Hey guys I need some advice. My engine bar is bent backwards towards the rear of the car. The bar itself looks fine, but the two bolts are angled about 60 degrees instead of 90. My shift linkage is rubbing but isn't causing any problems.
My question is... Should I use a big pry bar and bent it back to vertical or do I need to drop the bar and do something at the mount area? I don't want to weaken the bolts or the mounts more. Are the mounts rubber and they just need to be re seated?
Thanks for any help

you drug over a parking curb / trailer / or something
its common... the bar drags and is the lowest thing
the bolts that hold the bar are bent

If you buy new bolts you could loosen one side at a time with a jack and replace them to make everything straight

you can try prying it back, but the bolts are still probably bent and you need to be careful that you don't create damage on what ever you are prying against

Ok thanks. I'm gonna carefully give it a twist with a pipe wrench. If I snap the bolt I guess I will replace it. I plan to do an engine drop this summer and fix it properly then.

just be careful if you pry against anything.
the fan housing/engine block wont like it

and you can replace without dropping the motor pretty easy
2 wrenches, and a new bolt- 15 minutes

speed bump backwards should do it..

The brackets the bolts go though may also be bent.

We need to know what year.
The motor mounts are different.
If it is early, there are rubber mounts that attach the bar to the engine and hard mounts at the ends.
If it is a late bar, then it is hard bolted to the engine and soft mounted at the ends. (might be the opposite)

Where your bolts are bent determines if you can fix it by bending.
I would NOT just try to bend it back into place, if the bolt breaks, the engine will try to fall out causing more damage.

Stu

Tail shifter or side shifter ?
If a side shifter, the rubber motor mounts at the center should at least be checked for separation. The bolts at the ends of the bar often survive but the two mounting pieces that attach the bar and the body will be deformed. Remove and flatten the area in the middle where the bolt goes through. While you're at the anvil flatten the outside washers as well. Then the bar will be upright.
Probably best to replace the bolts just to be safe.
Tail shifter ? Not damaged as often, but when it is it can be much worse.
Check the four bolts that attach to the block, if they appear loose or dislodged the block is probably damaged.
Good luck

I have the exact same problem and have been thinking about best way to fix. I figure if u try to turn either bolt they will snap. I thought possibly I could jack up engine to hold in place then grind off bolt heads and remove mount bar then back out remains of bolts. Any other ideas?

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Wow this looks bad--is the motor mount nut welded to the bar?

I recently had to remove the engine bar to do some work on the HE's.

Put the rear tires on ramps.

Placed the floor jack near the middle of the engine buffered by a piece of 2x6 wood. Jacked until there was pressure on the engine.

Then removed the bar. Pretty easy job. Not sure how hard it will be with the bent bolts. You may find engine mount damage as well.

I will get some better pics tomorrow. I am expecting to have to change engine mounts as well.

I will get some better pics tomorrow. I am expecting to have to change engine mounts as well.

Better pics would help. Sounds like you are on the right track- check the bolts, mounts to the body, and engine mounts. If you're talking about the bolts that go thru the iron bar that spans across the chassis under the engine, those bolts can rust into the bar, making the nuts easy to twist off. Soak the engine bar and bolts with some penetrating lube, and be careful with the breaker bar when twisting on the nuts to remove them and the bolts.

The big bolts are already eff'ed, so go ahead and break them if it is convenient to do so. You might have difficulty in getting the bar off the bent bolts, though. A big punch and a hammer, or better yet an air chisel, can come in handy in that case.

--DD

I have a good engine bar for you for free. Just come and take it.

Best way to completely remedy this issue:

1. support the engine with a jack stand.
2. Remove the engine bar completely.
3. Remove the rubber engine mounts and visually inspect the rubber as well as the steel brackets bolted to the engine case. Replace as necessary.
4. remove the outer brackets from the body and straighten with a large punch (drift actually) and sledge hammer.
5. visually inspect the bar itself for bent ends. The bar can actually be bent/twisted pretty easily. A large vice securely mounted to a bench and a crescent wrench should be all that's necessary to straighten.
6. Reinstall all straightened pieces, don't torque/tighten anything until all bolts are in place to eliminate pre-loading.

It would take a lot to bend a cast iron engine bar

I think it's just the large side (outboard end) bolts, but agree with McMark, that you should inspect all the components.

Tail shift model bars will have the outboard rubber mounts and solidly mounted at the engine.

Side shift bars have rubber mounts at the engine and solid outboard mounts.


Post some pix and indicate if you have a tail or side shift trans

Okay, now Im sure this is a dumb question but how do you tell if you have tail or side shift transmission?

What year is your tenner? 70-72 had tail shifter.

If you shift rod connects on the side of the tranny, it is a side shifter. If the shifter goes all the way to the back, it is a tail shifter.

I have a '73 2.0 so I guess that means it is a sideshift.

That is correct! 73 2.0 are most desired of the teener models. You are lucky!

Thanks! I am hoping to get it all going one of these days

That's what I thought. But I had one that was bent (not twisted) and was able to easily straighten it on my bench vise. I was surprised how little effort was needed.

I've seen this on lots of cars. It's almost always the bracket that connects the mount bar to the body. I've only seen one bent bolt, and no bent bars. A hard smack usually tears the rubber mounts too.

Typically, yes. I have a '75 that a DF/PO stuck a tail shift trans in ... but that's something you don't run across too often.

Well upon closer inspection it appears To be the end bolts that go into the frame that are bent. Actually the engine mounts look okay for now. Hopefully won't be too hard to fix

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LMFAO.

Oh and here is a pic of transmission. I guess this is side shift seeing as how its on side. What does a tail shifter look like?

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