I have a 2005 Z71 Tahoe with the 5.3 and 4L60E tranny. My shift linkage covers up two 13mm bolts on the driver's side of my tranny pan preventing me from being able to remove the pan. A member on this site suggested I just unscrew the shift linkage bolt and swing out of the way to access these two bolts.

Well, unfortunately, I tried to loosen this 15mm bolt and, while doing this, it compresses the shift linkage shaft shifting it into a gear. It sounded like it was stripping a gear or something. I've done several tranny fluid changes but I've never had to deal with shift linkage before. Have any of you ever changed the transmission fluid, including a new filter, in your 2005 Z71 Tahoe? And if you have, how in the hell did you deal with the shift linkage?

Thanks!

 

Well if you are talking about what I think, the shift cable bracket is in the way of getting to two of the bolts, you can just take a pry bar and bend the bracket out of the way and then bend it back after you reinstall the pan onto the trans.

Hope this helped, let us know how you make out

 

I tried bending it and it would not hardly move at all. This linkage has a small accordian rubber boot that compresses so it's pretty flimsy or weak.

 

OK, well first disconnect the cable from the manual shift linkage by taking a screwdriver and prying it by where it connects to the small ball stud.

DO NOT pry on the cable where the rubber boot is

DO NOT take the 15mm nut off of the transmission that I think you are trying to take off by trying to take that off it sounds like you are shifting the transmission with it?

Is the whole lever that is about 2-3 inches long moving when you are taking it off?

You might have to bend the main cable bracket to drop the pan down

Take a decent size pry bar (2 feet long) and pry between the pan and where the C shaped hole is where the shift cable passes thru the Main bracket that is bolted to the side of the transmission with 2 torx head bolts.

 

i don't understand what the problem is. pop the shift cable off by hand, remove the 2 torx bolts that hold the bracket to the case and remove. don't touch the one to the shift shaft. all you really did is shift a gear in the trans. just did this a couple weeks ago and found nothing confusing about the job. ???

 

Thanks for the reply, 08k1500. I just talked to a technician at my local dealership and he told me basically the same thing...

 

I'm with ya YodiBrodi. I did not try removing the 2 torx bolts you speak of toward the rear of the tranny pan.

Thanks to all for your input...I'll let you know how it goes!