Shifter to body boot - ripping

Yes, put pictures side by side and you will see!
The VPH1620 Tractor Gear lever boot is easy to find on google.


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tvmaster said:
Where did you get that clamp?
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That style clamp was a PITA to put back on, I had forgot how much I hated those clamps till I did this job. Maybe there is a prefered way of putting it on I am unaware of. If not save up your curse words, you'll need them 😤
 
You need a Corbin Clamp tool to do it easily - I have one for my American classic. I used single wire Corbin hose clamps on everything (I like the OE look) and they seal very well! But yes - VERY difficult to work with when not using the correct tool.
 
myronx19 said:
You need a Corbin Clamp tool to do it easily - I have one for my American classic. I used single wire Corbin hose clamps on everything (I like the OE look) and they seal very well! But yes - VERY difficult to work with when not using the correct tool.
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So can a different kind of hose clamp be used instead? Although it wouldn’t be a day in the week that the exxe introduced something I’d never heard of before…lol

 
The pliers made for those clamps are readily available and inexpensive. You could even make one from a old pair of pliers. But any clamp will do, even a "zip tie". All you need is something to help hold the boot on, and it is fairly tight to begin with.
 
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I recently did both the body boot and the trans boot. I used zip ties to keep them on. For what it's worth, MWB sends zip ties with their steering rack boot sets. As Dr. Jeff says they are pretty tight and just need something to keep them in the place.
 
JNewm said:
I installed the MWB unit recently, in place of an OEM unit that was shot to ****. It's still going strong after a couple of weeks and definitely improved the shifter feel. Sorta like stirring a pot of cheese grits instead of watery chicken stock, for the chefs out there. :)
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I had the same experience. Trying to find gears with the floppy stick with numbers on it was frustrating when I bought my X because the boot was torn in two. After replacing the boot it shifted much more precisely. Still not as tight as a direct design but pretty good for a mid-engine transaxle.

The boot provides a fulcrum to lever against when selecting the outer gears in the pattern with just enough give to damp vibration. I sourced my part from Eurosport UK and it was quite stiff. (It also looked just like that VPH1620 part Yves suggested, worn parting lines and all! Eurosport Boot Link)

I softened it a bit with a heat gun and put some grease in the small end. It's been three years and the part hasn't torn.
 
myronx19 said:
You need a Corbin Clamp tool to do it easily - I have one for my American classic. I used single wire Corbin hose clamps on everything (I like the OE look) and they seal very well! But yes - VERY difficult to work with when not using the correct tool.
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While Mr. FIAT race-car guy fixed the starter and alternator he put in last week, he also installed this shift tunnel boot for me.
And this is going to sound strange, and neither he or I can understand why, but the third-gear grind which was evident since we bought the car seems to be gone.
How is that possible? We both thought it was the standard gear wear problem….but now, she’s shifting without the grind.
We had tought ourselves how to kinda double-clutch to minimize the grind, but now, seems fine.
Baffled.
 
tvmaster said:
While Mr. FIAT race-car guy fixed the starter and alternator he put in last week, he also installed this shift tunnel boot for me.
And this is going to sound strange, and neither he or I can understand why, but the third-gear grind which was evident since we bought the car seems to be gone.
How is that possible? We both thought it was the standard gear wear problem….but now, she’s shifting without the grind.
We had tought ourselves how to kinda double-clutch to minimize the grind, but now, seems fine.
Baffled.
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Redline MTL to the rescue. I had the same results when I switched.
 
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