Shift Rod Sleeve Replacement - Vintage Speedster

Yes.

Yes, you will be able to pull/push the shoft rod far enough forward to clear the center bushing.  

If you get under the front of the car, you will see an oval inspection panel with two small bolts holding it in place in the space between the two front torsion bar tubes.  You may not have to remove that panel, but just be aware that it is there - THAT is where the shift rod emerges if you move it forward far enough.

So.....   Put it in first gear and note where the shift lever aproximately is, then remove the shift lever, uncouple the shift rod coupler at the rear of the rod, throw it away and, using whatever plier/waterpump wrench or derivative that seems to work for you, inch the shift rod forward to clear the center bushing.

Now......If it were me, I would remove that front inspection plate, run a snake through the tunnel front to back to attach to the front of the shift rod (use electrical tape) and then just pull it forward into the front of the tunnel to clear the center support.  

Once clear of the center mount, remove the tired, old, decrepit bushing (don't forget to grab the spring clip before it falls down into the bottom of the tunnel) and install the new bushing.  This is easiest if you use a ratchet 6" extension as a locating tool.  Put the bushing onto the ratchet extension and use the extension rod to position and push home the bushing.  Thank Dr. Clock for this info tidbit.  Once the bushing is home, reach in and assemble the circlip to the bushing to hold it on.

Pull the shift rod back and slid it through the new bushing and continue pulling it rearward til it reaches the coupler.  Look back at where the bushing is going to be sliding through the bushing and grease the hell out of that area at least 2" on either side of the bushing.  Goop it up nice.  Also goop up the shift lever socket on the end ofk the rod so the shifter will shift easily.  Once thoroughly gooped, push it back to the coupler (You DID install a new, non-urethane, rubber shift coupler, didn't you?) assemble the coupler and re-install and adjust the shift lever.  With the shift mounting bolts very finger tight, return the lever to where you think first gear was and tighten the mounting bolts at the base.  You may still need some final adjustment, but you should now be in the ballpark.  

That's it.

I also noticed when looking at the front of the car that its did not have a front tunnel inspection cover installed, so I was able to freely look right down the tunnel. 

This explains not only why my shifting rod looks/is so gunked up with 20k miles plus of road debris clinging to the grease, but explains where the cold air was entering from and passing down the tunnel through my emergency brake boot into the cabin (and more importantly my right side) when driving the car in winter.  I always wondered how this was happening.  I would be blasting my heat exchangers wide open with the side curtains up and I was fighting against the cold air entering via the emergency brake boot.

This is a $4 part that I will be installing during the repair. 

A usual, a routine repair is turning into discovery and further preventative/restorative maintenance. 

Great advice Gordon on the snaking through the tunnel opening first, and then pulling the shift rod forward.  This will save a good amount of time of inch by inch movement via the shifter opening.  I am also attaching a string to the head of the rod so I can draw it rearward back into place once the sleeve is installed.

Thank you!

de Nada, mi Amigo.

When you install your new inspection cover plate, IIRC, The bolts are 6mm (can't remember the thread pitch so buy a couple each of 1.00, 1.25 and 1.50 - they're cheap - Don't forget lock washers or use some Locktite Blue on the threads.   

As you assemble the cover to the car, run a nice bead of silicon caulk (OCD people choose black, but then they are OCD, after all....Any color will do) around the mating surface of the cover to make it water/air tight.  You should be able to pry it off sometime in the future with a moosy screw driver.

Hey!  You're in Manhattan Beach!  I've been there when I was with Data General and (much later) EMC!  I had an Executive Briefing Center out there where we did Customer Education visits.  From what little I remember, since driving around was a little hectic for someone living in bucholic Massachusetts, it was a pretty part of the Golden State.

Good luck with the shift/shoft rod bushing.  If Dr. Clock can do one, anyone can........