Replacing the shifter bushing today

I'll make sure to throw some pictures up here later, but the plan is to remove the shifter and coupler, pull the shift rod forward an inch or so at a time with pliers (that should take about a day, huh?) and then replace the bushing, grease up the rod and inch it back to the coupler again.
I'll replace the shifter boot and install my EMPI short-throw jobber while I'm in there. We'll see how it goes.

Hope you read this before you get into the bushing replacement.

Remove the shifter, disconnect the rear coupler.

With long nose pliers work the rod forward until it passes out of the bad nylon bushing.

Remove the bushing....the new ring (looks like a key ring) that you should have with the bushing, it needs to be open up a bit so that there is about 1/4" lap of the metal ring.

Slide the ring onto the bushing. (the tapered end goes through the hanger hole) Hold a long ratchet extention against the bushing hanger hole in the tunnel and let the bushing slide down the extension and press the bushing into the hanger hole with a finger '
(Not easy but can be done)

Now grease the end of the coupler end of the shift rod and work it back through the bushing with the pliers. Stop 2" before it reaches the coupler and grease the rod where it will come in contact sliding in the new bushing.

Slide the rod back and attach the coupler and shifter.


If you can't get the rod to go back though the new bushing, you'll need a helper to continue.

Remove the oval inspection cover located center between the horizontal beam tubes, with the pliers, hold the rod on center of the bushing hole and have somone tap the forward (cup) end of the shift rod to pop it into the bushing....you can then feed it back with the long nose pliers and secure the coupler and shifter. ~ALan

Cory

I agree your bushing was shot. Not one of my favorite jobs. Nice work.

I sent you 2 e-mails re: Kent Island Cruisers Halloween Show.

Hope they help.

Paul

If only it was that easy.
I just got done with that project, and I fiddled with a front turn signal, too.
The first thing I had to do was fire up some tunes. Teresa sent this pair along with me to Africa last year; the iPod and the little speaker combo that runs on AAA batteries. Today's choice was Skynyrd.
The battery and oil tank really restrict my ability to get to the shift coupler. I don't know how you folks with the unibodies do this, reaching through the hole in the floor in the back seat area and all. I did the hunchmonkey over this little prick for so long, my back may never recover from it!
Getting that stuff out of the way gave me a lot of room, which I promptly used to drop everything I touched down into the tunnel. If you ever need to do this, have a penlight and a coat hanger on hand. I think that accounted for a full two hours of this project, just fishing tools and parts out of the tunnel.
Alan, I couldn't go through the inspection cover for anything -- mine is obstructed by the fuel cell outlet and some 3/4-inch box tubing.
The pictures:

When I finally got to the coupler, I used an 8mm box wrench and some tiny Vise Grips. Legit ones, not the knock-offs.
The old bushing, visible in the second picture, was so badly abused that it was burned through and in two distinct pieces inside the tunnel. Not surprisingly, it cam right out with little resistance.
I pulled the shift rod forward with the Merklin Method, but used a Zip-Tie through the forward bolt-hole to capture the rod as I scooted it forward. The LAST thing I wanted was for that thing to drop into the void. When it got far enough forward for me to capture it with a loop of coat hanger, I hooked it and bent the hanger in order to augment the pliers-scooting with a little tugging of the hanger. It worked out very well.
The old parts, when they all came out, looked like they'd been in the Anbar Province in 2004.

The new bushing didn't go in with the Merklin Method. I have the fingers of a surgeon, and was able to fish the bushing in with my fingers and still do the pliers-scoot on the rod to pop it right into the bushing itself. I used the pliers in the opposite of their normal function to prise the wire ring open, then butt-connected the wire against itself. It made a big oval, instead of being an overlapping circle. After the bushing was in its hole, I put the retainer clip around the rod itself, hanging loosely, and worked it back into the position it needed to be in. I used a dental pick to pop the ends off of each other, and it resumed its usual shape and function.
With the circlip holding the bushing around the rod, I did the reverse-pliers scoot of the rod, until it was close to the coupler. I cut the Zip-Tie off of the rod, scooted it back another two inches as I greased the affected area, then got a little help for that last quarter-inch.
I went back to the coupler, and my buddy waited until I had my hand on the assembly to give it that last little tap. I continued adding time to the project by dropping the coupler's guts into the hole, and had a helluva time fishing them back out -- again with the hanger. I finally decided to cleverly bend the hanger like a hairpin to put pressure against the inside of the coupler bolt's sleeve half; I bent it so that it was shaped like a longbow; pressure on each end (smae side) and the middle (opposite side, or the arch of the "bow.")
I bent the hanger again, like a fishing hook, so I could worm it into the coupler's opening in the tunnel, still retain the tube, and guide into the hole in the nylon caps that the tube lives in.
I wish I had taken a picture.
The bolt went in easily, maneuvering it carefully with pliers and postal tweezers. Again with the Vise Grips and the 8mm wrench, and THAT nightmare ended.

I had to call Merklin the Magician for one little detail. I was going to try to put the EMPI short-shift hoobeydoo in today, but I couldn't get it to shift reliably in the pattern. I'll monkey with that later, now that the hard stuff is done.
The plate that contains the shift-gate pattern was one thing I didn't snap a picture of today. I hadn't brought my Muir book, so I called The Man.
FYI, the plate should look like a backward "D," if it's installed correctly. The curved part of the opening goes next to the driver, Alan said. Guess what?
It WORKED!
The car is now sitting back in the parking lot, following a very short test drive around the firehouse and neighboring gym. I did my dry-run adjustments until I could smoothly hit all the gears, including reverse, before trying the driving bit. Amazing that reverse has a precise slot now; it never has before. Ninety-five percent of the slop in my car's shifter is gone. I'm going to term this job a success.
I hope it helps somebody to have pictures of the process. After subtracting the amount of time we were out of the station, it was about four hours' work.

I got 'em, Paul. Thanks!
One of my pals is a Kent Island volunteer fireman/medic. He says it's a great show. I'm going to try to make it.

If that dental pick is your wife's, remember to clean it first, THEN sneak it back where it belongs. If my wife finds hers even minutely moved, she examines it closely, then gives me that questioning, squinty-eyed look.

Like I said before, Cory, I recommend this procedure to anyone who wants to have a good day.

http://www.tdreplica.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=953&KW=shift+bushing

Totally worth it the next day though.

Good Yob' Cory.......enjoy !

Ed, I'm pretty meticulous about painting and preserving parts -- when the Hoopty was originally built, the shift rod looked like chocolate-covered dingleberries. I'm a prime-paint-paint-again guy; ask Gordon -- I'm more pains-taking about that stuff than even HE is.
When we had the car apart in 2005, I took out the shift rod and cut it to the RIGHT length, cleaned up the weld to baby's butt smooth, then stripped, primed and painted the whole works.
She slid in and out today like a sailor in the Philippines. No problem at all with the welded spot -- which is good, because I can't ever remove that rod from the car without cutting some pieces off.
Observe the nerf bar in the front of the chassis, and the box tubing that sits right behind it. All three of these pictures are from the build. I'm glad I documented that here, BTW; tidbits like the caption for number three, which says the shift rod is a half-inch too long, are helpful when I forget the details of five years ago.
Even though that problem got remedied a while ago, there are often other ideosyncrasies in the cutlines of the photos:

Thanks for the assist, Doc!
Jim, I think she'd notice if any of her dental care stuff were messed with. She must be related to your wife, somehow! :)

Ahh, the shifter bushings and coupler replacements, I remember the joy I experienced doing mine. I was about one dropped tool away from the top of a bell tower with an assault rifle. Good on ya Cory, that job SUCKS!!!!!

I still stand by what I said back when I did mine: If you have to do it just sell your car and get another, it's easier. :)

I'm happy to report no difficulties with shifting the car. No fiddling, no adjustments needed. She works as advertised again.

Well, HOT DAMN!!!!

Get out there and terrorize some of those DC motorists!!!

Right on, Gordon!
Long time, no hear from you! Maybe I'm overdue for the monthly phone call, eh?

Yep, been busy, trying to look busy.

Gonna be off-line again for a few days starting today (Friday) so call me later in the weekend - cell phone works anywhere.

gn