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Fri Jun 10, 2016 12:12 pm

I have a 5 rib trans in my Baja. It has the 10 degree style mounts (home made), and for about 7 years I was using the early style round shift coupler. It finally gave up the ghost, so I picked up a new one (EMPI :oops: ) it lasted about a week. Now I am considering one of the round solid Urethane shift couplers. Has anyone used one of these? Do they seem to flex enough, and work with the 10 degree mounts?

Thanks

Fri Jun 10, 2016 12:21 pm

One of these?.....

Dont ever bother with it....

Dale

Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:40 pm

Yeah, one of those, what is so bad about them? Does anyone know where to get a quality early coupler then?

Fri Jun 10, 2016 3:29 pm

Multi69s wrote: Yeah, one of those, what is so bad about them? Does anyone know where to get a quality early coupler then?

Well most urethane "couplers" tend to split, they are not good for torsional loads like shift couplers or steering couplers, urethane only seems to be good at compression loads as in bushings...

Dale

Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:35 pm

NoBars sells a solid CNC'd coupler. Given my trans is solid mounted, I plan on ordering one. Brian has one. Hey Brian, how do you like it!?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1252462

Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:51 pm

Looks like a damned good piece to me and a reasonable price. Somebody SHOULD have come up with this item a couple of decades ago. It would have been a lot more involved and expensive to machine before that.

Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:56 pm

That late style cnc coupler is perfect. You're never going to have to change it, and for a baja that's already loud you're not going to notice any increase of noise. My shifter doesn't rattle anymore that's for damn sure.

I didn't get the oversized one but wish I had, it's worth the extra work to get it installed.

Fri Jun 10, 2016 5:01 pm

I just took a 3 axis CNC mill/ lathe programming class where I worked and I've learned how much work goes into this stuff. The price is reasonable given the cost of raw stock and the MASSIVE overhead of owning a mill (5 axis no less for this piece). A lower end 5 axis Haas can cost tens of thousands (putting it lightly) and last no longer than a decade depending on your strategy. I made this on a 3 axis.

Fri Jun 10, 2016 5:21 pm

"Snap-Off" is how I have pronounced the name of the well-known brand of tools since the early 70s. I spent a lot of money buying that brand of tools when I was getting started filling my tool box that I SHOULD have spent on other tools that would have helped me more, like a MIG welder or a small lathe or spent it on my Baja or buggy.

After one end wrench and a couple of screwdrivers broke and the dealer refused to honor each of their warrantees, I took to calling them that.

Then when racing and taking along my Snap-Off tools to the desert for use in my pits and always finding some didn't make it back home, I replaced a bunch with cheap Harbor Freight-type tools. Most ALL of the Snap-Offs are gone now, but I still have the cheap tools, have almost NEVER broken any, and have had NO trouble exchanging those that I have broken.

So I find your CNC wrench quite amusing.

Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:07 pm

That shift coupler is almost a work of art. However, Since I did the 10 degree trans mount, I had to weld on a shift rod adjuster.

Therefore, I need to run the early style that has grub screws on both ends. Who makes the best?

Sat Jun 11, 2016 5:02 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1632696

OR just get standard VW round coupler...

Dale

Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:50 pm

Correct me if I'm wrong but the early style coupler you're looking for does not account for angularity.

Sat Jun 18, 2016 6:27 pm

EnjoyNukaCola wrote: NoBars sells a solid CNC'd coupler. Given my trans is solid mounted, I plan on ordering one. Brian has one. Hey Brian, how do you like it!?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1252462

I ordered this part on Tuesday afternoon, it shipped Wed and I had it Friday.

I've been struggling with multiple shifters and adjustments for 3 weeks now. I installed this billet coupler, put my Scat shifter back on that I had given up on and it all worked perfectly. I could get 1-2 to work, or 3-4 to work with no reverse. All those problems have gone away.

Thank you Nobars for a very nice part, fast shipping, great price. Now I have a 4spd with reverse.

Tue Jun 21, 2016 9:33 pm

So just drill out the existing hole to a 3/8" through hole.

And use one of these:

Wed Jun 22, 2016 5:38 am

Seems like the one from CB performance wasn't empi. It's what I used.

As a back up plan I got both style adjusters (early and late). You can interchange the ends if you wanted to change to a box style one. I made sure when I did it that I could screw in either end into the welded end.

I never tested the box one with the 10 degree trans mount though. My nose cone bushing is bad so I'm waiting to order one Friday.

Wed Jun 22, 2016 5:41 am

EnjoyNukaCola wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong but the early style coupler you're looking for does not account for angularity.

It's what he's used for 7 years... The early style is stuff but it's a piece of rubber sandwiched in between the ends.

I admit that when I install the new nose cone bushing I'm strongly considering swapping to the box style because it might pivot better. I did notice it's like a u joint and will pivot one way well but not the other.

Fri Jun 24, 2016 2:50 pm

One thing is that I did the trans conversion before I joined the Samba, where there is a wealth of knowledge. I had "heard" that you could do the trans swap with the nose in the tunnel, so I made it happen. I built my own trans mounts, and cut and ground until it would fit. Also, the 1st trans I used was a 3-rib, with had the grub screw on the bottom. So I had to cut an access hole in the bottom of the tunnel (with cover plate) to install the coupler. Also, for the rear seat I installed a 1st row seat out of a ford mini van, which is bolted to the body. So all work is still done through the bottom access hole. Therefor, drilling a hole though the shift rod, is not a viable work around.

If this was my only VW, I would probably unbolt the seat and rearrange it so I could work from the top. However, I have two other VWs, and I am in the process right now of putting AC in my Type 4 powered Squareback. I am just looking for the best solution that can get me back to decent shifting in a fairly quick manner. My 1st early style coupler lasted over 7 years, but the one I just bought (Empi brand) started missing shifts in about 2 weeks.

Fri Jun 24, 2016 10:01 pm

I wasn't saying to drill a hole through the hockey stick shaft in the trans. I was suggesting to loosen the jam nut on the shift adjuster, remove the end of the adjuster,

and drill THAT hole through so you can use one of the machined aluminum couplers shown above.

The adjuster piece would then need to be turned 90° so the bolt passes through the adjuster left to right instead of up or down.

You might want to ask the guy who makes the couplers to make yours to fit a 1/4" allen shoulder bolt. I firmly believe it would be strong enough and would be a smaller hole through that adjuster piece.