K-Member Removal with Engine in Place?

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DailyDriverDart

DailyDriverDart

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A spin off from my other thread Odd Suspension Issue "Fixed" Itself

I'm investigating options for repair of the broken LCA pivot sleeve weld in the K-Member on our '73 Dart Custom 225/TF904, and was wondering if it's feasible to pull the K-member while leaving the engine in the car (using appropriate ground support)? Seems like it could work...

The scope of this job has already ballooned dramatically from what I had hoped, and I'd rather not add an engine pull at this time.

I guess another option might be for me to attempt to fix the broken joint in place. I've done a small amount of welding with arc/stick & oxy/acetylene decades ago, and have been considering getting a welder for this and many other projects.

Mopar sure didn't seem to give this LCA mounting point much thought, considering the job it has to do.

Input appreciated, thanks.
 
Cant say yay or nay,never tried something like that. But i have a few advantages over the average guy, hoist,shop crane and a variety of welding equipment. First and foremost- your personal safety, pulling the k is removing everything that holds the car up.so thinking outside the box is mandatory. Looking forward to see what you come up with.
 
DailyDriverDart said:
A spin off from my other thread Odd Suspension Issue "Fixed" Itself

I'm investigating options for repair of the broken LCA pivot sleeve weld in the K-Member on our '73 Dart Custom 225/TF904, and was wondering if it's feasible to pull the K-member while leaving the engine in the car (using appropriate ground support)? Seems like it could work...

The scope of this job has already ballooned dramatically from what I had hoped, and I'd rather not add an engine pull at this time.

I guess another option might be for me to attempt to fix the broken joint in place. I've done a small amount of welding with arc/stick & oxy/acetylene decades ago, and have been considering getting a welder for this and many other projects.

Mopar sure didn't seem to give this LCA mounting point much thought, considering the job it has to do.

Input appreciated, thanks.
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They make supports mostly for front wheel dive cars that would sit on the fender aprons and the engine
can be supported by chains attached to it like when one pulls an engine. Parts stores or a rental place
might rent these. It would probably be a lot of money to purchase one of these for a one time use.
Or one can improvise with wood blocks and a piece of square tubing.
 
There was a MOPAR jig I saw in a FSM (maybe 65?) that was like a little A-frame that bridged the inner fenders and grabbed the V-8 carb stud! "engine support fixture Tool C-380" Id go further than that and run 4 all-threads up from the bare intake into the bridge and not spend alot of time under there but totally doable. If you were R&R motor mounts, you wouldnt want to pull the entire motor: jack it up-tie in the fender support and go to town on the motor mounts/K member.
139525.jpg
 
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for all the time it will take to do and round stuff up you say you can pull the engine in an hour or a little more and then it's out of the way .

jmo .
 
It's easy to do. Put jack stands under the frame. Then slide the cherry picker in from the side. In bolt everything and slide the k-frame out. Piece of cake. No need to even pull the hood.
 
Ive done it. For the very same reason too.

Run a 4x4 across the inner fenders. Remove carb. Install 2 threaded rods into carb studs. Run studs through drilled holes in 4x4.

Did it in a backyard.
 
abodyjoe said:
It's easy to do. Put jack stands under the frame. Then slide the cherry picker in from the side. In bolt everything and slide the k-frame out. Piece of cake. No need to even pull the hood.
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Yup, done it two or three times this way.
 
This old man did it.......suspension changes

As above..4x4 across inner fenders with plenty of old rags for padding. Jacked up the engine and hooked it to the 4x4. Swapped the 67 K for a 73/ later and later on, disc brakes

two-jpg.jpg
 
autoxcuda said:
Ive done it. For the very same reason too.

Run a 4x4 across the inner fenders. Remove carb. Install 2 threaded rods into carb studs. Run studs through drilled holes in 4x4.

Did it in a backyard.
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I then drive it to my old high school auto shop and repair some cracks in the frame around the kmember bolt holes.

There, I just supported the motor by the oil pan and lower the lift a tad to take some weight off the motor mounts.

rtweldgenl-jpg.jpg


You can do this on a garage floor too by supporting oil pan with front frame on jack stands with 1/2" board under stands. Then jack it up then pull boards under stands. That will take weight off motor mounts.

Tie steering gear to frame to hold it up.
 
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Just remember the balance point on a /6 isn't like on a V8. You can lift the V8 straight up from the pan, not so much with the /6.

