I'm installing a new pan gasket for a Turbo 400 transmission on my 1969 Firebird.

When I removed the pan I had to use a floor jack with a 2 x 4 positioned across the bottom of the pan to raise the transmission about an inch to access the rear most pan bolt because the cross member was in the way.

My question is: how do I raise the transmission to put the pan back on? I can't jack it up from the pan because the cross member prevents putting the pan fully into position and I can't jack it up from the tail of the transmission because the cross member is in the way.

One of my biggest regrets is getting rid of my '57 Chevy stepside pickup truck. One of the nice things about that truck that I didn't appreciate at the time was being able to crawl underneath it without having to put it on jack stands. What a PITA!

You had to have pulled the pan without the jack in place right? Sometimes you have to jockey it around to get it positioned correctly. Get all the bolts in except the inaccessible one, the jack up again if necessary.