installing a side-shifter (problem)

[tat2dphreak]

ok, I have the new engine and side-shifter into the car, but I am having HELL getting the front shift rod in... I tried it with the firewall bushing already in place... it has the wrong angle(going through the hole in the engine bar) and ends up on the far right(near the brake/fuel lines and wires) I took out the firewall bushing... same thing... please do not tell me I have to drop the engine to put this one bar into place? do I?... I just wasted 2 hours on this and I'm no where closer than I was... I'm giving up for today...

[Lyle]

You don't have to drop the engine but you do have to lossen the engine cross bar mounting bolts and the two bolts on the engine mount and then lower the left end of the bar, while supporting the engine in place with a hydraulic jack. The right end of the bar can stay in place. I just did the same job with a friends car about a month ago. It took us less then 30 minutes. PS, we first inserted the bar into the tunnel with the bushing removed, then put the bushing in, and then slide the bar backwards through the bushing hole.

[BigD9146gt]

Do you have the later casted engine bar the the hole for the shift rod? Plus the different engine mounts for the later set up???

[tat2dphreak]

I have everything... I found out I have to take off the engine cross bar to get it in

[tat2dphreak]

I did this last night, it wasn't that bad at all!