72 short rear shift rod orientation

[malcolm2]

There are 2 dimples in the front of the LONG rear shift rod. One is pointing up (12 o'clock) and one is pointing to the drivers side (3 o'clock). I am using 3o'clock in this picture. Only one hole in the SHORT front shift rod and the screw is in it.

The rotation of this whole rod assembly is very short. I am gonna guess 45 degrees (not including reverse). Does the current set up result in a good orientation of the rear-most SHORT rod, as pictured here? IIRC the rotation here will be counter clock-wise, making the orientation appear worse. the nut and bolt don't hit the underside and I have no idea how the tranz attaches, but is just does not look right.

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[SGKent]

2nd should be close to level as I recall.
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[malcolm2]

I don't think this is a picture of a BAY coupler. But is should be pretty much the same, right?

It is "level" as you said. I putzed with mine last night and could not get it level using the several dimples available at the front of the long shaft.

I guess I am gonna have to pull the shaft and flip it 180* and see if I can LEVEL it out. That birdie bushing better hang tight.

Trying to see what the shaft looks like on the TRANZ, I found this and it appears to be LEVEL. Is there a grub screw dimple in the "hockey stick" under what they are calling a modern style set screw?

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My Toys: '75 Porsche 914, '92 Ski Nautique and now a 1972 VW Transporter Deluxe (punch list fixing)

[airschooled]

All cage-type couplers for air-cooled VWs are the same. Early early cars used a straight shaft type coupler, and Vanagons used a series of bushings instead. Yours is correct, but sue inspect the cage for rotation. New couplers tend to suck in the “rotational integrity” department. This was the first and last coupler I installed without welding the cage to the collar:


Link

(Brand new, out of the box!)

Yes, the 1-2 plane is close to level as SGKent said when everything is installed, so the grub screw should face straight down.

Is the shifter in the cabin installed? Otherwise the twist angle of the rod (I like the paint by the way!) means nothing.

Robbie
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[malcolm2]

[malcolm2]

So there is my answer. But the dimple is facing UP. Next question, is there a dimple on the btm of that shaft too? Cause the grub screw on the cage type bushing is facing up. I could easily flip it, but won't it be tuff to tighten?
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My Toys: '75 Porsche 914, '92 Ski Nautique and now a 1972 VW Transporter Deluxe (punch list fixing)

[airschooled]

Grub screw head faces down, for maximum accessibility. Some hockey sticks have that dimple on top too, I’ve never known why.

Robbie
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[aeromech]

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[malcolm2]

[airschooled]

Is the shifter installed in the cabin??
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[malcolm2]

[airschooled]

Ok thank you. I have spent too many hours on the phone troubleshooting cars that have run out of fuel.

Next thing to check would be the grub screw in the collar that’s connects the front to center shift rod. (Readers note: ‘72 buses have a one year only additional shift rod, making what most of us know as the “rear” shift rod is actually the “center” shift rod on a ‘72.) I have seen some buses where that screw is tightened so far out of alignment that the grub screw too can not make a true landing in the divot in the rod. Also inspect the divot base for a true conical shape; a wallowed out divot can be filled with tin foil to get you home if you purchase a new bus like that, but expect it to fail in about a hundred city miles. The fix would be to drill a new divot, which could result in a problem like this if you didn’t assemble it the same way.

Check the grub screw for proper landing and snugness in the front collar. Disassemble the collar and look for indications of other installations.

Is this the same rod that came out of the car? Did it shift properly before?
Robbie
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[malcolm2]

[malcolm2]

OK. 2nd time is the charm, as they say. I am usually a person that will "dry fit" stuff on the floor, or on the bench. I did not this time.....

As it turns out, the short shaft has 2 holes in the coupling end. And the long shaft has 2 dimples in the coupling end. Not sure why it has 2, but it does and THEY MATCH UP. One is at 4 o'clock and one is at 8 o'clock.

That was my problem, I had the long shaft UPSIDE DOWN. The dimples were at 2 and 10. All is well.

I hope someone reads this thread and does it right the 1st time.

short shaft holes

tuff to see in the picture but the long shaft's dimples. It is easier to see the 2 dimples in the picture above with the shaft upside down.

lastly, I think my cage bushing has an out of wack grub screw. See how it is NOT pointing directly down. I am gonna get another one.

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My Toys: '75 Porsche 914, '92 Ski Nautique and now a 1972 VW Transporter Deluxe (punch list fixing)

[airschooled]

Nice job!

That off-set grub screw could be coupler rotation, (likely,) or a manufacturing quirk that allows the new aftermarket shifters to actually work, since they’re all off-center too.

Robbie
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