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SM465 Shifter Locked Up! HELP!

Great ideas, I was thinking something similar but not as beefy! I was thinking of getting some tin making the same strip as you are referring to but welding them to the cab. Then drill through new doghouse and strips (same as you prescribed for alignment reasons) and then using those fasteners similar to what's used on the inner fenders (nuts with a tab to hold it in place.

I'm also planning on running a couple straight pieces across the hole (lots of room under cab) to tie the two sides together and keep the strength. These strips will only be for strength and not for fastening the doghouse back on. Not sure it's necessary but gurantee it'll strengthen it up.
 
oh yeah, another thing, if you ever want to find all your exhaust leaks, cut a big a$$ hole in your floor and take it for a drive...
 
The main reason I went with 1/2 inch was so that the threads would hold when when tapped.
I've used nuts, captive nuts, welded nuts, and on occasion some of those rivet nuts.
The rivet nuts bring the suck when they start turning in the hole.

And the captive fender types are fine unless the threads get rusty or dirty and the force needed to turn the bolt is more than the cage or the clamp can stand.
I had assumed that you were going to use the same piece you cut out. I did not know you were building another.

I got into the tapping thing when I was doing consulting work for a tool and die shop.
I know they had nuts in there, I saw them. But in 8 years of doing work for them, helping design and build machinery, I don't think I ever saw them use one.

They drilled and tapped everything. It slowed production down some, but the end result was worth it.

Of course, they had tapping machines, tapping attachments for the milling machines, and tap programs for the CNC stuff.

I tapped thousands of holes with a right angle Sioux drill to mount machine covers. Layout the holes, drill them, then put the tap in the reversible drill and tap them.

I started on one big machine we were building with two 100 piece boxes of 10-32 screws, and had to go get more before I was through.
Finally talked them into buying some drill taps.

The plate my tool box is mounted on on my Ford, is tapped. Makes taking the toolbox on and off easy. No straining to hold a nut with a wrench under the lip.
 
again, all great points... I do plan on reusing the piece I cut out, so I'll take a look at your suggestion of getting a thicker plate and tapping it.

Do you put anything inbetween the plate and the cut out doghouse? ...something to reduce vibration and weather tight it?
 
I figure ol sweet will get you fixed up, but as far as rattleproofing it, if its bolted down tight, it won't rattle.
Another reason I quoted 1/2 inch, was because a lot of the machines I have had to cut holes in were themselves 3/8s or better, and there were structural issues involved.
The hole covering had to be as strong or stronger than the original.

If yours was flat, you could make the mounting rails end close enough so that little could get through.
But, since you are going to have to make several pieces, and probably bend a couple to make them fit, there will probably be gaps.

A strip of rubber from an inner tube pinched between the sheet metal and the rail bridging the gaps would stop most rattles and block water and mud.

But, you ought to investigate that stuff that they put under bathtubs when they are installing them. It comes in big rolls, is totally waterproof, and tough as heck.

Home Depot and Lowes sells it in the plumbing department. Its a little expensive, but well worth it.

You could cut a piece big enough to cover the entire hole, with holes cut for the shifters. Thus blocking off all gases and liquids.
The only problem with that idea, is that it should be pinched under the rail for best effect, which would mean that the rails would have to be removed to do any work.
Which would also make putting the rails on to start with tricky.
 
well he come down to the house today and we got the new removable cover all bolted back in place.

made few small strips of 21" long x 2" wide metal for the sides.

then a 8" long x2" wide stip for the back. and a 5" long x2" wide piece for the front.

drilled a few holes and used inner fender clip nuts and wide body washer head bolts i had on hand to bolt it all in place nice and neat.

new job for him is to seal it up a bit and he said mabye a rubber floor mat kit to cover all of it up nice and neat.

i helped with few simple ideas of the strips and went to a buddys shop to use his plasma to cut them out . then luke did 98% the rest of the fab and fit him self .

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Looks good. I think any serious off road vehicle should have some kind of inspection plate or removable panels like that.
Makes working on things much easier, and you can look for trouble without climbing under in the mud.

Done that way too many times.

Plus, if you have a strange noise or, like he found, an exhaust leak, its much safer driving around with the panels off while someone looks down than tying yourself up under the truck.

Too late now, but I hope you doused the nuts with Never Seeze or something like that.
That is my only problem with those things, and the reason I go with thicker metal and tapped holes.
When the the bolt gets a little rust on it, the little clips tend to wring off and just turn instead of unscrewing.
A bolt will wring off in a tapped hole too, but if it starts to bind, you can retighten it and work it back and forth.
Those fender clips will work back and forth on the metal when you try that.

But still a great job. Glad you thought of marking what goes where. I have missed that step before and regretted it.
 
For once we thought ahead and used some of the good copper never seeze on all of the fender bolts! :waytogo:

Thanks for all the help Brett, hopefully people won't be as scared (like I was) to cut a gaping hole in their floor! Honestly, this is one of my favorite mods for all the reasons Fordum mentioned...
 
sounds like a good idea.i love that my first gen has the huge 2 by 2 ft hole than unbolts over the tranny.they should have kept that in newer trucks.but that would be one more engenering step on the assymbly line.should make any future tranny fixes much easier now.
 
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