Stuck Wood Shifter Plate on Center Console

[SunnySideUp]

I need to replace the foam rubber boot on the lower part of a 5-speed shifter that is on the transmission tunnel and under the center console. My goal is to not dismantle 1/2 the interior to do it - so I am thinking that I can just remove the shifter plate and replace the foam rubber from the top through the cavity covered by the shifter plate. Easy-Peasy, right? A problem I've run into is the wood panel that surrounds the shifter is stuck pretty good. It's a good bet that it has never been off before. Some light prying demonstrated that the vinyl and wood are stuck together pretty good and it was going to peel the vinyl from the center console if I were to just give it a good yank. My console is in really good condition - probably an 8+ out of 10. Does anyone have any tips or tricks for successfully removing the wood shifter panel without damaging anything else?

[TX82FIAT]

I had a similar issue find a thin putty knife and slowly wedge it between the wood and you center console. Start at the back and take you time. Two pins connect the back and the front has a metal tab. So, it needs to be lifted from the back (back of car) side of the wood.

[azruss]

the wood is held by a flange on the front and 2 pins in each of the back corners. these can get rusty and that is what is making things difficult. If you can pull up the shift boot, you can WD-40 these pins from the hole and also do you prying from there as well. the problem here is the boot is secured on the wood and should be removed from the underside. you can try spraying a bunch of wd-40 between the vinyl and the wood in the back corners and let that set awhile and try prying from the top again. rather than prying you may want to try putting your fingers in the shifter hole and pull up from there.

[4uall]

Here is a pic if it will help



I would strongly suggest replacing the shifter boot (if needed)





You may also need a retainer ring

[RRoller123]

On my 80, the 2 "rearward" pin retainers (there is one left and right, with the flange at the front, as mentioned) were quite stuck, requiring a major amount of force to release, and unfortunately I did a little damage to the console prying it up. Pry from the back, and be sure to put a protective piece of something over/across the backside of the console so you don't mung it up. The retainer clips were so bonded to the pins that they broke on mine regardless of how I tried to protect them, and had to be replaced when it was all put back together.

Pete

[SunnySideUp]

Thanks for the help/suggestions! I'm off to the garage to give them a try.

Update 9/29/2013 - Success! The tip on penetrating fluid helped. I gave each rearward corner a squirt and let it sit for a day and then repeated the next. The plastic bushings that the pins on the shifter plate pop into were definitely a PITA. But all went well in the end. The old shifter boot was shredded - no wonder there was heat pouring in when the heater was off! Thanks everyone!

[njoconnor]

Metal pins? Plastic bushings? So....if I've lifted the metal plate and wood from the console, and see what looks to be grey plastic wall board anchors and sheet metal screws holding the plate to the console, I have an issue??

I suspect one of the PO's drilled out the pins, and fashioned the current arrangement. I have a line on a replacement (used) plate; is there a source of bushings for the new console I'm ordering?

[SunnySideUp]

Metal pins? Plastic bushings? ... I have an issue??

You can see the metal pins in the first picture that 4uall posted above. They are bonded or welded to the bottom of the metal plate which the wood is glued to.

It doesn't appear that any of the vendors carry the plastic bushings, probably on purpose. I checked around to see if anyone has the plastic bushings "just in case" I munched one trying to re-install them. I learned from one vendor that you have to go to an interior parts house to try and find a bushing that would work and if you DO find one to count your lucky stars. I suspect I'd have a better chance winning Power Ball. Maybe one of the members who salvages Fiats would have some good used ones available.

One vendor recommended using a rubber grommet that plugs into the holes at the rear corners of the console and then to push the pins on the plate through the grommet. He said any decent hardware store should have such a grommet and that I should look forward to some custom fitting in order to get the plate to sit correctly. I haven't put the plastic bushings back in yet. If I can find the rubber grommets I'll go that route instead just in case I ever need to get under the plate again for some reason. If I find the right / elegant solution using a rubber grommet I'll post it to an update of this topic. Otherwise, I'll commit to putting the plastic grommets back and hope that I never need to pull the shifter plate again.

