How much work is the tunnel replacement? I have not build the Goblin myself and it seems like the tunnel is a core part of the chassis.
Manual Shifter Upgrade
- Thread starter Lonny
- Start date
escapepilot
Goblin Guru
Is your tunnel riveted in? Many builders make their tunnel removable by using nutserts or threading the holes. That would make it easier to get the old one off. If it is riveted, it will be a little more work but the reviews are that it is a worthwhile upgrade.
Including painting the new parts, you could probably do it in a weekend.
The rivets take a few seconds apiece to drill out, they are aluminum and very soft. The bigger issue is removing the old tunnel cap, which is very long, and unwieldy to thread out of the now built goblin. I honestly don't remember how I got it out, but it's a real chore. It's captured in between the firewall in the rear, and the bulkhead in the front, and since it's all one piece it's just a real struggle to get enough room to remove it. You'll have to remove the seats at least.
The new tunnel cap is a three-piece design which goes in really easy. I had to drill new holes for the rivets to go in, it did not reuse the existing holes. Rivet the three new pieces in place, install the shifter, and you're done.
It's a worthy upgrade in my opinion. I had the group buy billet shifter previously. Although it was very beautiful, the shift action left a lot to be desired in my opinion. The new DF shifter fixes every issue I had. It doesn't have quite as much bling, but if you want to drive your car more than look at it, it's the shifter for you.
Rttoys
Goblin Guru
That’s what I would do.
You can do what you want, but I can't imagine the mess that cutting is going to make inside your car. The steel isn't thick, but it's not exactly sheet metal either. It's going to make some metal mess.
Just pull the seats, and you can worm the tunnel cap out with a little perseverance. I think that I pulled the BCM cover too, and maybe the BCM to give myself a little more room. Just a couple bolts to get those out.
Just pull the seats, and you can worm the tunnel cap out with a little perseverance. I think that I pulled the BCM cover too, and maybe the BCM to give myself a little more room. Just a couple bolts to get those out.
Lethalcast
Well-Known Member
Anyone with an OTTP Shifter can just cut the stud off the shift knob that came with the kit and use it directly with the ottp shift knob
comegetjoe
Goblin Guru
I loved the weighted OTTP knob I had in a past cobalt. It was the tall cylinder with the pattern engraved into it.
Lethalcast
Well-Known Member
Yeah! I have that one also and it's a hard choice haha