Anyone make their tranny tunnel removable?

[DougD]

I'm interested in knowing if any of you have built your Cobra with a removable tranny tunnel. Seems like it may be a hassle in the future to remove/repair the tranny since it sits on top of the frame and would be difficult, if not impossible to pull out without removing the engine.

If you have made this mod, do you have any pics or can you describe how you did it?

Thanks in advance.

[jhv48]

If yours is anything like the SPF, the tranny cover is already removable.

[67JET]

If I had to do it over I would make it removeable. I have a hyd. throw out bearing and have had trouble in the past. I did modify my trans mount and it made getting the 4 speed out alot easier.

[67JET]

I would if I had to do it over. I have a hyd. throw out bearing and have had trouble with it in the past. I did modify the trans mount and that made it alot easier. A removeable tunnel would be the best. Look at it this way - Make it removable and if you never have to remove it so what. At least you have the option.

[patrickt]

On ERA cars the tunnel is like a metal box that you just unscrew and pull off. Here's a shot with my tunnel off.

[mickmate]

CSX cars have removeable trans tunnels. Pull the seats, batteries and tunnel and you can remove tranny through the cockpit. Some of them have removeable trans crossmembers also so it can be done underside.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by mickmate

CSX cars have removeable trans tunnels. Pull the seats, batteries and tunnel and you can remove tranny through the cockpit. Some of them have removeable trans crossmembers also so it can be done underside.

Exactly. I was going to post a picture (i've got mine off right now - another long story) but the description above describes it exactly.

[Rickd]

The CSX cars tunel can be removed just like the ERA - the ERA IS is replica of the original in most aspects.

[joyridin']

Mine is removable. You cannot remove the trans from the bottom of the car. It has to come out through the cockpit.

[DougD]

Originally Posted by mickmate

CSX cars have removeable trans tunnels. Pull the seats, batteries and tunnel and you can remove tranny through the cockpit. Some of them have removeable trans crossmembers also so it can be done underside.

Well, I have a CSX car and that's what I'm asking. To remove the tunnel, do you drill out the rivets, or were some other form of fasteners used? What would be the best way to make it easily removable, 1/4 turn fasteners, bolts?

I guess easily removable vs physically removable would be a better way to describe my question.

On an ERA, do you have to drill out rivets, or was it really made to be easily removable, and, if so, how did they approach the problem?

[MOTORHEAD]

My kirkham's tranny cover was pop riveted as per original. I will be replacing pop rivets with machine screws and "clip nuts" where I want easily removable panels. "Clip nuts" are nuts retained in a "U" shaped clip that slide over the edge of a piece of sheet metal, that has a hole near the edge. (the old rivet hole, drilled out to match the size of the screw to be used, #6,8,10/32) These are commonly used in light acft for removeable panels. It can end up being a lot of screws, but use a screw gun (bat pwrd drill) and it's no problem. If you damage the nut, it's easily replaced, as opposed to "riv-nuts" .

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by DougD

On an ERA, do you have to drill out rivets, or was it really made to be easily removable, and, if so, how did they approach the problem?

It was made to be easily removable. You just take out the seats, undue your shifter, take out the fake dash tubes, then unscrew the screws and pull it out.

[Excaliber]

Yeah, it's pretty easy on an ERA, mine is also simply screwed into place. If the car came with rivets I'd drill them out and go back to screws when I was done.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Yeah, it's pretty easy on an ERA, mine is also simply screwed into place. If the car came with rivets I'd drill them out and go back to screws when I was done.

That's a lot of rivets to be grinding/drilling out. I think I might spring for a tool like this: http://www.skygeek.com/ats-1341a.html

[D-CEL]

I made the trans tunnel removable on a friends early Backdraft. It was an no big deal. Just cut it out, and pop riveted alum 1x3/16 alum
strip to the underside of the body as a flange. Then drill and tap or pop rivet the tunnel back in.

[mickmate]

On the one I just put together I used machine screws and nyloc nuts. Riveting panels is easy there as the rivets can just be drilled. At least here they don't drop the back of the rivets inside the tube frame. You could go to Dzus fasteners I guess but the tunnel shouldn't need pulling very often.
http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/gro...oupID=HARDDZUS

[mickmate]

Pat showed the solid rivet removal tool. I think he needs this one for pop (blind) rivets http://www.skygeek.com/ats-1341s.html although I've drilled alot of pop rivets out in my time and never needed more than just a drill.

[A-Snake]

The way to attach aluminum panels and have them removable is with Rivnuts. The same way as originals were produced.

http://www.youtube.com/user/cardinalcomponents

http://www.aimfasteners.com/about_rivnut.html

http://www.aimfasteners.com/rivnut.html

[DougD]

[quote=A-Snake;1087865]The way to attach aluminum panels and have them removable is with Rivnuts. The same way as originals were produced.

Yeah, I thought about rivnuts, but the problem is that the CSX4000s have a fiberglass tub - rivnuts need a sheetmetal panel to work right.

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by DougD

Yeah, I thought about rivnuts, but the problem is that the CSX4000s have a fiberglass tub - rivnuts need a sheetmetal panel to work right.

Ok, I thought they had aluminum floors except for the foot boxes.