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Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:42 am

( this is a repost. my apologies I'm new to posting on forums. The original was accidentally put in the gallery )

hey everyone!
first time posting, long time lurker. So long story short I have inherited my dads 1967 vw squareback. There is a TON of play in the shifter. Based on the research I have done I am needing to replace the coupler, shifter bushings and linkage bushing; as well as re-grease the entire assembly. I am having trouble locating the hatch for the coupling.....where is it!! :lol: I found the hatch on the front but cant locate the rear. When I lift the bench seat all that is there is the battery tray. please help.

( if you could even just point me to a write up that'd be great too. trust me I have looked and I cant find anything ](*,) )

Thu Aug 24, 2017 8:32 am

You're looking for the rear coupler, right? On type 3s, it's accessed from underneath the car, there's a cover plate there. Same principle, just reversed, the retaining screw is from the bottom, too.

Thu Aug 24, 2017 8:38 am

yes that's correct the rear coupler.....I need to replace that whole assembly; cage and all. So its UNDERNEATH? that explains why I couldn't find the hatch inside then. you are a lifesaver.......I was not wanting to tear apart my interior. thank you very much

Thu Aug 24, 2017 8:45 am

First, this should be moved to the Type 3 forum for the best responses.

Second, unlike the Bugs, the Type 3 cars have a plate UNDER the car, not under the back seat. You have to get it up on stands or ramps, the crawl under, just forward of the tranny (of course), and remove the plate.

Thu Aug 24, 2017 9:27 am

ok, if the moderators wish to move it then by all means please move it to the type 3 section. I do believe I clearly stated that I was new to this whole posting on forums thing in the original post..........sorry. I saw the performance/engine/transmission section and though it would be a logical place to put it. thank you for your input on the location of the plate underneath the car.

Thu Aug 24, 2017 4:52 pm

Moved

Here's underneath on my '63.
Your coupler will be different since it's the later with the square cage but same general idea

There a little circular plate with 3 screws you undo to access this area.
It's possible it might have a little bit of transmission fluid in it if the nose cone is leaky so watch out for that when you remove it.

Thu Aug 24, 2017 5:02 pm

Thank you sir! That's exactly what I needed! I am appreciative for you showing me. Thanks for moving the post as well.

Fri Aug 25, 2017 12:35 pm

This post was a huge help to me as well. Getting ready to replace bushings in my linkage soon.

Fri Sep 01, 2017 5:52 am

Hey!!
so, I completed the bushing swap on my square. I was unable to get the bushing with the retaining clip to work correctly. The shaft that goes thru it was too large in diameter and simply stopped. I don't have that bushing in now and there is some play but not bad. all gears work great, i just have to adjust the plates a little to get reverse easier. what are the odds it was the wrong bushing? also, when I ordered it I got the whole bushing kit and a black plate came with it. I tried that and it was unsuccessful as well. the retaining clip was simply too tight around the bushing/shaft. what is the next thing I should try?

Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:18 am

You are definitely going to want to fit a new bushing before driving the car too much.
What happens is that the side-loads from the shift rod will scrape on the hole the shifter bushing rides in.
This ends up putting a burr on the edges of the hole that eats bushings,
Or ends up making the hole too big over time, especially if you clean up the burr..

Hope that makes sense.. :?

It could be that your car was driven without a bushing for a long time and you do have this burr.
If it has a burr, the bracket OD won't sit down deep enough in the groove around the bushing - making it so the bushing won't open up enough to let the rod through.
See if you can feel a burr running along the side-edges of the hole that the bushing goes in.
Take a file and knock down/smooth out that burr - get the hole smooth and soft-edged.
Some shifter coupler brackets will un-bolt from the tunnel entirely - makes the job far easier.
If your hole is all egged out, you can get another bracket/plate for the tunnel.
Or,
You can file it down in the car, if you screw your mouth up right.
I have a few files broken into small pieces for jobs like this..

Also, make sure your shift rod is clean clean the whole length.
Also use some grease on it..
It's nice to have a tight fit once you get it - makes the shifter precise.
You might have to smack the end of the rod to get it in.
Have also sanded/polished a 'ramp' into the rod that hangs up right at the end by the coupler mount.. Make sure it doesn't have a 'ledge'.

There are also crappy bushings out there that are made wrong.
Some are rubbery/floppy like a dog toy.
Some are too thick in cross-section, and you simply can't get the rod through at all.

The best way to make sure you are not getting one of the majority bad parts out there is to order from ISP West or aircooled.net.
These are vendors that actually try out the parts they sell, and make sure they work.
Most of the other vendors just sell what they get, whether it actually works or not.
These days, you have to buy from someone who actively filters out the junk parts.

At least it's just a cheap part you have to buy again, right?

It's not as easy as it was in the old days - way more junk/un-useable parts than good ones anymore.

Hope this helps. Keep fighting the good fight, brother!

Fri Sep 01, 2017 12:01 pm

bmeyer wrote: Hey!!
so, I completed the bushing swap on my square. I was unable to get the bushing with the retaining clip to work correctly. The shaft that goes thru it was too large in diameter and simply stopped.

the retaining clip was simply too tight around the bushing/shaft. what is the next thing I should try?

The problem is that the replacement bushings may have too large an OD or come with a too tight ring. Check my experiences below:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=662961

Tue Sep 05, 2017 5:30 am

SUCCESS!!!!
I did end up figuring it out. I took 60 grit sandpaper, cleaned the rod down to bare metal, used 320 grit to smooth it out, greased both the bushing and the entire rod, popped the bushing in and inserted the rod. it went much smoother this time. I twisted 28ga wire around the grub screw as well being it wasn't there previously.
Thank you to all who posted on how to handle this. I am not mechanical by any means and you made this easy. next on the to do list is air suspension!!