Will GM 200r4 work with factory floor shift location?
Boy...that was easy, fast and cheap. I guess Murphy doesn't work on Sunday ( as in "Murphy's Law). I cut two pieces of 1/8" X 3" flat stock lightly hammered a slight curve into each piece and they all but fell into place. The lower one requires a kinda sharp curve down near the bottom but it was easy. The second piece only took light tapping with a small hammer to get it to slide in.
In the pics you can see how the bottom one comes out right next to the shifter torque shaft (just like I planned.. LOL). Now in reality the bottom piece is a little too close to the torque shaft in order use a rod end but you could probably cut and weld (or maybe bolt) the stock lower pivot bracket to the flat stock pretty easy once the tranny is out. My plan was to install a piece of 1/8 flat stock on either side of the bulge (sandwich the body sheet metal) just below the shifter boot to get enough distance to install a rod end then weld a piece from that small piece of flat stock to the piece that runs between the body and the upper trans cross member (the ones in the pics). This should give the torque shaft lower pivot brace plenty of rigidity. I don't know why I'm going through all this trouble when I could just use a cable shift but I like a challenge???
If I install the tanny and for some reason there's no way to use the mechanical linkage the cable shift method is my fall back position. I just didn't feel like tearing out the console and the linkage, making another hole for the cable and all that stuff.
Now that I fitted these pieces of flat stock into their new homes you can see the flanges/lips on the upper cross member. This is where I plan to weld the flat stock to the cross member (right along the flanges' edge). If you take your time welding and use a wet rag to cool things off as you go you don't even have to remove your carpet, you're not welding directly to the trans tunnel itself. This should give the upper cross member plenty of rigidity compensating for the cutting that will be required for the 200R4 install.
Again, this was very, very easy and cheap. It took about 10 minutes including the cutting of the flat stock. I'm not ready to weld them in yet so I removed the pieces and will paint and store for now. I still need to cut one more piece so that there will be three stacked one above the other.
I get the new rod end next week so I can try and see how it fits with relation to the pieces of flat stock...maybe I won't have to make a hole in the tunnel for the rod end??
Treblig