Yesterday I was installing solid cable end bushings and a short shift kit on my R. During this process one is required to lock the trans selector in its home position with the small lever on the trans. While working on the car I got a few phone calls in the shop and lost track of where I was procedurally. I came back to the car and was torquing the shifter arm nut to 15 lbs feet when I heard the *snap* [emoji20]
Obviously the lock pin has no business being engaged when torquing the selector arm nut, I had simply gotten sloppy and forgotten the lever was engaged. Balls. Now to fix it.
I had read numerous posts about people just letting it be, and even a few suggestions of “run it, maybe drain the oil and hope it comes out, it’s only plastic”. Umm...no. It’s actually plastic coated STEEL & the inside of that gearbox is essentially a $40k USD 292hp shredder. There was NFW my car was moving until I had found that miserable hunk of metal.
Here is what to do if this happens to you:
Remove the selector tower
Special tool substitute: 12” cabinet tip flat blade screw driver.
Get a telescoping magnet and start fishing in the oil directly beneath where the selector tower resides. Eventually you should find the small black plastic/steel rod.
Now pull out the 90 degree arm from the lock mechanism. It won’t take much force. Then thread in a 1” long lag bolt, I used a 3/8”. Thread in only far enough to get a good bite on the threads. Pull/pry on the bolt head and the lock will come out. The lock is an interference fit, and has no orientation per se.
Blow compressed air from the interior of the trans side of the lock hole to clear debris. Use a mirror to check the bore.
Press in the new lock pin mechanism 02J 301 358C ($20 from the dealer).
Reassemble the selector tower.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Obviously the lock pin has no business being engaged when torquing the selector arm nut, I had simply gotten sloppy and forgotten the lever was engaged. Balls. Now to fix it.
I had read numerous posts about people just letting it be, and even a few suggestions of “run it, maybe drain the oil and hope it comes out, it’s only plastic”. Umm...no. It’s actually plastic coated STEEL & the inside of that gearbox is essentially a $40k USD 292hp shredder. There was NFW my car was moving until I had found that miserable hunk of metal.
Here is what to do if this happens to you:
Remove the selector tower
Special tool substitute: 12” cabinet tip flat blade screw driver.
Get a telescoping magnet and start fishing in the oil directly beneath where the selector tower resides. Eventually you should find the small black plastic/steel rod.
Now pull out the 90 degree arm from the lock mechanism. It won’t take much force. Then thread in a 1” long lag bolt, I used a 3/8”. Thread in only far enough to get a good bite on the threads. Pull/pry on the bolt head and the lock will come out. The lock is an interference fit, and has no orientation per se.
Blow compressed air from the interior of the trans side of the lock hole to clear debris. Use a mirror to check the bore.
Press in the new lock pin mechanism 02J 301 358C ($20 from the dealer).
Reassemble the selector tower.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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