I'm in the process of installing a Hurst shifter. Everything went pretty smoothly until I tried to reinstall the front bolt. I got it about half way in but it is getting extremely hard to turn. Since it has a 10mm head the wrench I'm using is pretty short so I don't have much leverage. I removed it and checked for stripped threads. It looked fine so I put some anti-seize compound on it and tried again. Same problem. Have others had the same experience? Does this sound normal? I can keep cranking on it but it has another good quarter inch to go and I'm afraid of stripping the threads in the transmission.

 

Not sure how short your wrench is, and it's been quite a while since I installed mine, but I do not recall having any issues with having to force the bolt into place. Do you have a piece of conduit, pipe, or something else to slip over the wrench to extend the handle? Wondering if it's just the fact that it's a short wrench?

 

My wrench is maybe 5 inches long. I can manhandle the thing but I'm afraid of stripping the bolt hole. The bolt threads in fine for about half the depth of the hole. I wouldn't think it would easily crossthread since the end of the bolt is smaller and unthreaded and locates the bolt in the hole pretty squarely. The bolt threads are perfect and I don't see any aluminum shavings when I take it out. Maybe I'm just getting old and feeble.

 

65 - doesn't sound right...is this a new bolt that came with the shifter kit? Could it be of a different thread pitch/count and that's what's causing the issue?

 

No. It just uses the original Ford bolt.

 

I've messed with my shifter probably half of dozen times, removing that bolt plenty of times in the process. Never had any issue with it going in, I pretty much can get most of it in there by hand before I have to put the wrench on. It is a little difficult to get started because the bolt is so long and hits the tunnel at first. Maybe you got started a little off? The only other thing I can think of is maybe some crud got on the threads, might want to try cleaning it out with something. But yeah, don't want to strip those threads because then you're in big trouble...

 

Something sounds just wrong. Your going from a Saleen short shifter, NOT from the Stock FORD shifter. Are you using the nut from the HURST kit, trying to put it on the SALEEN bolt?Do you have ALL the Saleen stuff out? Any bushings missing that would take up that space? Can you take a snap shot of it? Just did my HURST, going from stock though, absolutely no problem in that location. I would reccomend a rachet wrench, as there is not that much room to work. One other question, do you have the correct Hurst kit. There are 2 different ones. Your stock # should end 201, not 203.

Just reaching here for ya..........