Shift Couplers (64 split) and bushings - Evolution (edit)

[Stephbong]

Dears,

I only found rear and one front gear, with the plate under the shifter or not doesn't change anything, when I go underneath and look at my rear shift coupler I ask myself it's normal.

It looks to slide ok but "turn" always on the same side (let's say left).

My wife changed the gears when I was under and I took pics in order to know if it's ok, in neutral + "First or third" and "second or fourth"

Can someone tell me if there something wrong there that I can try to adjust?

I too took some pics of the front coupler to show how it works.

I hope to be clear

Thank you!

[EverettB]

One of your photos

You need a new rear coupler.

The bolts should be in line with each other - they are not.
This will mess up your shift pattern and make it hard or impossible to locate some gears.

Also the bolts look to be larger than normal. Hopefully someone did not damage your shift rods by enlarging the depressions for the mounting bolts.

Here is a normal shift coupler and the little bolts with the correct lock wires:

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[Stephbong]

OK thank you, so I will order a new one with correct setup.

Is there a particular brand known for his reliability or not?

[Bruce Amacker]

Ditto on what Everett says. Put the shifter in any gear and crawl under the bus, while it's in a gear have an assistant move the shifter from left to right. You'll probably see rotational movement in the coupler when there should be none. Try this in several different gears to verify the problem. Rotational play in the coupler will cause the loss of "gates" while shifting. That means you'll have 1-2 but no 3-4 or 1-2-3-4 and no reverse or something along those lines.

Replace the coupler. If you have time, check the front bushing (under the shifter) using the same method above, if you see side to side play it's likely it is also worn out, causing huge sloppiness in the shifter and difficulty finding gears. These are relatively easy to service in the bus without major work. While you're under there, have your friend go through the gears while watching the hockey stick closely. (The hockey stick is the rearmost shaft that actually enters the tranny. In the picture above it is wrapped by the brass bushing/seal retainer) If you see side play in the hockey stick it means your tranny nosecone is also worn out, which is more difficult to service.

Good Luck!
_________________
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263

[EverettB]

[Stephbong]

[Stephbong]

[thomas.]

[Clara]

The coupler should be installed with the square headed bolts, which have holes for safety wire. The wire should be installed to keep the bolts snugged.
If the bolts back out, the shifting gets sloppy.
If it gets loose enough, or falls outentirely, no shifting is possible.
IME, the square headed bolt and the 13mm bolt have the same threads, and I have used a 13mm headed bolt, and ground the end pointy, and used that in a pinch.

If the ends were not ground pointy, the linkage will be sloppy. Get a couple shifter bolts.

1) As Everett pointed out that your bolts are not in a line; this coupler is faulty. Replace it

2) you said

[Bruce Amacker]

Your front shift bushing is shot, replace it.


The coupler consists of two pieces of steel bonded together with rubber. In the above picture, the entire shift shaft, coupler halves, and hockey stick should all move in unison with each other while being shifted with zero play in any component. Because your coupler bolts are not lined up, we believe your coupler halves (which are bonded together with rubber) have parted, allowing the front half of the coupler and the rear half of the coupler to move independently of each other, which will cause huge shifting problems. In addition to this, look for side play in the hockey stick while your helper is shifting the shifter through the gears repeatedly. If so, the front housing of the trans (nosecone) could be worn out which will also cause shifting problems. I have seen both problems recently.

Lay under the bus while your helper shifts through the gears 20-50 times. (1-2-3-4-R, 1-2-3-4-R, 1-2-3-4-R) Use a strong flashlight and your reading glasses, look for slop in each component very closely, there should be none. Any play in any component will cause considerable shifting problems. While watching the coupler, have your helper hold the shifter in each gear and move the shift lever side to side. (Hold in 1, move lever left and right. Shift to 2, move the lever left and right. Shift to 3, move the lever left and right, etc.) This will "load" the coupler to show any rotational play that is present.

Good Luck!
_________________
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263

[Stephbong]

[Clara]

[Stephbong]

Thanks Clara and Bruce.

Lots of information here.

When I make the sum of all of them looks like the best is replace coupler and brushings from front to rear completely.

If I have all the pieces and my front coupler is not rusty I think it should not be a difficult task, just proceeding steps by steps.

Even with your compete answers it looks difficult to me to see how the coupler and bushings should work.

I will check if coupler rotates on itself with no play between coupler and rods but I think it's the case, the two parts of the coupler always move both as it was one big piece, no differences between the two parts.

I will to remove on of the screw in order to see if there is a point on it that should enter in the rod or not.

Looks like I'll spend a lot of time under my bus, great

[Stephbong]

OK so I went under the bus following your advices

First of all the second bolt of the rear coupler doesn't tight the rod, when I try to tighten it it stays in place but "turns free at one moment", it's here:

This means of course I've some play between the coupler and the rear part of the rod

-> Buy new coupler and bolts


This is how my bolts look like, there is a point at the end it's a good thing

I too went to the front coupler, the good thing is when I remove the screw it goes easily along the rod.

But I don't see the second brush, shouldn't be a brush on the rear side where the rod goes into the tube? we see a little white grease there?

[Stephbong]

Hello,

Some news:

rear coupler is done with new screws etc. , I don't know if there is a front and rear side but I suppose it's ok I'm right in the two rods holes.

I too changed the bushing just behind the front coupler but I didn't find (there is no?) hole in the rod to fix it on it and the bushing is now totally in the tube, strange but it can't be bad I suppose.

I will have to reconnect front coupler (after inserting the new bushing and clip under the shifter) but I saw there are two holes in each rods "under" the front coupler (at 4.00 & 8.00 o'clock). Is it normal? Is there away to choose the right one? Maybe use the one where the screw of the coupler woll be aligned with thes screws of the rear coupler if it's possible.

Krgds

Steph