how to isolate the gearstick hole in RWD engine conversions

**kewp** · 01-12-2009, 02:15 PM

Hi,
To those people who have done any RWD engine conversion where the gearstick hole has had to be moved, how have you gone about isolating the gearstick hole in the floor?
I've done a sr20 conversion to an e30, the gearstick hole had to be moved back about an inch so none of the factory rubbers/boots fit anymore. I get shitloads of road and engine noise coming up through the gearhole. I've tried using foam to insulate the hole but its not very effective.
So i'm just after ideas as to how i can better isolate/insulate the gear hole.
thanks
Tim

**blakeg** · 01-12-2009, 02:19 PM

get it welded up ?

**kewp** · 01-12-2009, 02:50 PM

umm, the shifter still needs to be able to come through...

**Marty1092** · 01-12-2009, 02:55 PM

i second that, 10 mins to cut a piece of plate out and another 10 to weld it up then reuse all the stock rubbers etc and itl be just like a bought one.

**dfunkt** · 01-12-2009, 03:13 PM

E30 bmw or E30 corolla??

none of the factory rubbers/boots fit anymore

by this, do you mean that the nissan and/or the original boots don't fit over the gearstick? or just don't bolt to the chassis anymore because there are no holes around the new shifter hole?

to fix, plate up the original hole. then drill holes around new shifter hole so that you can mount the original (if it fits) or a nissan gear boot to reduce road noise.

**SilverRA23** · 01-12-2009, 03:17 PM

On the two conversions I have done, I have simply rivetted a plate over the "excess" hole, and then re-fitted the factory boots to the floor.

Maybe you are missing one - often there are two. A small rubber one that goes on first and seals up the hole, and then a larger one that you can see popping out of your centre console.

You can buy universal ones for the second boot, and hit up the wreckers for the first one if you don't have it.