69 rambler 199 rear main seal

Does anyone know offhand what the id of the radiator hoses are on a 199? I couldn't get some of the bolts loose on the cross member,didn't want to break them. I am going to pull the engine out to replace the rear main seal. I want to make PVC or steel plugs for the radiator hoses for removing the engine without spilling coolant all over. I need to replace the strut rod bushings too, will change those while I have the engine out.. Thanks again for your help!!!

I was going to pull the radiator after I drain it... I want to leave both hoses attached to the engine and plug them so they don't seep while I'm working on the engine.....I'm not removing the head or water pump, so there's no reason to drain the block...

After some careful wrenching, and penetrating oil, I was able to get the cross member bolts loose. If I remove the strut rods and unbolt the bottom of the shocks, will the cross member drop down? If this is all I need to do to drop the CM, I will follow Farna' s advice and replace the rear main seal with the engine in the car.

The springs won't come out as long as the upper arms are in place. The upper arms go down on the stops. You don't need to disconnect the strut rods. The crossmember can be pried down ( you might need a lever to get it down enough -- should drop enough to get a 2=3' length of 2x4 between engine and crossmember. It's okay to pry some against the oil pan as long as you have a wide surface like the 3.5" of a 2x4. I wouldn't use a crowbar or other lever unless there is a wood block between the narrow end and pan. Better to pry against something other than the pan though.

The TSM says to support the engine  from the top with a 4x4 laid across the fenders, padding between fenders and support. Chain/strap around 4x4 and to the engine somewhere. Or drill the 4x4 for a 3/8" J-bolt and hook that somewhere on the engine (that's what the TSM shows).

It's best to run the car up on ramps instead of jack stands. With weight on the front wheels the crossmember comes down better. It will come down one side at a time, so at an angle. Will need to go back in the same way. There is some bind but not much as the lower arms are almost parallel to the ground with weight on the tires. You can't support the lower arms from underneath with jack stands as the arms need to pivot down. Supporting under the body has the arms at a down angle, which will push up on the crossmember and make it very hard to get out without removing the inner lower arm pivot bolt. If you don't have ramps (or a drive on lift) you can jack it up and block under the front tires. You can always set jack stands under the body as a safety if you're not sure of your blocking under the tires.

Well, you only need to drop the pan 2-3 inches to get it off, just clear of the studs holding the crossmember on. You may only have to completely clear the stud on one side. Most have one stud and one bolt on each side, you might have two bolts...  Good luck!