Pantera928

I have a dual gate shifter for a 1971 Cutlass but the dust cover spring is not connected to anything and I cannot find a diagram that shows where it connects to the shifter. Without that. The dust cover just flops around. Ideas? Thanks

Fun71

Here's where one side attaches:

Pantera928

Thanks for the response but I am trying to figure out how it attaches on the other end. I see no place for it to go. Wish I had another one to compare it with. Thanks again

Fun71

It's been a lot of years since I had mine apart, but the best I can remember is the spring slips over a tab on the shifter frame. I was hoping the pic above would give you a reference for where to look on the shifter for the attachment point.

costpenn

This is where mine was installed when I first removed it from the car - hope this helps

Pantera928

Thanks again for trying but I cannot make out anything in that photo. It looks too blurry or maybe my eyes are. I cannot see a place on the shifter frame where it can attach nor can I understand how it move the cover out of the way when you go over to the manual shift positions. Any other help is appreciated and thanks again

costpenn

Click on the pic and it pops up as a separate larger pic.

Pantera928

Well, I finally got the picture to be viewable using an IPad. Could not do it on a PC. Anyway, spring is attached but I cannot see by what means the cover springs clear for the shifter to go over to manual mode nor how the covers springs back when in regular mode. I can manually move it out of the way to allow the shifter to move to the right and do manual shifting and the spring holds the cover out of the way. When I go back to auto mode to the left, the cover still stays open unless I manually move it back into place. Maybe I or this shifter is missing something. Ideas? Factory manual for A-body cars is useless for this.
Thanks again for your persistence.

Fun71

You manually pull the cover rearward and to the left diagonally, and when it gets to the fully closed position it will "slip" slightly to the rear then almost imperceptibly to the right and lock in place.

To open it, pull slightly rearward and to the left to bring it out of its detent and when you release pressure the spring pulls it to the right.

edit: I re-read your post and you are doing it correctly. It is a manual operation and not automatic with the shifter position.

Pantera928

Thank you. I obviously never knew how that cover was supposed to work. Your explanation makes sense. Thanks again!