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After days of getting the heater control assembly cleaned and everything hooked up as much as can before getting shift console in place I realized it seems it must go under the gauge bezel to reach the screw attachment plate for each side. but the bracket bolted to bottom of bezel prevents that? Am I too loosen the two nuts and sandwich the shift console between the bracket and the gauge console then retighten nuts? If I do that I won't be able to get real tight as the padded end od console will be there. The shift console and the gauge bezel both new and old ones were broke and just laying in place so never seen correct way it goes. P.S- I sure realized big hands are not ideal for trying to get control cables and everything in place.. tight areas for sure.
I'm having the same problem, I got a new bezel that fits a modern radio and the bottom where it connects to the shifter console is slightly crooked. I haven't tried messing with it yet.
That U-shaped bracket at the front of the trans console should have two slotted areas from the studs at the bottom of the gauge bezel. If you just put the nuts onto the bottom of the studs, you can then slide the console into position and engage them in their slots. You can use the front access panels on each side to reach in with a 1/4" rachet/socket to snug those nuts down. DO NOT PUT MUCH TORQUE ON THOSE NUTS!!! They are just pot metal which is weak and brittle. Snug is all you need on them.
P.S. You need a copy of the A.I.M. for your model year. It will answer most of those little questions about hos things are assembled in a C3.
(Assembly Instruction Manual)
Last edited by 7T1vette; Jun 21, 2019 at 05:47 PM.
I'll add that changing those two nuts to coupling nuts makes it a fair amount easier to get the wrench on at the various angles needed to turn the damn things.
You can also go up from the sides of the console using a long 1/4 drive extension with a wobble head (swivel didn't work for me as it would just lay sideways) and deep socket
M
This is one of the poorest engineered areas on the Vette- and there are many. I found a 1/4 inch drive socket and extension and stuck the nut in place in the socket with tape and fished it up from the bottom. Finger tight was all I could do, but it stayed put.
Thanks on reply's everyone. seems that the new gauge console is thicker at bottom as it has the late model stereo so that plastic piece wraps around and under the bezel making it tighter fit there as well as shorter studs. I did switch to the tall nuts but think I'm going to have to not use washers with them. considering cutting the section off bottom of the stereo plastic (not the metal bezal just the plastic that wraps around bottom )- that will be last resort though as both bezel and shift console new.
I'll add that changing those two nuts to coupling nuts makes it a fair amount easier to get the wrench on at the various angles needed to turn the damn things.
You can also go up from the sides of the console using a long 1/4 drive extension with a wobble head (swivel didn't work for me as it would just lay sideways) and deep socket
M
I love this idea, Mooser!
I also learned the hard way about pre-starting the nuts on the studs, then sliding everything in place.
But it always ended with just getting the nuts hand tight (barely) with a lot of swearing and busting of knuckles.
Those coupling nuts look like just the thing!
Do you recall what thread size they are?
I'll pick up a couple and then swap them out next time I open that hornet's nest back up!
Thanks for the great tip!
That size is very helpful and a great idea. With Ac controls the driver side nut
is impossible to get to ,aleast in my garage. The 10/24 coupling nuts are on my list thank you.
I wish I knew where / who I got the idea from, I've got coupler nuts in most sizes on the shelf but I don't think I came up with this one on my own so credit to whomever I stole it from
M
how does shift console go under gauge bezel?
