Gary Lewis Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Managed a little bit of work on REDRUM while I wait for my tattoo to heal. After installing the sub box I had interference with the shifter in 2nd 4th and reverse. I didn't get many pictures of the cutting process, just after that point The ZF5 shifter is very straight and transitions from a wide base to the more narrow shaft. Where this transition ends is where I gut a wedge out of the tube. I after removing the wedge I put the shifter in my vice and closed the gap I test fit the shifter a few time to make sure there was lots of clearance between the box as well as the dash. I then ground off some paint and welded up the cut. I then painted it with some leftover BBQ paint that the previous owner of my house left behind. Just waiting for the paint to dry before I reinstall it. Well done! That ZF5 shifter is looooong, so I can easily see it hitting things. For instance, I'm going to try a pair of captain's chairs with arm rests in Big Blue and worry that the arm rest will interfere with the shifter, or at least my ability to use the shifter. Now I know how to "fix" that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRittaler Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 Well done! That ZF5 shifter is looooong, so I can easily see it hitting things. For instance, I'm going to try a pair of captain's chairs with arm rests in Big Blue and worry that the arm rest will interfere with the shifter, or at least my ability to use the shifter. Now I know how to "fix" that. It is quite long. Even without the box there I was probably going to bend it a little. 2nd gear was basically wedged against my knee/thigh with the captains chairs all the way back. Here you can see where it landed when I set it in 2nd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Well done! That ZF5 shifter is looooong, so I can easily see it hitting things. For instance, I'm going to try a pair of captain's chairs with arm rests in Big Blue and worry that the arm rest will interfere with the shifter, or at least my ability to use the shifter. Now I know how to "fix" that. It is quite long. Even without the box there I was probably going to bend it a little. 2nd gear was basically wedged against my knee/thigh with the captains chairs all the way back. Here you can see where it landed when I set it in 2nd. So, you have the high-backed captain's chairs? Do they have the arm rests? If so, do they give problems shifting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRittaler Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 So, you have the high-backed captain's chairs? Do they have the arm rests? If so, do they give problems shifting? Correct, I have high back captains with arm rests now. Let me check what shifting is like when I put my shifter back on tonight. I only get an hour or two to tinker in the evenings once my son is down for bed. Unfortunately I didn't check that before I modified the shifter, but I'll try and visualize where it would land. When I bought the truck it was a bench seat so I didn't have any issues aside from it resting against my leg in 2nd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 So, you have the high-backed captain's chairs? Do they have the arm rests? If so, do they give problems shifting? Correct, I have high back captains with arm rests now. Let me check what shifting is like when I put my shifter back on tonight. I only get an hour or two to tinker in the evenings once my son is down for bed. Unfortunately I didn't check that before I modified the shifter, but I'll try and visualize where it would land. When I bought the truck it was a bench seat so I didn't have any issues aside from it resting against my leg in 2nd. That would help. I've planned to installed the captain's chairs that are for Dad's truck in Big Blue for our trip next week, but if I can't shift... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRittaler Posted January 13, 2022 Author Share Posted January 13, 2022 That would help. I've planned to installed the captain's chairs that are for Dad's truck in Big Blue for our trip next week, but if I can't shift... I'll preface this with my phone takes garbage pictures, but I didn't have any issues with the shifter. Unmodified the worst it would be for me is it would hit my leg in 2nd gear, but that was the same with the bench that was there before I swapped the shift knob to one that was included in the parts that came with the truck. The following pictures are with the transmission engaged in 2nd gear. You can kind of see where the unmodified shifter sits in an earlier picture in the thread. A rough estimate to me would be that there is about 5" between the edge of the seat and where the shifter sits in 2nd gear. Here are some measurements I took from my now modified shifter. Seat slid fully back and fully forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 That would help. I've planned to installed the captain's chairs that are for Dad's truck in Big Blue for our trip next week, but if I can't shift... I'll preface this with my phone takes garbage pictures, but I didn't have any issues with the shifter. Unmodified the worst it would be for me is it would hit