OldIHC

1953 R112. I have the tranny out and the engine is completely loose from the truck. Before I pull more stuff off that doesn't need to be I wanted to see what you IH experts have to say. The bell housing is cradled over the cross member. The back of the engine will not lift high enough to clear the cross member. I can't pull the engine and the bell housing separate because there are bolts in the tunnel at the top that I can't get to.

It almost seems like I have to remove or loosen the cross member. Is this what I have to do or am I missing something? Loosening the cross member looks like I need to remove about 12 bolts and one on each side for a bracket on the cross member is smooth on both sides like a carriage bolt. I don't even know what to do with them. Just seems like a lot of work at this point when the engine is completely loose and ready to pull.

When I pulled mine I separated the bell housing from the engine before pulling the engine and left the bell housing on the cross member. All it takes is removing the flywheel and I think four bolts from the housing.

When I pulled the motor out of the 51 10 years ago I left the bell housing in the truck and the job went easy. I had to remove the toe board in the cab to get to the top bolts on the bell. Last spring When I pulled the motor on the 56 I removed the engine and the bell as a unit. It was a tight squeeze getting it out and a real M F getting it back in. If I do it again I will separate the two even if I have to deal with a few rusty bolts on the toe board.

The manual would tell you to pull the engine and bellhousing together. I think the problem is usually that the cab mounts settle or flatten out with age and wear. If you haven't taken out the rubber mounts between the bellhousing and crossmember, taking them out will give you more room. If that doesn't do it, I'd loosen the front cab mounts, jack the front of the cab a little, and you should be able to take them out together. Probably easier than removing the toe board.

I'm sure old cab mounts could be an issue but in my case I had already put new cab mounts in and the rear motor mount pads were out. The only thing else I could have done was jack the cab up slightly. Then it becomes which is the point of least resistance, Jack the cab or removing the toe board. If there ever is a next time I would have to weigh that one out. I suppose in my case the original floor mat is long gone and I just have two small mats, one on each side so the toe board is quick to get at for me.

Ended up taking out the toe board (thanks for the heads up) and separating the bell housing from the engine. What a PITA. I’m surprised it was this tight in these old trucks. I’m sure it would have gone quicker if I knew what exactly to do from the start but dang. I hope it goes back in a lot easier than coming out.

It's good to hear you got it out without any real problems. I guess I had forgotten about removing the toe board when I pulled mine. I am sure that it'll go back together easier now that you've dealt with any frozen bolts.