Removing gearbox tunnel cover

[Piscator]

I am trying to remove the tunnel cover to fit a new speedo cable.
I have removed the seat-belt anchorages at the rear of the cover and the gear lever knob but I can't get the cover out over the hand-brake lever because (I think) the gear-lever is in the way.
Can anyone offer any advice, please?

Many thanks,
John

[politeperson]

Remove the Radio console and the centre console will slide over the gear-stick if you are careful.

[288gto]

If you slacken the handbrake cable at the adjuster on the compensator on the rear IRS, you can get the handbrake lever more vertical and hopefully tease the centre console over it.. If that doesn't work you will have to take the radio console out as mentioned above.

Simon

[Piscator]

Many thanks, Simon and James, for your very quick replies.
I had already removed the radio console, unfortunately to no avail.
I am rather reluctant to attempt to slacken off the hand-brake as I would probably end up with another problem as well as the original one!

I do however very much appreciate your prompt assistance.
Incidentally, in my haste I posted to the Series 1 board rather than the technical one.
I didn't mention my car is a Series 2 OTS, but I don't suppose it would make any difference.

Regards
John

[christopher storey]

Piscator : getting the console off is a black art. It is essential to realise ( but not at all obvious ) that the easiest way to do it is to turn it across the car . The last time I did mine on my S2 I removed the LH ( passenger ) seat so that it can be turned fully across the car , and it is then usually possible to wangle the top of the handbrake lever through the slot in the console . If all else fails you will have to slacken the handbrake connection as already advised, but this is not perilous as long as you count the threads on the adjuster and put it back later to exactly the position it came from

[Ian Cooke]

Hi John

I had exactly the same problem removing my S2 centre console and rather than slackening the handbrake connection on the IRS I unscrewed the handbrake lever from the side of the tunnel. The screws were pretty tight but came undone using a large screwdriver and a spanner to increase the torque. Once the handbrake is free to move it was easy to slide the console over the gear stick. Re-attaching the handbrake was straightforward.

Regards

Ian

[Piscator]

Hi, Christopher and Ian,

I had actually booked the car into my usual garage, but you have inspired me to give it another go!

I had thought about removing the passenger seat but had decided against because it is very difficult to access the nut which sits above the LH silencer.

I'll give it a go and keep you posted.

Many thanks
Regards
John

[Piscator]

Gentlemen,
I followed your advice and the gearbox tunnel cover and the gearbox are now sitting proudly on my garage floor and I am drinking a (well-earned?) cup of tea.

Many thanks to each of you.

The old speedo cable inner and outer cover looks to be in pretty poor condition---hope it's the cable which is the problem and not the angle-drive.....

Again many thanks for getting me this far.

Regards
John

[Piscator]

The old cable had snapped. I fitted the new one and took the car round the block yesterday. Success!

Thanks for all the advice. Great team-work!

Before I refit everything, should I cable-tie or clip the new cable anywhere?

Regards
John

[christopher storey]

John : it can do no harm to cable tie it somewhere along its length to stop it flapping. The thing to make sure of is that there are no acute bends at any point in its length i.e all the curves should be long sweeping ones

[Piscator]

Thanks, Christopher, will do.

I followed the route of the old cable and was slightly surprised that the cable entered the bulkhead from the engine bay to the left (from the driver's viewpoint) of the speedo dial and not directly behind, which means that the curve in the cable is slightly sharper than it need be and a bend the other way to line up with the speedometer. (I hope my convoluted sentence makes sense).

Regards
John