On the four speed from the 240D, there is a wire clip, (I would call it a "bail") that holds the shifter into the transmission. I took it off to make it easier working in and around that part of the dash. It is quite stiff wire and it hooks into each side of the very upper part of the transmission and then it has to be "popped" up to sit and stay on the top piece of plastic which then sits on the very top of the neck of the shifter. And I can't get it up there. Any ideas?
In this picture the spring (bail) is #74 and it sits on #71 which is a black plastic cover. http://mb.ilcats.ru/part/class/1/ccode/1/cat/222/type/123/subtype/123/group/26/subgr//vers//imgno/2

__________________
Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

Is there space to wire lock the spring (59) into a compressed state to allow you a free hand to push the spring (bail) into position? Perhaps a tie-wrap?

You might like to know Haynes have missed this spring (bail) off of their pictures - what does nut (107) do? Is that an alternative method of locking?

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Thanks Army: Nut #107 allows you to take the lever apart to put a new shift boot on. But it was so tight that I could not get it apart and I thought I was about to break something. So that is when I pulled the clip off and took it all out. I think I could get it on if I had 2 right hands. After I got it apart I saw how strong the whole thing is and it won't break. I think with a helper holding that plastic cap in place on the front side, one could get a tool, (screwdriver) under it and pop it up there. Need one left and two right hands.

__________________
Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

Let us know how you get on Jim - may be you need to employ one of these:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southerngfx/3868310086/

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I finally got the clip back on. While I sat in the drivers seat and held that plastic cap in place, (that is the top part of the shifter mechanism except the stick) my friend Dan put it on by leaving it hooked into the drivers side hole, placing the curved part on or in the grove, then with a screw driver he was able to pull it far enough to get it into the hole on the right side. With three hands it was not much of a problem.

__________________
Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!