Auto Shifter Linkage Access

[dirtrack49]

My 230SL after a short 7 mile test drive, broke down conveniently in front of the garage. 
After checking some forum post, looking under the car, it is apparent that the transmission stopped working due to a bad linkage bushing.
My question, is there a good way to take up the carpet to make access to the other bushing evidently attached to the shifter? It sounds as if one should replace both since the bottom one went out from old age.
My concern is, this car is a survivor with only 76k miles on it. The carpet is all original and in excellent shape. I don't know if the factory, when installing their carpets, glued them in place? If they did, any ideas on how to get it up without damaging it?

TIA
Tom L.

[66andBlue]

There are two access ports, on on top of the tunnel and one on the right side of the tunnel. Usually the carpet is not glued down very strongly on the right side. Start from there by lifting it up until you can flip it over the tunnel to the driver side.

[dirtrack49]

Alfred,

Thank you very much for your most enlightening response. It worked like a charm. The original carpet on the right side of the tunnel was only minimally attached with glue. It came up and over the tunnel with very little effort. The best thing, no damage whatsoever to the original carpet. 
Now I can get the job of replacing both of the transmission linkages done with minimal effort.

Thanks again,
Tom L.

[66andBlue]

Tom,
happy to read that it worked out well.
Now make sure you get the correct bushings and pay attention to the orientation. What do you have, automatic transmission or manual, it makes a difference?
{You might add that info to your signature by-line since it helps responders to provide correct answers}

[dirtrack49]

I have an automatic transmission. I see there is only one linkage with an adjustment that has two nylon bushings. The one that partially broke off and caused the car to not engage any gears was the one that attaches to the transmission.

When I found out what had happen, I ordered some new bushings along with other parts I needed from Autohaus AZ. The part number was 112-268-01-50. They appear to be the right bushings for this application.

It is my understanding, from reading other post concerning these bushings, that you press fit them into the linkage with the small diameter hole facing the tapered pin on the transmission and the shifter. I assume that the linkage is held on by somewhat of a snap fit between the pin and the bushing itself? Kind of seems odd that such a simple set up was made for the linkage. With everything else on this car so heavily engineered, you would have thought they would make this shifter mechanism much more complicated. Evidently, it has done a pretty good job for the past 48 years.

Tom L.

[66andBlue]

While you are at it you should also replace the two bushings in the connecting rod; see:
http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=14082.msg95784
http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=13125
http://www.sl113.org/wiki/TransmissionClutch/Shifter#Auto_ShiftGate