Hi Ned,
No need for a picture. I know exactly what you mean. The fiberglass cover is
too far back and needs to be moved ahead and as on centre as you can get it.
I'd bet that somebody has installed either carpet and underlay that's too
thick on the vertical bulkhead in front of the cover or they have applied a
rubber seal to the front face of the cover that's too thick. That in turn is
likely why they've cheated by using the after-market leather boot because
the original rubber boot couldn't take the offset situation.
In any case, with the BJ8 the console is a very close fit around the tower
portion of the cover, so it will have to be loosened off both from the cover
bracket fixing points (in behind the radio blanking plate) and the screws
where the console fastens to the centre dash panel I'll refer to as the
switch panel.
I had to wrestle with this stuff recently on a customer's car and the most
important thing is to get the cover's hole well centred in relation to the
gearbox tower. Then with that accomplished, seals and carpet in place and
fastened down, the switch panel mounting screws, the panel to console
screws, and the console to tunnel bracket can be all fiddled to get a good
fit, then tightened.
With this all accomplished you can get yourself a correct rubber shift boot
and now it will fit.
Rich Chrysler
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ned Smith" <smithn00@kitepilot.net>
To: "Austin-Healey List" <healeys@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 10:33 AM
Subject: Gear Box Cover
>I wanted to replace the nylon bushing at the end of the gear shit lever so
>I
> removed the after-market leather boot and found the old rubber boot in
> pieces underneath. The 2.5 metal housing that holds the shift lever is
> not
> centered in the 3.5 hole in the fiberglass gear box cover. It is way off.
> Looking down on the shift lever, the circle of the metal housing touches
> the
> circle of the fiberglass hole at about 1:30 hours (boy I wish I could send
> a
> picture). That leaves gaps of 1 at 6:00 and > at 9:00.
>
>
>
> Is this normal? Should I take up the gear box cover and reposition it to
> center the gear shift lever in the neutral position?
>
>
>
> Ned Smith
>
> BJ8
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