What is the quickest way to remove the rear cradle when you're not going to reuse the spaceframe ?
I have a parts car that I want to remove the cradle , but the frame is going to the salvage yard.

Hi Tom, the craddle is the frame. to seperate it from the body I would do it the same way as if I was saving the body, from now on I'm unbolting the bolts on the top of the struts. $70.00 4 wheel alignment this morning. 4 bolts unhook the brake cables, p-brake, fuel, clutch, coolant hoses, wire harness's. Good luck.

No no, the spaceframe is the framework of the car. He doesnt want to salvage that, just the engine, transmission, and cradle.

The above is what you need to do before you take it out. After you get all of that done, let the car down onto whatever you are going to set it on (wood, shop floor, creeper, etc) and unbolt the bolts holding the cradle to the spaceframe. Then jack the car high enough so that you can pull the cradle and all out from under the car. Set the car down and you are done.

1. Pull the Fiero in the garage
2. Drain the oil from the motor, while the motor is still warm
3. Disconnected the battery and removed it
4. Disconnected the ground cable near the dipstick
5. Gave the motor time to cool
6. Drain the water from the cooling system
7. Disconnected the wires from the ECM and pushed them through
the firewall
8. Disconnected the wires from the wiring harness near the
battery tray
9. Removed the louvers
10 .Mark the position of the compartment lid
11. Removed the trunk/hatch lid
12. Removed the air filter system
***DO NOT REMOVE THE TORSION ROD RETAINING BOLTS
13. Remove the torsion strut bolt
14. Disconnected the throttle cable from the throttle body
15. Disconnected the cruise control cable from the throttle
linkage
16. Labeled all hoses just incase they could be used in the same
location
17. Removed all vacuum hoses
18. Disconnected the fuel line fittings from the fuel rail
19. Removed the clutch slave cylinder and shield
20. Removed the shift cables, the back up light switch, and the
speedo sensor connection
21. Removed the lower radiator hose and the heater hose from the
water pump
22. Removed the A/C lines from the compressor and the A/C wiring
harness
23. Removed the lower engine strut front bolt
24. Raised the Fiero up approx. 28" off the ground
25. Removed the rear tires
26. Disconnected the parking brake cables
27. Removed the brake calipers and hung them with clothes wire
28. Removed the suspension struts
29. Removed the nuts from the front engine cradle
*** DO NOT REMOVE THE BOLT YET, THE MOTOR WILL FALL
30. Put a transmission jack under the motor and the cradle
31. Remove the rear bolts and then all four cradle bolts
32. Lower the motor/transaxle/cradle
***A MOST: mark the cradle and measure the loction of the motor
A. measure from the sides of the cradle to the center of
the crankshaft
B. measure the height of the center of the crank to the
cradle
C. measure from the corner of the cradle to the center of
the crank on both sides
33. Disconnect the rear of the motor from the transaxle
bellhousing
***LEAVE THE TRANSAXLE MOUNTED AT THIS TIME
34. Remove the motor from the cradle
35. Drain the transaxle
36. Coat the engine cradle and transaxle with "Gunk or Hog wash"
and let soak
37. Use a brush and remove all gease, oil, dirt, and other grime
38. Wire wheel the engine cradle and sand it down
The motor removal is done!

------------------
Bobby from NW Indiana
93 Northstar and 5 speed Getrag
NEW e-mail address 219customs@sbcglobal.net
My 86 GT build thread
MY 88 Northstar build thread

quote ***A MOST: mark the cradle and measure the loction of the motor A. measure from the sides of the cradle to the center of the crankshaft B. measure the height of the center of the crank to the cradle C. measure from the corner of the cradle to the center of the crank on both sides

Whats all that about? I am going to assume you dont plan on bending your motor mount.

At least for the 4 cyl, it really isnt too important to have to take the harnesses out of the ECM and thread them through the firewall. I hear its a pain for the 84 so I didnt even waste my time. It would be nice to get them out of the way, but its not an absolutely necessity.

Quickest way? Cut all hoses and wires and then take a cutting torch to the cradle bolts. Of course, it will cause a lot of damage.

Tom

UUUMMMMM.........ya what he said

http://www.v8archie.com/v8install.htm
http://www.calgaryfieros.com/OSGdocs/engine.html

Absolute quickest way? gas powered abrasive metal saw. fire it up and go nuts cutting in front of and to the rear of the engine. This will get the engine + cradle out in 15 minutes. the car will be toast as you cut it to pieces but it certianly is the fastest way. Also wear leather gloves and chaps, a full face shield if you decide to go midevil on the car like this. you would be amazed at how many thing go flying when you start chopping into a car like a madman with a cutoff saw.

also be careful around thing you want to keep, cutoff saws wil cut through what you want in a half a second. (wires, hoses, fingers, legs..... etc....)

I find a maniac laugh and holding the saw high just before cutting gives the best effect.