Now after all that, my wife walks in and asks why I don't just use Velcro.

[gcorsar]

Little things just keep popping up. I was able to get the console plate up so I could replace the inner and outer shift boot, but now I'm having trouble getting it back in place. My console plate looks just like the one in the first picture above. When I try to put it back in place I can't seem to get the front part to line up so the back part with the posts can snap into place. I assume the lip on the front (pictured below) goes under the console to hold the plate in place while shifting, but when slide the lip under the console the back of the plate ends up too far back and I can't push it down to have the posts snap in place.



The lip on my plate is pretty flat. If it should slip under the console shouldn't it be more of a channel shape? Or am I doing something wrong?

[Akgriffith]

Little things just keep popping up. I was able to get the console plate up so I could replace the inner and outer shift boot, but now I'm having trouble getting it back in place. My console plate looks just like the one in the first picture above. When I try to put it back in place I can't seem to get the front part to line up so the back part with the posts can snap into place. I assume the lip on the front (pictured below) goes under the console to hold the plate in place while shifting, but when slide the lip under the console the back of the plate ends up too far back and I can't push it down to have the posts snap in place.



The lip on my plate is pretty flat. If it should slip under the console shouldn't it be more of a channel shape? Or am I doing something wrong?

I realize this post is over 2 years old so I'm shooting in the dark here.
I've got the same problem, did you ever figure it out? I cannot get the plate to drop into place, it seems to be sitting about 1\8 inch to far back.

[PhillySpider]

Little things just keep popping up. I was able to get the console plate up so I could replace the inner and outer shift boot, but now I'm having trouble getting it back in place. My console plate looks just like the one in the first picture above. When I try to put it back in place I can't seem to get the front part to line up so the back part with the posts can snap into place. I assume the lip on the front (pictured below) goes under the console to hold the plate in place while shifting, but when slide the lip under the console the back of the plate ends up too far back and I can't push it down to have the posts snap in place.



The lip on my plate is pretty flat. If it should slip under the console shouldn't it be more of a channel shape? Or am I doing something wrong?

I realize this post is over 2 years old so I'm shooting in the dark here.
I've got the same problem, did you ever figure it out? I cannot get the plate to drop into place, it seems to be sitting about 1\8 inch to far back.

I went through this recently replacing my shift boot. I hate to tell you, but the answer is force. Those pins don't drop in, they snap in. I have the original soft touch vinyl padded console so it really seemed like I didn't have the plate far enough forward, but I did. I pushed the plate as far forward as I could on an angle with the back side raised up. Then I dropped down the back, put my palm on in and began shifting my body weight to my palm. I'd say I got about 30 to 40% of my weight on it and SNAP, it was in.

[1983Pinin]

Hi Folks and PhillySpider,
I guess these posts live on and on. I'm in the middle of the same job
I'm working on an '83--pulled the outer boot off by grabbing the ring through the boot material and pulling gently up.
I ended up pulling out the entire center console and needed to pull the glove box and instrument cluster to get the radio console out, which needs to be done if you want to get the center console out without breaking stuff. FYI, pulling the center and radio console and instrument cluster took me two 2-hour sessions after work, so not so bad. We will see how the reassembly goes.

This car had a transmission replacement and now that I have everything out I note there are two connectors coming up from the transmission into the cabin. i believe one is the reverse indicator, and this was hooked up, but there is another one down there that is not hooked up, and damn if I know what would be hooking up to it, since I don't have any loose connectors in the cabin near the console ( I think!)

Any ideas??

Last comment-- having had a number of spiders in the past, I am reminded with my '83 of the "Fiat Smell", that oil/grease/sweat/burn/road smell. Does that all come up from the transmission tunnel and become infused in the jute insulation near the transmission inner boot ( which I'm replacing).

Thanks for reading and any comments
--Peter

[PhillySpider]

I just refer to it as "old car smell". After tightening up leaky bollts, changing all fluids, cleaning the under carriage, engine bay etc it still remains...