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[Betsy1969]

I’ve seen many photos of people’s nicely restored interiors with the tunnel cover sitting there looking all nice and straight and freshly painted , but each time I’ve had to remove and refit mine I find it a real struggle to get in because of the turnbuckle thing which is on the seat base to accept the hasp from the centre seatbase lid. It now has a bent edge due to my ‘ helping ‘ it to go in .

So what’s the knack ?

Andy

[Worf]

Turnbuckle is easily removed if it is a problem. I usually remove the heater to make things easier,

[Betsy1969]

My turnbuckle looks to be riveted on alas

[kev]

Drill out the rivets.

[Old80]

Drill out the pop rivets and replace them with self tappers (preferably counter sunk for neatness sake) then next time you need to remove the gearbox tunnel ......hey presto

[Peter Holden]

Don't used self tappers use 2ba countersunk bolts with nuts and spring washers, you can get to the other side or you could make a tapped plate instead of the nuts..  I can get my cover off with the turnbuckle in place but I have to remove the overdrive lever.

Peter

[Betsy1969]

I don’t find the overdrive lever to be a problem , just the distance from seat box to the shroud around the bellhousing area .

[GRMac]

Funnily enough that's a job that I did today.

I dropped the low range lever out to make life easier. I don't have the turn buckle but I do have an Arctic heater where the middle seat should be which makes access a bit of pain between that and the round heater, getting rid of the low range lever was the only option.

[Old80]

I had exactly the same trouble with mine and messed about with it for ages before finally opting to drill off the turnbuckle. Good idea from romahomepete on 2ba bolts but would love to know how you managed to remove it without removing the turnbuckle?

[Gertie]

I know this job and its a PITA when that rubber O ring on the bottom of the gear lever needs replacing and the tunnel has to come up.  I too have managed to get if out and off but even with removing the turnbuckle always find it a faff.  I would not want to give the tunnel cover so much abuse if it was freshly painted! 

Mine's a 6pot and I always wondered if the 6 pot tunnel with the square Smiths heater is what makes it such a faff? 

Paul

[Old80]

Gertie....4 cylinder square heater the same PITA!!!

[genocache]

I put a notch in mine where yours is bent.