photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
stealthfti | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> shifter problem: trouble in the tunnel tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

shifter problem: trouble in the tunnel

Sometimes strange and unexpected things happen.

I was out running some errands in my 245FTi, and it became very difficult to shift gears. As I came up to a stop sign, the trannie did go into neutral okay, and then went into 1st gear okay. When I went for 2nd gear: nothing....

I rolled off the street into a parking lot. The shifter was flopping around like it was not hooked up to anything. I pulled the shifter boot up to take a look see. What I saw was not good. The shifter link rod was hanging off to the side, broken.

Once I got the wagon to where I could get underneath to see just what had happened, and to determine my options, I was able to remove the broken link rod.

Well, I could drop the 3in exhaust, drop the crossmember, and pull the trannie...just to get to the shifter pivot.

OR, I could do it the hard way: tunnel in.

...I decided to do some tunnel work.
the broken link rod
the broken link rod
the replacement link rod
the replacement link rod
the pivot
the pivot
the first piece removed
the first piece removed
the second section removed
the second section removed
a topside view
a topside view
from the driver's side...
from the driver's side...
a better view from the right side
a better view from the right side
the broken link rod pieces
the broken link rod pieces
it's a tube; and it sheared
it's a tube; and it sheared
the new 'tunnel access cover'
the new 'tunnel access cover'
another view
another view
driver's side view of the cover in place
driver's side view of the cover in place
snug and secure in front of the shifter
snug and secure in front of the shifter
along the right side
along the right side
adding in some sheet metal screws to finish the job
adding in some sheet metal screws to finish the job
done...
done...