TheSamba.com :: View topic - Shift rod bushing

Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:41 pm

Hokay... I had my shift rod out the other day and replaced the bushing under the back seat access. No problem... Since the rod was out I figured I would replace the other bushing as well. I slipped on the plastic bushing for the retaining ring near the front of the shift rod (the bushing pictured here). First, I tried to put the retining spring clip on the bushing after the bushing was on the rod. Riiight!! Fat chance :x . So I took off the bushing, put the retaining spring clip on the bushing and slid it down the well greased shift rod making sure it was in the right direction with the beveled end toward the rear of the rod...

Well, I put the rod back in and the clearance between the rod and the hole in the retaining bracket seems to be too small to get the bushing through when it's already on the shift rod... :evil: ! Thinking I had the wrong bushing, I looked it up in WW online catalog and it is the same. Anyone over replaced this bushing? How? I am at a loss here...

-kent

Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:49 pm

You put the ring on the bushing, thge bushing in the hanger and then push the rod in the bushing. It's really hard to get it started. Just apply a good amount of grease and I used my foot to push the rod in for the first inch or so.

http://www.glenn-ring.com/tech/bushing_replace.htm

Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:49 pm

OK. I searched again and found this...

http://www.glenn-ring.com/tech/bushing_replace.htm

I will read it now and see if it helps!!

Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:53 pm

67 Florida Deluxe wrote: OK. I searched again and found this...

http://www.glenn-ring.com/tech/bushing_replace.htm

I will read it now and see if it helps!!

:lol:

Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:55 pm

Dang, Glenn, you're quick!! I would only add one thing to your article... Since I was doing this by myself, I tied twine to the end of the shift rod before I pulled it out the front. That made it much easier to realign throught the support hole on re-install.

Welp, back at it tomorrow, then..

Thanks!!

Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:58 pm

John M. wrote: 67 Florida Deluxe wrote: OK. I searched again and found this...

http://www.glenn-ring.com/tech/bushing_replace.htm

I will read it now and see if it helps!!

:lol:

See? I do search from time to time :wink: :D

Sun Feb 19, 2006 10:16 pm

are there different sizes from year to year? I just did this over the weekend on my 90 Bug. Picked up a bushing from BAP, installed it, could not get the shift rod through for anything. I pulled the new bushing back out, and the ID sure seems smaller than the original. As the original wasn't torn up I reinstalled it, but I still have a little shifter rattle.

Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:11 pm

I just performed this magic trick over the summer in 115 degrees of pure heat! Talk about being P.O.'d when things don't roll your way. I tried Glenns way, and his instructions saved me some mega time.

The bushing part was horrible. I tried like mad to push the rod in, I even used a Catepillar front end loader to push the rod in with no movement (joke). I actually was so mad, I found a way to put the bushing in the holder, and push the rod through. Easy stuff. Now I had to get the ring on.... WOW! That was fun, use two sets of long needle nose pliers, kick back and enjoy the cussin'. Somehow I made it work with a lot of muscle... gotta say, when I was done, I don;t remember a beer tasting so good... well until I put a motor in last week.

Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:55 am

Me too I did this on my 66 what a bitch kept gettin tangeled in brake lines in tune I was cussing too after 5 tries olah it's in :evil:

Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:55 pm

Simple 5 minutes of a job. Take the whole shift rod out. That is why you have the holes in the body work at the front under the hood.

1. Remove gear stick

2. Undo the back cupling (under the rear seat). Push the rod as far forward as possible. Continue to push through the gear shift aperture.

3. Get a friend to pull the rod out at the front while you push from the inside.

4. Put new bush in place with ring clip.

5 Replace the rod through the aperture in the front and repeat stages 1 through 3 in reverse. No greese needed. Just remember to put the wire through the coupling in the back.

Simple 5 mins. I struggle for hours before taking the whole lot out and it took no time at all.

