometer cable.
Brad

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the fast response! The major problem with the 56 tbird is that there is an “X” brace welded to the frame that will not allow the rear of the transmission to be lowered until it is pulled forward about 8 - 10”.
Maybe there is enough flex in the cable to allow me to pull it forward that much. I will try that. Thank you for the help.


Answer
Ya got me on that one. So I sat down and got out my old note books. I was a line mechanic from 1955 to 1959 in a Ford dealership before going into teaching. My notes, that were made when working on Vaughn Monroe's (vocalist and band leader on recording Racing With The Moon) Tbird when replacing the transmission. The process that we followed at the directions of our factory rep, "jack up the back of the car and place on body stands. Remove the radiator, water pump, generator and brackets back to the bare block. Remove the drive shaft and rear transmission mount bolts. Install engine hoist and adaptor. Remove front mounts and slide the engine up and forward tilting the engine so the front clears the header panel and the rear drops out of the X member." With this you should be able to reach the speedometer cable. Now just a side note to this is that when road testing Mr. Monroe's car after the job was complete I lost control of the car on a back road washboard corner and tried to move a stone wall totaling the car. For some reason I did not get fired and ended up as service manager of that dealership.
Brad