My backplate is only partially on due to being 'slightly' mishapen
Just had a good run and when we got back noticed that the box under the armrest was a bit warm (not hot, just warm) so heat is getting in from the back.
However there was no fumes just a bit of heat, so I reckon some suitable insulation will do the trick.
I have also been giving this whole palaver a bit of thought and think I may have an easier alternative to the way to tackle this, altough the method still needs a bit more work.
Based on what I have read and on seeing how this all works I think it is reasonable to presume that the the long cable very rarely fails, as it is under substantially less stress than the lower cable, as side to side movement of the gear lever is much shorter than the forward/backward movement to change from 1st to 2nd etc.
So, if the failure is the shorter cable then this method would work quite well on it's own or you could use the same for the long cable as well if you want to.
So here goes
1. remove transmission tunnel and engine inspection hatch
2. disconnect both ends of the broken cable
3. cut the broken cable in half and remove, including the rubber grommet in the back plate.
4. buy one of these:
25mm Drill Bit
5. get someone to look at the backplate and position the bit in the hole where the cable was and very carefully drill it out to the full extent of the bit. This only makes the hole a little bigger but is sufficient for the collar at the end of the cable to fit through (I think).
6. thread the new cable from the back to the front of the car and reconnect.
7. pack hole to allow the grommet to fix back in place in the backplate.
The problems still to be solved with this method are:
a) is it possible to extend a drill to get the bit into the hole in the back plate via the transmission tunnel?
b) what would be th best way to fix the grommet into the larger hole?
If these 2 issues can be resolved I reckon a cable change would be much easier, as removing the backplate is the thing that causes all the problems. The only downside is the slightly larger hole in the backplate, which I think would be preferable to the situation both Rich and I ended up with with ours.
What do you think guys?