Gooey shifter

[Olkid]

I've taken to sitting in my '63 KG and moving the shifter as I sit there, thinking of what needs to be done. Then I get cold and go inside. (I'm not making motor sounds yet) I can't imagine why the shifter seems like it's moving through sticky goo! I should clarify and say it feels more like it's the rod that's sticky but it's only going through a nylon bushing isn't it?--- and supported at the end at the transmission coupler? I plan to replace the shift rod bushing when I can lie on concrete again but is there any lube concerns or subtle tricks I'm not aware of?
TIA, Olkid

[Cobey]

$5 says the fluid in the tranny has been in there since'63. Also, when it's cold, everything gets "sticky" to some degree.
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[glutamodo]

It might be the bushing in the tunnel, but otherwise any sluggish shifter action will probably be a seizing nosecone bushing (or something further into the tranny.) You could try this - disconnect the shift lever from the coupler under the back seat and try to move the hockey stick in and out on the tranny with the coupler cage still attached to see if it feels sticky there or not, as well as moving your shifter around with at the same time to feeo how sticky that plastic bushing in the tunnel is without anything connected at the back. Plus You can always just take out your shift lever and look and see if it looks gummed up where that bushing is, just behind the opening in the tunnel. Spraying a little bit of Liquid Wrench on it there might help to un-gum it a bit if the bushing looks to be in OK shape.

andy

[GhiaNut]

I think your first instinct could be right. That nylon bushing is split to allow it to be pushed into the hole in the tunnel mount. It's held in shape by a spring-ring; over time as it gets gummed up, it grabs slightly to the shift rod and gets pushed out of the tunnel mount. It's a cheap fix; easiest to pull the whole rod out and replce the trans coupler at the same time.