1975 Dodge Dart Idler Arm

Hello everyone,

I am currently in the process of replacing the idler and pitman arms. I started removing the idler arm last night and ran into a brick wall, or engine, that is. Its obvious that Dodge put the suspension together and then dropped the Slant 6 in. The problem with this is the bolt for the idler arm was inserted from the top down, which makes no sense at all. I started to tap the bolt upwards and it actually hits the oil filter/pump assembly.

I can only think of two options: grinding the head of the bolt off, or possibly raising the motor off of the mounts, unless someone knows a cool trick. When I reassemble it, the bolt will go through the bottom for future ease.

Thanks again. Any input would be greatly appreciated.