SM465 installation/removal without trans. inspection cover?

[luke_skywoka]

Hey y’all, so I’ve been waiting to put my new cab on the frame because the sm465’s been at the shop. I was planning on putting it in before the cab.
Can you install the trans. And tcase from the bottom without the interior trans inspection cover?
I have the 1973 style crossmember with bolts on top of the frame and the bottom but I’m using a 1985 cab which doesn’t have a trans inspection cover.
Just want to know if it’s possible to bolt the them up from underneath in this situation because I want to get this cab on and put together

 

[Croatan_Kid]

I'd probably grind and knock out the rivets that hold it together from the bottom and make it where you could bolt it back in. That's gunna be a pain in the ass without being able to drop the transmission crossmember out for transmission install/removal.

 

[luke_skywoka]

The crossmember is bolted in, just not like the later models. This one has 4 nuts/bolts top and bottom each side.
I reckon I’m gonna put the cab on and if I have to cut a hole to tighten the adapter to trans/tcase bolts then I will

 

[Monkeynono]

The 1985 cab should have the trans cover it is glued on but easily removed. I did a 700r4 to SM465 swap on an 88K5. Once removed I drilled the hole to bolt it back down

 

[luke_skywoka]

This one is fixed in place, it’s a cab from a cucv pickup

 

[luke_skywoka]

Well after reading up on some forums and in my chiltons manual I might wait until after I put the engine in to install the trans/tcase assembly.
Mainly to make aligning the clutch and transmission splines easier.
These instructions are for 70-79 trucks.