Ready to install 727 trans in 70 440 challenger and was wondering that when I took it out had a hard time breaking loss top bolt on starter can you install starter before you put trans in ?

thanks

No. A wobble socket helps on that top bolt.

Make sure the converter is installed correctly, they are a pain to get them seated and align correctly in the trannies, they should drop down twice while installing them with the tranny pointed straight up, do not installed them horizontally
If you use a straight edge across the tranny bell housing mounting flange that goes up against the block the converter lugs should have at least 3/4 inch clearance to the bell housing flat edge that goes up against the block

!/2 inch is plenty.

When installing trans cross member there was 2 bolts with nuts towards engine and 2 the other way. is that how they were installed from factory ?

I don't think so, all the OEM stock cars I have removed the trans. from had all the bolts install the same way with the nuts install on the tranny side of trans cross members :shruggy I don't think you can install the two inner bolds from the front do too not having
enough room for them to fit into the tranny cross member bolt holes
Maybe they will

Don't the threaded end of the bolts go to the back side to keep the thread end of the bolt from damage and caked on dirt etc so the nuts don't get frozen to them.

Transmission cross member the 2 outside bolts face different direction

That underside shot is far from factory stock, unless someone has a photo of the underside of the car as it rolled off the assembly line there is no knowing how it was originally built, though they SHOULD have all faced the same direction ...

I always use a stud for the top starter mounting hole. Makes it easier to stab the starter in and let hang in place on that stud.

Its not that far from stock as I owned cars since 74

It's current state is incorrectly overestored, that is what I meant from far from stock. The last year I judged 68-70 B body factory stock at Englishtown I was scoring 0 points for an underside that looked like that ... sorry , pet peeve of mine.

So you have had the car since 1974 , if the trans had never been out of it the in the few years you didn't own it, and that is how it has always been, then there is your answer.

To answer your question on the starter bolt , I used a universal on a 6" extension to get a ratchect past the end of the original starters ... this was before the advent of .. to me ?... wobble drive extensions. I'd be a little weary of trying to put the trans on with the starter sticking that far forward of the trans.

I don't know if it's always factory but that is how I install them and pretty much how I remember all of them being back in the day of unmolested cars.

Score 0 ponits for undercarriage or whole car ?

From a 69 manual

I would rather have a underside you can look at and see how it was put together at the factory