HEY EDB, Thanks for the info. The graphics helped as well as the other postings regarding this 'struggle'. I'll attempt to use some penatration maybe with some heat and if needed, rock that blade back & forth to hopefully break-free the tilt mechanism. I'll let ya know how it goes!

Well, I got that old blade to tilt forward! It took some diesel to penatrate the pivot point, a large pry bar and a floor jack against the circle. After awhile, it would just fall forward. Thanks to all that gave great suggestions. Now I can so some good 'finish' work.

I had forgot about this post untill it came back up today, I finally got the parts manual and owners manul for the 71 d 345 that I've been useing, I just returned it today cause the owner wanted to beef up his road in the next few days, anyway reading the owners manual to catch up on a couple of adjustments I came across the section on blade tilting, the book also called it draging, I've seen one operator use that position to do clean up work, but his cutting edge was dull as can be, this is from useing the blade in the tilt forward position, I've been taught that in the forward position is to cut and rolled back is for normal work, if you look at a cutting edge it would be sharpest in the rolled forward position this woulod help in penertratring harder soils or base, when rolled back you'll keep the leading edge sharp.
I'm too lazy to loosen the bolts and rock this one forward, but I haven't had any hard cutting to do yet.

Hi George,
thanks for the update on your success at getting the blade brackets freed up.
Well done, I bet you had a goodly sized smile on your dail when it started to give. I have known them to put up a fierce struggle on many I have done at the Dealer.
In the Army I was taught that the Straight up and down position of the Blade was for CUTTING, and the Tilt Forward Position is for MIXING of materials and the Rolling over of material, and to shift (DRAG) material from one place to another without the risk of further cutting of the base material. However before Hydraulic tilt it was too much effort to continually alter the blade position and we just used the cutting position. Hence the common problem of seizure of the Blade Brackets.
Cheers,
Eddie B.

My 71D has a bent cross member too. It doesn't seem to bother anything on the pitch adjustment. I have the hydraulic side shift. Is that how your blade is set up? I think it may just take some patience, oil, heat and resonable force. Road salt may have caused some major problems over the years. My blade lives a long way from a paved road so I don't have to worry about salt. I am not sure it's worth fight very much. Hope it breaks free soon.