Isn't there a couple of bolt holes in the /6 for lifting so it's balanced? Some /6-er should know this. I know I screwed it up when I pulled the /6 out of my Duster and it tipped pretty substantially once I got it free of the mounts. I was lifting it out though so the transmission mount was out of play already too.
 
like the rest, i put a piece of scrap on the fenderwells to distribute the weight.. 4x4 across and threaded allrod into the carb stud holes. i had added a ratchet strap or something else because i have more self preservation as i age. works perfect.

i was also fixing a broken Kframe pin tube.;-)
 
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Wow thanks everybody for the replies! Lots of ideas here.

I'm leaning toward fabbing a cross-bay support out of a 4x4 to control the tendency to tip and jacking/blocking under the pan for most of the engine weight.

Car is already up on 4 jackstands (and the rear wheels) for the suspension work - might have to move the front ones about an inch forward to completely clear the K-member for drop-down.

IMG_0749 Lo-res.jpg
 
:eek::wtf:

While you're moving those front jack stands forward, throw them in the trash and replace them with something that has 4 corners and won't collapse in a stiff breeze. Harbor Freight 6 ton jacks are great for that location and have a nice wide base. Just make sure to bend the tabs to lock the stops on the stand.

I'm serious, those stands are scary. Don't trust your life to them.
IMG_0749 Lo-res.jpg
 
Done it a couple of times...removed stock k member and installed QA1 k member with engine in car.
 
72bluNblu said:
:eek::wtf:

While you're moving those front jack stands forward, throw them in the trash and replace them with something that has 4 corners and won't collapse in a stiff breeze. Harbor Freight 6 ton jacks are great for that location and have a nice wide base. Just make sure to bend the tabs to lock the stops on the stand.

I'm serious, those stands are scary. Don't trust your life to them.
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Thanks for your concern - I've had those things kicking around for decades and even used to use them for holding up a corner of a car (but always with the jack still in place as a back-up (yikes!). Yeah - I don't trust them for much. In this case I had the shorter HF stands placed and as I put weight on them the rear suspension came up, lowering the nose. So I reached for the only tall stands I had and those yellow ones were it. I don't figure them to be carrying too much weight in this particular application. Not a bad idea picking up some more robust taller stands though (tool-shopping, yay!).
 
Just did it a month ago. 2x8 resting on the upper edge of the inner fender, and propped up on a short piece of 2x8 on one end, ratchet straps holding the motor up, motor didn't move at all.

Popped the t bars, unbolted lca's and strut rods, then motor mounts and steering box. Then idler arm.

Going back in took a little more work but still got it done in about six hours taking my sweet time. Only Jack I needed after the car was in the air was to lift the new k in place, never rolled the engine hoist out of garage.
20170715_170721.jpg
 
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jos51700 said:
Just did it a month ago. 2x8 resting on the upper edge of the inner fender, and propped up on a short piece of 2x8 on one end, ratchet straps holding the motor up, motor didn't move at all.

Popped the t bars, unbolted lca's and strut rods, then motor mounts and steering box. Then idler arm.

Going back in took a little more work but still got it done in about six hours taking my sweet time. Only Jack I needed after the car was in the air was to lift the new k in place, never rolled the engine hoist out of garage.
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Thanks for posting that. Funny - I was just telling my wife how probably very few other FABO members have 4-door rigs, and on cue your post popped up! :thumbsup:
 
I didn't do it but I was present to see it done. 4X4 across the shock supports, big lag bolts through those shock holes into the 4X4. Short chains and all thread with washers and nuts used to draw the chains together collecting the engine weight until motor supports moved freely.
His one snafu... the K member needed to drop quite a distance to clear the plastic splash shields riveted to the frame horns. So... K member off the floor jack, slid on the ground out from under the car and back under later, then manhandled back upon the floor jack.
I'll also mention the steering... Column was unbolted inside, split pin at box coupling driven out, column backed away from the steering gear. Gearbox traveled with the K member adding to the manhandling.
Believe it or not, this same guy once jacked a 70 grand prix up high enough to poke a steel drum under the engine ( and yes he did dig a little bit of hole, 16 inches or so ). He let the car down, disassembled the wrecked front end and a tow truck pulled the car away leaving the big *** V8 engine sitting or I should say standing there in his back yard. He did borrow a engine hoist later to put this engine in another Grand Prix. This guy had spent about 10 years setting up fair ground/carnival rides in open fields so he had a lot of experience in GETER DONE although not always the safest methods.
 
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