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I have the torque tube removed from the car, the shift linkage is removed as well as the guide rod. I removed four 4mm bolts on the slide and pulled the top half out the top of torque tube. I have the clip/washers removed from shift lever rod going through fork. I'm trying to pull the assembly out now but I'm short about 1/2" to get fork and bottom half of slide to pull off shift lever rod. The rod is pulled as far through as possible before being restriced by the pipe in the middle of the torque tube. See pic, this is as far as I can get it before it jams up on internal pipe.
Please, please, please - what is the super duper trick to getting this thing out?
The fdm short-shift kit DIY instructions is really good it shows you how to remove the shifter in the rods and everything from the bottom.
I just did this job recently. you have to basically disassemble the clamshell slide that surrounds the tube. There are four hex head bolts that you need to loosen and remove then the clamshell comes apart. Once apart the entire shifter slide right out.
Thanks samurai_k, but the clamshell is already split. The top half is out and came out the top of the torque tube, I just have the bottom half of the clamshell and the fork attached to the shift lever rod, but it won't "slide right out" as you mentioned above. Due to the bends in the shift lever itself, it is stuck against the steel tube on the inside of the torque tube and won't come any further out than the pic shows, therefore, I can't get the fork and lower slider off the shift lever. Is my shift lever bent differently than it should be so it won't come right out? Anyone encounter this?
It should slide out by angling it. Worst case you can remove that tube. There is a clip that holds it in. Remove the clip and you can slide out the tube and the shifter should come right out. Go to the fdm website and under diy you can DL the instructions for their RS SSK which details the job with pics.
I just checked out the FDM DIY instructions. I now know why we have a disconnect. These instructions are written for a C2 car that has no torque tube so there is plenty of room for the shift lever to just slide out. I have a 4S car with a torque tube and the FDM instructions don't show what to do.
I also see in the FDM instructions where the pipe is easily accessed with the clips you refer to. Again, on a 4S car, this pipe is inside an 8' torque tube so I'm just not sure where to find the clips holding the pipe in place.
Anyone have experience with this on a 4 or 4S car with a torque tube?
For clarity, here is a pic showing the torque tube I'm referring to in a 4 or 4S car that just isn't contemplated by FDM instructions for SSK. As you can see, the pipe inside it is several feet inside both ends of the torque tube, so accessing a clip to remove it doesn't seem doable, unless I'm missing something, which I assume I am. Thanks for any help guys. I've made it 70% into gutting a 4S and this is the first issue to completely stump me.
Ah! Got it. I looked up in the Bentley and no help there...
Is it possible to remove the clamp from the shifter which will remove the clamshell from the shifter? Here is what the bare shifter looks like. There is a e-clip that keeps it together in the red arrow.
Well after trying to finesse it for too long and not finding any further information on it, I decided to pull out the BFH. Well, really the big black non-marring mallet. I hit the shift **** end of the shift lever and it "slid out" after about 5 good wacks. I assume I'll have to give it 5 more wacks to get it back in when I'm done with the project. For those with a 4 or 4S and attempting to strip this down, good luck.
I originally planned on the rothsport golden rod, forward shift rod, and billet shifter, but that clearly doesn't work on a 4S. Well, only the golden rod works, the other 2 don't. FD sells a forward shift rod in AWD configuration, presumably shorter and with ball/cup attachment vs the heim connection they have on the RWD cars. Either way, the RS style shift lever is the only choice I've found vs the rothsport billet or any other. Any 4/4S/TT owners find any other choices out there?
From an engineering standpoint, I can imagine a short shifter dimensioned correctly that can work with and around the torque tube. Look at a pic of the rothsport billet shifter and imagine the lubricated slides around the steel tube all passing through the center of the shifter AND instead of the lower section of the shift lever being one piece of metal, where it wraps around the tube/slides, its two pieces that bolt to each other (like the slide halfs) so you can actually install it around the tube/slides inside the torque tube. Hmmm.... maybe a conversation with a fabricator is in order to explore the idea. I bet there are lots of 4/4S/TT owners that would love a proper SSK for their cars too.
Nick
Glad you got it out
For future reference, the instructions for the AWD kit are attached below
Just noticed the DIY doc is not on our web site! Apologies... we will add it today. Must have been missed when we recreated the site.
It will be here https://fdmotorsports.net/diy-1 later today
As you have already noted, the "tube the shift shuttle rides on is not removable in an AWD 993.
Yes, the AWD SSK is very different form the 2WD SSK
Thanks Mark, I'm sure this will help the next guy along who happens upon this thread. I must have had a wonky shift lever as I needed to wack it a few times for it to get around the fixed tube inside the torque tube. Even your instructions indicate "Slide the shift lever down and carefully pull from the upper rubber boot." That is precisely what wasn't happening, it was simply stuck. I happened to have the whole torque tube removed from the car since I'm stripping the car to the tub but for someone attempting to just do a SSK retrofit, I suppose if faced with the same situation, you'd have to wack it from inside the car. I'm sure I'll be in touch as time comes to order the right kit when I'm putting humpty dumpty together again.
01-18-2018, 08:48 PM
Need Help!!! - C4S shift lever and slide removal
