I might be missing something here. The small crossmember bolts at the front of the X member, and the trans mount bolts to it, and then the trans. With all the bolts out, you should be able to smack it forward, and let it fall out. But at that point the trans will fall down on the top of the X member. Given age and gunk, even with the bolts all out, it might stick. Put a bottle jack under the trans, take the weight off, and use a block to smack it forward.

If that little crossmember isn't out, or it's stuck, or the trans is stuck to it, that motor isn't coming out without a fight. You don't want to fight it with the motor on the hoist. And you need the clearance at the X member to let the tailshaft drop and get the angle right to start to lift the whole works.

I don't mean to sound negative, but I also want you to get it out easy and be safe.

I can't speak to the air duct, it's been too many years. But I'm pretty sure the air cooled 55 had an "intake and exhaust" on the bell. Might have been a scoop, or just an opening. My memory said both, but the catalog only showed one.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

The Fordomatic may not be from a Thunderbird, I'll find out when I get it out of the car and can ID it from the plate.  Mine only has one rear facing duct and it is on the passenger side.  It looks to me like it should not have any problem pulling the engine/tranny with the air duct still attached.  I will include a couple of pictures to show what it looks like.

I got all six bolts out of the cross member, but I can't seem to move it.  I hit it pretty hard with a hammer and it didn't budge.  I can't believe how much time I spent getting those six bolts out.  I was able to disconnect the speedometer cable just above the cross member.  Man was that a tight spot with the cross member still there.  If I could have removed the cross member, it would have been easy to get to.  I hope I can pull the engine and tranny with the cross member still there.

I got a new catalog from Concours parts today. Their diagram of the Fordo shows the driver side (looks like the rear facing discharge scoop) as detachable. Bolts or screws on the flange. Not great detail, but the best I can do.

On the shifter rod, you might away just removing it on the trans side, and tying it up. If you can get to the shifter end, pull it. You really don't want to get something hung up and damage the shifter. Been many years since I pulled a Fordo in a bird, I just don't remember.

Don't get under there with the motor/trans half out. It's a lot of weight, and if something get hung up, don't use force. You never know just which way it will go when it comes loose. I think of the dumb things I did as a kid (pulled my first engine/Fordo/bird in 1967), and I'm surprised I've still got both hands and all my fingers. Fortunately, I had a Dad who'd pulled a lot of engines.


miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

(1) That wire does sound like it’s going to the oil pressure switch.  The wire connector to that switch simply slides off the switch in a sideways manner to remove it.
 
(2) The air inlet for the automatic choke ‘heat tube’ should slide out of the 90° fitting that goes into the side of the intake manifold.  It would be prudent to put some kind of penetrant on that connection before working with it to minimize breaking or twisting of either the line or the fitting.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I think I"m making good progress on prepping the 56 Tbird to remove the engine/tranny.  I have a couple of questions to help me get to the finish line.
1)  There is a wire that comes out of a bundle of wires from the firewall (the other wires go to the coil and such) that is connected to some kind of connector on the lower side of the block on the drivers side.  I'm guessing this is the oil pressure sending unit?  How do you disconnect the wire from the oil sending unit or remove the oil sending unit?  It looked flush to the block to me and the wire was just going into the unit?  I think I should just cut the wire at the sending unit and plan on putting in a new sending unit and wire on the new engine?
2)  There is a metal tube that goes from the intake manifold to the underside of the front top portion of the teapot carb.  The fitting on the intake looks like a 90 degree elbow but the fitting from the tube to the elbow is strange looking to me (see picture above), it doesn't have a nut so  I can't see how to remove the tube from the intake.  Once I can detach from the intake, I can remove the carb.
3)  I couldn't tell how to remove the converter air duct assembly, but it looked to me like it would not be in the way, unless it hangs down too low?  It doesn't look too low, or stick out to the side much.  If there are just a few bolts I need to remove, I'll try to remove it.  Is there anything I need to know to remove it?
4)  The last couple of things I'll need to do that may be a challenge is disconnecting the shift control linkage at the transmission (not sure how much needs to be disconnected yet) and the speedometer cable.  The book says to plug the transmission with an extension housing cap.  Is this necessary?  Is there something else I can plug it with?
Last, I have to remove the engine mounts, cross member, lower the front end and remove the radiator.  Almost there.  Hope to pull the engine on Saturday.  I hope there's not something still attached somewhere that was supposed to be disconnected :-).

Only the 57's had a non-removal trans mount..  If your going to use the air vent again, I would remove it to make sure it is not damaged.

I would recommend that you get something like movers blankets to put over the fenders and the nose to protect them.  Harbor Freight usually have some inexpensive ones.


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Use a plastic scraper to clean off all the gunk. It saves scratching what might be good original paint underneath. I like the idea of aluminium foil, never thought of that.

While the engine and trans are out, do yourself a favor and clean all that up. Be mindful of fumes and ventilation, self combustion of dirty rags, all the usual cautions they print on the can. If you can roll the car outside, pressure washing works well, too. But its a real mess to clean up, and worse if the oil police catch you.

If you're in the mood to touch up the paint, cheap house brand tinfoil from Walmart is one of the best masking things I've found. Works good on the brake and fuel lines, pretty much everything. Way easier than tape and paper.

Then put a PCV system on the new motor, if your not doing a concours restoration. A lot of that gunk is the 60 years of a road draft tube. Sorry to go off topic, but when you said it was gunked up like mine, it seemed appropriate.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Miker, you are right, I found the cross member and mine in crusted over like yours was.  I hope I'll be able to scrape down to the bolts and eventually get them off.