The other day on my project e30 it was time to rebuild the shifter linkage. I've read a whole lot about the bitch clip. I already had all the parts I needed for the rebuild, and as such, had a brand new bitch clip to study/compare as I was laying under the car.
I first tried prying the opposite edge that has the "catch" in hopes that I would be able to deform the clip enough to pry it out. That little sucker is pretty tuff, and even hitting my screw driver with a hammer did very little.
While looking at the clips design, it became obvious that while the lower part of the actual "clip" makes contact to latch onto the trans, the upper portion must have a gap between the body of the clip and the transmission, and there was also a hole in the middle of the clip for the tab to "latch closed"
I am an aircraft mechanic and we find all sorts of things to use safety wire for. Naturally I have several rolls of various thickness safety wire at home (it, uh expiried...).
My transmission cross member is only temp installed as both mounts are trashed and need to be replaced, so it is just supporting the trans. I got the floor jack and removed the corss member, then let the trans down as far as it will go, which gave me a few extra inches to work with.
I took a length of .032" safety wire, with one end in my hand, I reached up and felt the bitch clip, I then fished the wire thru the hole in the middle of the clip enough that I could bend it back and grab onto it with pliers.
What this did, in one quick motion, is two things. First, it pulls the "latch" on the clip away from the trans to release it. Second, because the pulling force is behind/down in relation to the car, it rotates the clip up, sucessfully releasing the clip in one quick, easy motion. It may help to pull towards the passenger side of the car.
Since a picture is worth.....
.032" safety wire is thin enough that it bends easy, but strong enough not to break. I'm sure many will wonder where to get safety wire if you don't work around airplanes.... thats a good question, but anything along this principle will work, I'm sure Lowes has all sorts of things, normal bailing wire would be too thick, but something thinner would work.
Some more angles of it. You can see where the clip is deformed from the attempt to pry it out. I must have fussed with it using the screw driver and hammer for about 10 or 15 minutes before this idea that made it a 30-second process.
Hopefully this information can help someone else. I've learned so much from the site, things that have saved me time, money and energy. From what I have seen, this method hasn't been mentioned, if so then I don't mean to steal anyone else' thunder, otherwise I'm just glad to help the e30 community :)
I first tried prying the opposite edge that has the "catch" in hopes that I would be able to deform the clip enough to pry it out. That little sucker is pretty tuff, and even hitting my screw driver with a hammer did very little.
While looking at the clips design, it became obvious that while the lower part of the actual "clip" makes contact to latch onto the trans, the upper portion must have a gap between the body of the clip and the transmission, and there was also a hole in the middle of the clip for the tab to "latch closed"
I am an aircraft mechanic and we find all sorts of things to use safety wire for. Naturally I have several rolls of various thickness safety wire at home (it, uh expiried...).
My transmission cross member is only temp installed as both mounts are trashed and need to be replaced, so it is just supporting the trans. I got the floor jack and removed the corss member, then let the trans down as far as it will go, which gave me a few extra inches to work with.
I took a length of .032" safety wire, with one end in my hand, I reached up and felt the bitch clip, I then fished the wire thru the hole in the middle of the clip enough that I could bend it back and grab onto it with pliers.
What this did, in one quick motion, is two things. First, it pulls the "latch" on the clip away from the trans to release it. Second, because the pulling force is behind/down in relation to the car, it rotates the clip up, sucessfully releasing the clip in one quick, easy motion. It may help to pull towards the passenger side of the car.
Since a picture is worth.....
.032" safety wire is thin enough that it bends easy, but strong enough not to break. I'm sure many will wonder where to get safety wire if you don't work around airplanes.... thats a good question, but anything along this principle will work, I'm sure Lowes has all sorts of things, normal bailing wire would be too thick, but something thinner would work.
Some more angles of it. You can see where the clip is deformed from the attempt to pry it out. I must have fussed with it using the screw driver and hammer for about 10 or 15 minutes before this idea that made it a 30-second process.
Hopefully this information can help someone else. I've learned so much from the site, things that have saved me time, money and energy. From what I have seen, this method hasn't been mentioned, if so then I don't mean to steal anyone else' thunder, otherwise I'm just glad to help the e30 community :)
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