4/24/03
Shifter Seal and More Door

The Jeep shift seal arrived in the mail the other day, and it’s a little large. The flange is close enough to fit, but I never thought the top would extend so high! Another thing to consider is how thick the rubber was on the new boot. If I could make this thing fit, there would be no way I would ever need to replace it because the rubber is about five times thicker than the original seal! It’s very industrial looking, and rightfully so for a Jeep!

Up at the shop it is even more apparent that this seal might not work. The leather boot that covers this area is smaller than the shape of the new seal, so its current shape would not do.

After some thought, I tried this configuration. The flange may have to be trimmed, and new holes drilled, but pushing the seal down below the height of the transmission tunnel keeps it below the leather shift boot. My two concerns with this are having enough room to clear the shifter mechanism and if the thicker rubber impedes the shifter movement. If any of these arise as issues when I try it out on the car, I’ll try another seal.

In order for me to upholster the bottom strip of board with leather, it first needs to be checked for fit with the door pocket installed. Although I haven’t stripped the pocket yet, I used it to punch out the screw holes, and to mount it to the new board. The decorative panel was mounted in front of this piece next, before I made a template for the bottom piece. Transferring the measurements from the template insures the bottom piece fits perfectly flush with the bottom parts of the door. By the end of the day, I had finished the top and bottom trim pieces to one door, but upon closer inspection, Frank wanted me to correct a few details on the way the leather attaches to the board. My work is generally acceptable to Frank, but he will show me the details and techniques worthy of a Ferrari interior.

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