my leg in 2nd gear, but that was the same with the bench that was there before I swapped the shift knob to one that was included in the parts that came with the truck. The following pictures are with the transmission engaged in 2nd gear. You can kind of see where the unmodified shifter sits in an earlier picture in the thread. A rough estimate to me would be that there is about 5" between the edge of the seat and where the shifter sits in 2nd gear. Here are some measurements I took from my now modified shifter. Seat slid fully back and fully forward. Thanks, Chris. That helps. And it looks like it'll work with the captain's chair. I'll give it a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRittaler Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 That would help. I've planned to installed the captain's chairs that are for Dad's truck in Big Blue for our trip next week, but if I can't shift... I'll preface this with my phone takes garbage pictures, but I didn't have any issues with the shifter. Unmodified the worst it would be for me is it would hit my leg in 2nd gear, but that was the same with the bench that was there before I swapped the shift knob to one that was included in the parts that came with the truck. The following pictures are with the transmission engaged in 2nd gear. You can kind of see where the unmodified shifter sits in an earlier picture in the thread. A rough estimate to me would be that there is about 5" between the edge of the seat and where the shifter sits in 2nd gear. Here are some measurements I took from my now modified shifter. Seat slid fully back and fully forward. Got the transfercase shifter installed but forgot to take pictures. Started working on gauges, moving gauges that the PO installed. I knew the PO wired in the 4wd indicator, but I didn't expect a standard bulb socket with the wires zip tied to the holder.... I traced the red wire through the firewall to a junction at the wiper motor. This same connection was used for the 4WD indicator, power for the AFR meter and power for the electric choke :/. None of the joints were soldered. I'm going to have to depin the wiper connector to heat shrink it properly. I also discovered that a bunch of wiring was pulled through the firewall without a grommet so I've been undoing that mess too. I dug deeper into the dash too and found a connection for the trailer brake controller that I need to redo. Ugh :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Got the transfercase shifter installed but forgot to take pictures. Started working on gauges, moving gauges that the PO installed. I knew the PO wired in the 4wd indicator, but I didn't expect a standard bulb socket with the wires zip tied to the holder.... I traced the red wire through the firewall to a junction at the wiper motor. This same connection was used for the 4WD indicator, power for the AFR meter and power for the electric choke :/. None of the joints were soldered. I'm going to have to depin the wiper connector to heat shrink it properly. I also discovered that a bunch of wiring was pulled through the firewall without a grommet so I've been undoing that mess too. I dug deeper into the dash too and found a connection for the trailer brake controller that I need to redo. Ugh :/ Some people shouldn't be allowed to work on vehicles. It isn't unusual to find some of those issues in a truck, but you seem to have hit the mother lode! Wow, what was he thinking? Oh wait, he wasn't! But at least you are finding them before they cause all sorts of problems. And when you are done with all of the inexpensive but painful work the truck should be solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRittaler Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 Some people shouldn't be allowed to work on vehicles. It isn't unusual to find some of those issues in a truck, but you seem to have hit the mother lode! Wow, what was he thinking? Oh wait, he wasn't! But at least you are finding them before they cause all sorts of problems. And when you are done with all of the inexpensive but painful work the truck should be solid. The PO and whoever helped him are those people for sure. On a side note, I'm working on an auxiliary power distribution setup to put near the battery. For on in Run/Acc I plan on utilizing fuse location 14 (Power Windows) since I don't have those there's no fuse installed, but I can install one and wire to it and use that to trigger my key-on relays. My intention is to have a High beam relay, low beam relay, horn relay, auxiliary gauges relay, electric choke relay and maybe a couple others. I only have 2 fusible links by the battery so those will be replaced with 30A Maxi fuses. Eventually I plan to either swap to a 3G or to a Powermaster 1 wire so I also have a 175A ANL fuse+holder that I will be mounting and I will be cleaning up the stereo amplifier B+ wiring to make it all nice and neat. I think this will all be on a sheet metal plate that will fasten to the plastic inner fender and to the body where my battery grounds to. I plan on drawing all this up before starting so I'll likely post the drawings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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