Shift rod broke and stranded me

[sammygon1]

My shift rod came apart leaving me unable to select gears and the shifter flopping uselessly around. I luckily had a screwdriver and was able to open the access hatch. There is still a piece of rod connected to #20 it slips inside of the long shift rod #17. Is this normal? I reinserted the the short piece of rod into the long rod and gently shifted my way home. But the long shift rod is still very loose on the small piece. There was also quite a bit of grease in the area of the connection, is that normal? I assume that either these pieces broke or there is a proper way in which they are held together. It was dark out so I couldn't really make out exactly what was going on.
So my main question is: does anything seem to be irreparably broken from my description?
I have included a pic to help explain the situation the piece highlighted in red is the short piece of shifter that is still connected to #20. It is not shown in the original diagram. My car is a '69 911 with a 901.
Thanks, Sam

[sammygon1]

Bueller? Bueller?

[jevvy]

anyone.......anyone?

[Rot 911]

I have no idea, but this thread is worthy of a bump. On my '86 Carrera the shifter (#2) is actually 2 parts held together by expoxy. I wonder if #17 is the same way?

[cstreit]

I can't really tell from the diagram what the red piece refers to. It looks to me like it's part of the shift coupler (sort of a U-joint) that slides into the long shift rod and gets clamped inside it.

Can you take a picture of your actual setup?

[Tim Walsh]

if I remember mine correctly it's all one peice, but that's a 73 with the 915.

[sammygon1]

How dare you look in my tunnel!

So here it is. In the daylight it looks as though the splined coupler #20 actually extends out and into the shift rod. I highlighted the area. It does not appear that it is broken. Only that the fit is not very good between the two pieces. Is there any way to hold these pieces together properly. Tack weld?
Thanks, Sam

[sammygon1]

Back to the top!

[wholberg]

Given the taper at the connection point, I'm going to guess that it was originally a pressed or compression fit, probably designed that way for ease of manufacture, and years and wear just separated the two pieces. I'de put a tack weld on either side to hold it. That would be the easiest robust and reversible fix.

[Craig]

Unless I am totally missing something, no need to weld. Did you loosen and then re-tighten the clamp that is in the photo(just on the right edge of your highlighted area)? On a 915, this is the spot where you can do some adjustments for shift linkage. The Haynes manual has a good write up on adjusting this.
HTH
Craig

[Paul Crowther]

The extension on the coupler isn't broken underneath the clamp is it? Did you loosen the clamp and work in off the coupler, while moving the shift rod forward away from the coupler?

Or as mentioned above, that clamp may just need to be retightened.

Paul

[sammygon1]

The clamp just tightens down on the splines, it does allow adjustment, but it doesn't have any effect on the tightness of the connection between it and the shift rod. I think I'll just tack weld the clamp to the shift rod after I readjust the shifter. Sam

[cstreit]

THere should be no need to weld. The clamp pinches the long shift rod onto the splined shaft coming off the coupler (there the slot is on the shift rod). If this isn't holding, the clamp isn't tight enough.

[randywebb]

no need to weld ... UNLESS the split part at the end of the shift rod has broken loose from the rod and is moving when you try to shift.

If that is still attached to the rest of the rod (to its left in the pic) then do not weld anything.