flywheel inspection cover

[jgcable]

I have a 1987 automatic. I need to remove the lower flywheel inspection cover to jam a screwdriver in the teeth so that I can remove the lower crank pully (I am putting a new timing belt in)

I removed all the bolts and I have been trying to remove that sucker for almost 2 hours now. It won't budge. I bent the crap out of it trying to remove it. I removed 2 bolts on the driver side and 3 bolts on the passenger side. There are no bolts left. What the heck.... this is driving me nuts.
My Haynes manual says I have to remove the transmission in order to remove the inspection plate.
What the heck am I doing wrong? Please help!!

 

[86yota]

i might be wrong but i think i remember that plate coming off when i unbolted the very top bolts on the transmission. Hard to get too with big hands. But yeah i was removing the engine not doing the timing belt. you might also have a Wedge affect happening, if so try jacking up the tranny a little bit to relief pressure.

 

[BlackDynamite]

There are 2 brackets, one on each side of the transmission that connect the engine to the tranny for extra support(If i'm correct). Remove those brackets(from the engine and the tranny) and it should come right off.

The plate 86yota is talking about is the spacer between the engine and tranny. No need to remove the top bolts...but he is right about the wedge affect.

Ps. Since it is an Automatic, i guess we could call it "The Lower Flexplate Inspection Cover" Since it does not have a flywheel, but a flexplate ;]