supreme_style21 Posted October 16, 2003 Report Share Posted October 16, 2003 Has anyone ever written up a how-to on changing to the console shifter from column? Out of desperation, I'm gonna pull the buckets and console out of my '89 for my '94 and see how it all fits. I'll need seat covers, cause the colors will be different... but its a temporary solution. BUT I need to know how to actually convert the shifting mechanisms??! I've heard... yea run a cable thru the firewall... badabing. I may be stoopid, but I'm wanting to learn, so how's it done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted October 16, 2003 Report Share Posted October 16, 2003 Alright! I think I might be able to help! Right, so you wanna put a console shifter together, eh? Well, I'm not sure about the mounting holes on the floor of the car, but I do know that there's a hole about 2-4" up from where the bottom of the plastic for the floor vents meets the carpet. This hole goes into the engine compartment, and your shifter cable is probably going through that hole. If not, you'll have to route the cable through that hole, if it even exists. You need to pull the airbox from the engine compartment, and get a flashlight and look down right underneath where the windshield ends, you'll see a cable attatched to a rotating arm on the tranny. (I'll take pics later, don't have a digicam right now) That's your shifter cable. Follow it. You'll want to remove the metal pieces on the engine compartment's back wall. On the left side of the firewall, inside the engine compartment, you'll want to remove the two top pieces of metal that are screwed on the bolts sticking out right underneath the lip of the weatherstripping of the hood. They're like pieces of metal flattened and then they have six sides folded so they're like little nuts, just made out of tiny flat metal pieces. (That's really helpful I know ) You'll then be able to remove the molded metal sheet protecting the inner firewall/chassis. You'll be able to look down right behind the engine (you might want to rotate it forward) and see where the shift cable goes into the firewall. It'll be on a rubber plug, and hopefully you won't have to do shit with it, because it's a bitch to remove. (/end of useless info) What I think you'll end up doing is simply changing the routing of that cable from up the steering column to directly down from the cable's hole, under the carpet (there is a guide for the cable, it comes out through the hole in the carpet in my car) and it will come out the other side. You'll want to peel back the carpet at the upper edge where the most forward part of the shifter is, and remove the two bolts holding the cable guides down, so you can get the mount for the cable under the lower clearance. Assuming you have a console shifter from your other car, and your car has the mounting holes on the bottom of the chassis, it's a simple snap to get the cable onto the shifter, and that's with a simple pair of pliers. I'll take some pics if my esoteric directions aren't descriptive enough. Hope this helps some! If not, just observe the mounting in your other car, and hope that your column shifter car has the same mounting and routing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfahn Posted October 16, 2003 Report Share Posted October 16, 2003 i wish people responded to my posts like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted October 16, 2003 Report Share Posted October 16, 2003 Hey, that's the first time I've actually known something useful about a topic. I spent hours inside that stupid car removing the cable, then hours at the junkyard pulling a good cable. Ugh, it took #^%^ing forever. This is while driving my car to/from the j/y changing gears underhood with a wrench. You gotta do what you gotta do. Even if it's fucking stupid. I'm such a dumbass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supreme_style21 Posted October 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2003 Excellent.. I'll see what everything looks like on Sunday.. Sounds like an annoying amout of work. I thought I could trace all the cables, but I'm trying to use the parts from an '89 for my '94, so I just figure some, if not most, things aren't going to just swap that easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musthavemuzk Posted October 19, 2003 Report Share Posted October 19, 2003 http://www.dbfanatics.com/forum/photo_album_view.asp?cname=wires&mid=16&cid=150&page=2 for some pics of that hole mentioned. Monty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supreme_style21 Posted October 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2003 Thanks Monty... now is that the hole the cable is currently running thru? Or is that the one I need to run the new one thru? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musthavemuzk Posted October 19, 2003 Report Share Posted October 19, 2003 from my understanding the column shift cable runs through that hole. also the clutch uses that hole for mounting in manual transmissions. the console shift does not. that is what i was told when i asked where to run my power wire through the firewall. Monty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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