VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 49 clutch install

Installed a clutch in my friends 49 business coupe today and wish the designers were still alive so I could tell them I really do not care much for what they have done,the removable floor section above the trans would have not been needed if a removable crossmember would have been installed. Some how got the trans removed through the floor with the arms still attached but had to remove them to put it back in but if it would have been easier if the hole in the floor would have been a little larger,rant is over and was suprised that the 216 could destroy a clutch disc as it came out in pieces and just waiting on the bell gasket set to finish the job.

Sounds like a fun way to spend an afternoon! I totally understand, and went through a similar rant when we did our '47 clutch job. What made it easier was cutting the heads off some bolts and making dowels to let the trans slide back into place easier. But just reading your post makes my arms ache. Hope you had plenty of Advil afterwards :)

I had every bolt out and then thought how am I going to get the trans out with no removable crossmember then I seen the removable floor section and glad it did not have any carpet,Chevrolet had to be the oddball when it came to the chassis design as the Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs I have owned of the same era had a better chassis design and were easier to remove a trans from.

It was easier for me to drill out the rivets in the crossmember, then replace the rivets with nuts and bolts.

If it was my car the rivets would have came out and replaced with bolts but since it was a friends car I did not want to involve that much time into it.

I understand your thoughts here. I believe I drilled out all of the rivets, believe it was 18, in number.