I have just started the process of installing a B&M floor shifter on my 71 Mav. When drilling the two holes in the floorboard closest to the front of the car I am hitting what I believe to be the tailshaft of the tranny! There seems to be barely 1/4 inch at the most clearance between the floorboard and the tranny. I have not yet been able to get under the car to take a look, but is the tailshaft that close to the floorboard at that point? I am locating the shifter as far back to the rear of the car without interfering with the bench seat. Has anyone had this problem and what would be my possible solutions? I can't imagine having to remove the transmission just to install the shifter...that seems crazy.
Gene, it is VERY close in mine. Very difficult to get to. I had to remove the tranny cross member, lower the tranny some, then install the shifter (Hurst Quarter Stick on mine). I then ground the bolts down as much as possible. I actually had one hitting my drive shaft (aluminum drive shaft at that) under accelaration - it dug a pretty good groove in it before I got it back to the garage and ground THAT bolt down. I'm not saying yours is the same way - just that I've had a similar experience. Good luck.
So it is possible to move the tranny enough by just removing the rear mount and I imagine the driveshaft as well? Then you pushed the bolts through from the bottom so you would end up fastening the nuts and washers from the top side, right?
There is a "w" shaped body reinforcement that is located directly below the dash. The stamping is about 1/4 - 3/8 deep. Are you sure this is not what you are hitting? When I mounted my B&M I had to drill through the floor then the reinforcement and use longer bolts than the ones that came with the shifter with a very large washer on it because the hole came through kind of on the side of the "W" shape. Cleaver
My driveshaft was already off the car - but you might be right. I dropped the bolts in from the top, tightened the nuts on the bottom, then ground down the stud flush with the nuts. When you're working by yourself, you make compromises (no one to hold the bolts from underneath). Let us know how you accomplished yours and good luck.
I just put a B&M shifter in my 72 and I also hit "something" just the way you are describing Gene. That something happened to be a structural floor brace that runs along the underside of the floor pan. I drilled a hole diagonally through it to make room for my cable. From there, I ran the cable up towards the engine on the drivers side, layed it over the top of the transmission and sent it down the passenger side of the trans. Then I layed it over the tailshaft of the transmission and connected it (finally) to the shift lever on the transmission. Which ,by the way, if you used a B&M cable operated shifter, you will have to grind off the factory shift linkage. I was able to reach under the car and sent my 4 bolts through the floor pan without having to move the transmission at all. I just used a drill bit that was a tiny bit smaller than the bolt I was using. (Sometimes I can't always get my kids to help me in those hard-to-reach areas) My shifter comes about 1 1/2" from the dash when in the full-forward position. I have the package tray also. Also, when using a B&M shifter that there is an "extra" notch that you can feel when you put it into PARK. DO NOT force the shifter to try and use it, it is for CHEVROLETS only. The instructions tell you about it but sometimes (at least for me) it is hard to get my head around some of the instructions that were put into these kits. Normally they are written by "Techs/Engineers" that have no idea what they are talking about as far as how the product actually works.
but the bolt up from under the car.. that way the shaft of the bolt wont need to be cut down.. make sure you ock tight the but thought.. since it is going up from bottom and if the nut falls off.. the bolt wont fall through
Thanks for all the helpful tips! I finally crawled under there and it was indeed a structural floor brace that I was hitting. No need to move the tranny. I was able to just drill down through the bracing and use longer bolts. I haven't got to the part about hooking up the neutral safety switch and backup light switch yet...I'm not very good with electrical stuff so I am a little leary. I have the switches fastened to the shifter at this point but that is all. I haven't read in the instructions about hooking it up yet...not even sure if it will make sense. Anyone have any words of wisdom as to how this part is done. Each switch has two connection points for wires. Where do I hook these up? Are there existing switches or wires on the tranny somewhere that I need to splice into or somewhere under the dash?
