Nut at bottom of transmission shift assembly - best method

[TX82FIAT]

Folks, I have read where many of you have replaced the shift lever lower assembly because the nut on the shifter comes lose. Yesterday when out for a Sunday drive the shift stick came off because the nut fully spun off at the bottom of the shifter. I'm going to pick up a lower shift socket kit. My question is, should I disconnect the donut and come at this from the bottom OR should I disconnect the shift tower itself and go at it from the top removing the center console? Is it hard to get the tower out and in getting the dog arm on and off? Thanks in advance for those that have done this already.

[RRoller123]

It is not hard from the bottom! Pull that plate that covers it, USE A NYLOCK NUT, and have someone push down on the shifter from above, so that enough thread protrudes past the spring section to thread the nut on, and it is a piece of cake. Might pack some tissue or paper into a socket to hold the nut near the outer edge of the socket to get the threads started.

Bottom line is it ain't too bad at all.

Pete

[TX82FIAT]

RRoller123, did you maneuver around the drive shaft or did you take the donut off. Thanks, Ray

[RRoller123]

I remember this being at the end of the assembly cycle, so I am pretty sure the driveshaft was in place. I remember this whole thing being pretty easy, IF you have someone up top holding down the shifter and possibly holding it tilted to one side for best access, as may be necessary.

[F16Waldo]

My shifter failed the first time I drove it after trailering it home from PA. Had to devise a way to fix by myself...this is what I came up with (from a prior post)

I just replaced the shifter on my 83 Pininfarina after the lower nut unscrewed itself and the shifter pulled completely out of the shift shaft. This reply is for this newer thread, but the info is also applicable to the old thread I found very helpful in fixing the problem. ("shifter repair, me too" http://www.fiatspider.com/f15/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5859).

Anti rattle clip: When I disassembled my shifter, the anti-rattle was installed from the top with the bowed part on the inner side of the shifter shaft. I purchased a new clip from Auto Ricambi (sku TR5-464) along with the lower socket kit (TR5-540). When I took apart my shifter, the original anti-rattle clip was still good but not properly seated. The original clip is slightly different than the AR clip so I reinstalled the original. Works OK, but I do get a little rattle in 3d gear. If I had to do it over, I would install the new, slightly different clip from AR.

Shifter Install: Figured out a very easy way to put the shifter back into the shifter shaft (necessitated as I do not have an assistant to hold the shifter down while I try to assemble in the whole thing in the car). First I fully assembled the entire shifter (spring, socket, ball, etc) and put a nylon locking nut (8mm) on the end. (don't forget to pre-lube the assembly). It is important to ID how the lower plate (and hence the black ball socket) align in the transmission housing. They only go in one way and it is easy to start bolting the assembly back together in the wrong alignment (I marked the hole that needed to be towards the rear with orange crayon). Once assembled and oriented, start with the transmission in neutral and then feed the assembled shifter up from the underside of the car. I started on the passenger side and pushed the shifter up through the shifter shaft until the lower socket assembly was wedged tight against the drive shaft. The lower part was then wedged on the passenger side of the drive shaft and the upper part was pointing at the steering column. Here is the important clue...wedge the shifter so that the reverse lock out stud is on the downside of the shifter and the shifter shaft nub is on the upper side and pushing against the underside of the shifter shaft (if inserting from the passenger side as described, this will be 180 out from final install orientation). Once wedged into place, go topside and push the shifter shaft (I used a large screwdriver) as if trying to shift into 1st/2d gear. This will release the pressure on the shifter and you can now easily pull it up into place and secure it in position with vice grips. Whole thing took about 2 minutes. After that, crawl back underneath and bolt into place (note the Auto Ricambi kit includes new bolts...but no washers. I just used the old bolts). Total time was about 45 minutes (does not include center console R&R).

Good luck!
Waldo

[TX82FIAT]

F16 Waldo, thanks. Did the job last night. I did have a problem trying to fit the entire assemble up from the bottom as you detailed in your method. Started in neutral with positioning described and went topside to shift 1st & 2nd gear. The ball on the shifter would not clear the housing. Fiddled with it for about 20 minutes from top and bottom and various angles with the reverse post positioning and could not get it to clear. So, I screwed in the 3 hole black plate from the bottom and assembled from the top. Had my 17 year old son push down on the shifter from the top and completed the assembly (bushing, washer and nut) from the bottom. Then unbolted the triangular black plate and re-bolted with the metal cover plate. Once I had the right assistant it was a five minute deal.

Prior to having the right assistant, I was under the car to 30 minutes trying to get that 13 MM nut on to the shaft as the bushing, washer kept falling out with the slightest of movement from up top. My big hands were not helping the maneuvering around the drive shaft. Moral of the story, Have an assistant strong enough to hold the fully depressed shift and spring long enough and steady to make easy work of the job or you will start swearing.

Now I need to look into a better way to secure the console shift plate so it sits flush.