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Tue Jul 16, 2002 8:38 am

Hello. I have asked the question a couple days ago about my shifter making dips and moves while in gear. I can really feel this thing move when i step on the gas and it is really starting to bother me. The nose cone isn't broke, the trans mount to the body is ok, and when i take the shifter off to expose the shiftrod. The shiftrod has tons of play, how can I stop this? I never ran into this problem before.
Thanks again for the help.
-Jim
'64 Bus
'65 Beetle
'67 Beetle

Tue Jul 16, 2002 11:00 am

Replace the shift rod bushing inside the tunnel, under the shifter... check the shift rod/trans coupler under the inspection plate beneath the rear seat...

Thu Jul 18, 2002 1:15 pm

Yes I agree. My shifting was fine in my beetle until my mom backed into it. The mechanic talked about a rubber bushing that could have been nocked off. Yes there is a easy way to tell. Take your shifter off, and pull the little bar up and down if it moves there is your problem. Hope this info helps,

Tommy

etc. if that it the problem it could get possibly expensive, b/c they have to remove "something?"

Thu Jul 18, 2002 4:56 pm

No it shouldn't be expensive, it can be tedious until you've done it a few dozen or more times but even a shop should not charge that much if they know what they are doing. the bushing is a couple of bucks at the most... the shift coupler (if worn out) is about 10 at the most...
Here's how to do it....
lift/remove the back seat...
remove the inspection plate in the center of the tunnel....
get an 8mm wrench and a pair of pliers or vice grips, remove the square head bolt holding the coupler to the trans shaft
remove the screw through the shifter coupler "cage" (be prepared to drop stuff in the tunnel... get a flashlight and a wand magnet and a bent coathangar)

remove the shifter and any carpet ect.

under the car in the front of the tunnel, remove the ovalish shaped inpection plate
( 2 10mm head bolts) it's between the beam on a standard and just on the end of the tunnel on a super
On a standard the spare tire needs to come out and there is another small black plate behind it and a "plug" in the front apron, use the 8mm wrench to take the plug out (hopefully it is not bondoed in but could be) This does not apply to the super as the rod will come all the way out...
The shift rod needs to come all the way out the tunnel through these holes... I use the coat hangar to "hold it up" throuh the shifter hole and a pair of pliers to advance it forword... when it gets to the front a very small hand can fish it out or with a couple of clumsy fingers you can get it....
Clean the rod down with some steel wool or wet dry sandpaper and wd-40, (yes it is supposed to have slight bend to it....) it needs to be clean/smooth and rust free to slide back through the newly installed bushing.
NOW for the tricky part! put the ring around the bushing and insert it into the tunnel and into the "hangar" (20 or more tries should do it, colorful language and a few beverages later you should have it)
once it is there put a dollop of wheel bearing grease or white lithium on it and smear some all over the rod, re install the rod in through the front of the tunnel...(more trickery.....) and when it is in far enough use the coat hangar to pick it up and the pliers to guide it to the bushing and using force(trying not to knock the bushing out of the hangar, thus starting again!) it should go.... I said should....
keep spraying Wd or putting a little grease on it as you slide it to the back, careful as the angle is critical so you don't get fouled up in the myriad of cables and tubes on the way back....
If and when you get it your home free, put the rest of the stuff back in the order/way it came off installing the shifter last....
There is another way amost the same but involves drilling out the spot welds around the shifter hangar and installinf the bushing and rod/ hangar as an assem and them welding it back in place, yeah still a real pain....
If after reading this you may decide it is worth what a mechanic wants to do it.... oh yeah if you try it yourself get at least 2 bushings as they can dissapear in the tunnel...

Thu Jul 18, 2002 5:00 pm

OOOPS sorry that is kinda long.....

Thu Jul 18, 2002 9:33 pm

Fri Jul 19, 2002 6:28 am

whaaaad? Trayle, did I say somthing funnie?

Fri Jul 19, 2002 8:11 am

No, no, you always give advise that is right on. I was just thinking when I say this thread that "damn its gonna take a long answer to answer this one" and then I saw your post. And when you realized how long it was. Just struck me as kinda funny. There are lots of questions in the forum that are that way. Im sure you agree. You could fix them if the car was infront of you but how do you explain it and make any sense? You know?

Fri Jul 19, 2002 11:05 am

Yeah, I know, I was questioning my sanity about halfway through that one, but decided to stick it out (my neck) and try and answer it in a way that would either encourage someone to attempt it, or scare them away and to their favorite mechanic!
I figured you were just laughing at my technical writing skills or lack there of... and I know YOU know exactly what it's like to do that bushing thing...

Fri Jul 19, 2002 12:33 pm

Keifer, you've outdone yourself. That post was so informative I've printed it out to save it for future reference. Could you perhaps be the reincarnation of John Muir?

Fri Jul 19, 2002 6:35 pm

No but I read way too much Idiot book starting when I was about 7 (1969.....)

Fri Jul 19, 2002 10:31 pm

F the shift bushing...LOL