Transmission/Shift Coupler Help -- Angela, I'm looking for you

I've got a 901 transmission. Does anyone have a drawing/photograph/illustration of how the shift coupler is supposed to look? I've got a 4-5" rod coming out of the front of the tranny, and it attaches to the shift linkage with this "coupler." Not sure if that's the right name.

I think my coupler is broken, and I want to see how they're supposed to look.

Thanks,
Adam

Ok. Forget I said that. It looks like my shift coupler is supposed to have bushings, and they mysteriously disappeared.

Luckily, I only had to drive about 1.5 miles in second gear -- couldn't find any other gears. Time to order some parts.

Think of how much easier it will be to shift WITH bushings...

We're putting a 911 back together right now, can't believe how many little itty bitty parts seem to have disappeared in the 2.5 years since we took it apart...

angela

Little itty bitty parts aka pocket screws etc. Parts that are manually transferred during the late evening hours from your pockets to the night stand. In a reasonable amount of passing time, they hop on over to that little nick-nack dish on the dresser where they sit marking their spot followed by a commute to the spare catch-all kitchen draw.
Annually, said draw is emptied of it's mysterious contents, all miscellaneous hardware is gathered and placed in a secure location on the breakfast bar for express shipment to the garage and or shop.
On severe threats of imminent disposal from management, said components are hastily hand delivered to the garage-shop location where the traveling band of itty bitty parts and pocket screws once again, begins it's Magical Mystery Tour back to the nightstand........

Roll up!

Roll up for the mystery tour!!

...The Magical Mystery Tour is coming to take you away...

Has anyone ever installed these things? I don't understand how the hard plastic gets into there without taking the coupler apart.

Better yet -- I want the brass bushings. How the heck do you install them?

I am not the walrus.

Yes I replaced my OEM bushes with red urethane bushes hoping for crisper shifting. It was a real bugger getting them in...had to force them in and I think I used some grease on them to help them slide.

In the end there was no improvement as the short rod that fits into the holes on the bushes still had about a 1/16 inch of movement. I'd probably go with the new and improved joint I've seen advertised in Excellance but they're about $200-$300 I think.

Brian

Brian's right, the coupler is a stinker. If you have to buy a new coupler though, they are now pretty readily available. Pelican Parts has a new couple for $115. Not bad. But much cheaper to put these new bits in. Even if you have to take it to a machine shop or something you would still be money ahead.

But while we're talking about bushings... Underneath your shifter (I assume you have a 911 type shifter) there is a cup with a plastic bushing inside of it. The bottom of the shift lever is a ball that wears on the plastic cup. Shifting gets real bad real fast if this is even slightly worn. Cheap to replace. The bushing snaps to the bottom of the shift lever and the assembly slides easily back into the cup.

Somewhere between the shifter and the coupler you "should" have another set of bushings in a little bracket. The long part of the shift rod goes thru this. I say "should" because this is always present in a 911 or a 914, but who knows on a speedster?? These are also cheap to replace, but I've seen them last for decades. The one under the shifter usually goes away first.

Three spots with bushings, under the shift lever, on the rod between the shifter and the coupler and the coupler itself.

Row row, row your gearbox...
angela

So... yeah... when I built the car I already replaced the two front bushings that you describe, Angela. I skipped the rear in an effort to get the car on the road more quickly.

Now the car is sitting in my driveway with the shift linkage completely taken out. I'm bummed, too. I'm getting married on Saturday and I wanted to take some pics in the car.

Lesson for the kids: don't be lazy.

I think I read somewhere that you can knock the pin out of the coupler in order to install the copper bushings. Any truth to this? That would make my job a lot easier.

That's correct. Press the pin out, fit the new bushings in, assemble the shift rod and coupler and press the pin in. Piece of cake!