Hope this helps

:)

Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:12 pm

Kent- I just did mine in the 65' a few weeks back and another in a 63' last weekend. I believe grease is definitely needed, as all old crusty bushings I've replaced had old hardened lithium on them. To reiterate the above with some more minutiae..
Take off the shift coupler and shifter, pull access plates and front bumper. Pull rod out. With the compression ring in the proper front groove on the bushing, grease OD of bushing where it's going into the hanger, stick the bushing on your index finger, push it in place until the bushing clicks into the hanger.
So now the bushing with compression ring is in the hanger. With a clean ungreased rod, start it back into the tunnel with the shifter cup facing left. If the shifter cup is facing to the right, it hangs up on the accelerator and clutch guide tubes. Also, if you grease the rod before you put it in, it picks up all kinds of debris on the tunnel, which then gets pushed through your nice new bushing- not good. I usually hit the rod with a fine (0000) steel wool and some brakleen before the install. Guide the clean rod back in to where it's almost through the back side of the apron. Have a buddy around. Get a coat hanger with a bend like a fishook, and through the shifter hole, pick up the rod. Now you grease the ID of the bushing, and the rod tip that will be inserted. Place that rod tip into the bushing, and have a buddy push the rod into the bushing. The compression ring will expand causing a bit of resistance, but if you're holding it centered in the bushing, it'll go on through. Have your buddy get a length of broomstick or something, and as they are slowly pushing the rod through the tunnel, be greasing it as the rod goes rearward. It will get to a point where the broomstick is pretty useless. Get some needlenose visegrips and a rag to not mar the rod, and gently keep sliding the rod back through the shifter hole until you can see it in the rear coupler access plate and your done.

Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:21 pm

Thanks, y'all. The removal/replacement of the rod was no problem. It was just figuring out how to get the dadgum front bushing in was the deal. Glenn's article is great! Also, the trick is to have a piece of twine tied to the back end of the rod to make putting it back a LOT easier :wink:. Have a buddy pull the twine as you push the rod in from the front ( :-s ) . Also, as Glandnut suggested, sand the shaft and put on a good coat of grease (crutial!) It will help reduce the friction of the rod sliding into the bushing. But I also did one other thing (muy importante!) I marked three points on the shifter bracket prior to removal. I have heard that if the shifter is not centered properly, the gear selection can be compromised.

So, for anyone reading this thread in the future, do ALL of the aforementioned. It will go that easily!!

My '67 is next :D ! Thanks, again, everyone!

-Kent

Sun Mar 05, 2006 8:57 am

Just did this yesterday, and did the exact same thing you did. To get it right, we pulled the rod back out, placed the bushing in the sleeve/ring (whatever you want to call it) that's under the shifter, and then slid the rod back through, and through the bushing. To attatch the rod to the bushing in the back, leave the screw out of the bushing so that it can turn on the rod (the rod that comes from the tranny) a little bit, so that you have room to work with when you are trying to get the pin throught the bushing/shift rod. Oh yeah, and greasing the rod always helps...

Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:17 am

KMann wrote: Oh yeah, and greasing the rod always helps...

I'd say it's imperative! :wink: Sand it a little first, then grease the whole thing end to end. I did my '67 and having "learned" on the '65, it went like cake...only required one beer :D

-Kent

Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:32 pm

If you don't mark the shift lever bracket position, just fit it loosely, then slide it until the straight part of the shift stalk is vertical, then tighten.

Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:10 pm

That's a good guide. I found something about it on a web search when I did mine a few years ago, but I don't think I have the clip. Maybe I should buy all the parts again and redo it to be sure, they are very cheap.

Mon Apr 17, 2006 2:13 pm

Just did mine this weekend. The hardest part was getting the slightly larger 'head' which connects to the coupler through the bushing. If you can have someone push on the rod while you use a screwdriver to lever the bushing ring slightly open, you'll pop that through and finish in no time!

Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:37 pm

The clip is not necessary. The bushing clicks into the hangar and the rod keeps it snugly expanded to keep it in place.

Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:41 pm

harley_52 wrote: The clip is not necessary. The bushing clicks into the hangar and the rod keeps it snugly expanded to keep it in place.

If it wasn't needed, they would of left it out from the factory.

I'd use the clip.

Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:56 pm

Glenn wrote: harley_52 wrote: The clip is not necessary. The bushing clicks into the hangar and the rod keeps it snugly expanded to keep it in place.

If it wasn't needed, they would of left it out from the factory.

I'd use the clip.

Exactly...in fact, when VW first went to the bushing in June '60 it had no clip...2 months later, they put a clip on it. I trust their judgement. :wink: