Got an extra 3-4 hours, redo your shifter bushings! (and more)

[david.avery]

Hey guys

If anyone's on the fence with a midyear car with a sloppy shifter, take the morning and do your bushings.

I did all of mine today, cup, shifter arm, coupler, along with a factory short-shift install. Very, very nice action now, just right.

All of my bushings were in good shape except those at the coupler. IMO, 90% of the slop was there. I replaced the oblong bushings with the hard plastic ones Pelican sells, took a little time with a vise and a couple of sockets to press out the center pin.

What an improvement. Now, shifts take half as long as they did (was really a hunt before) so the revs don't bottom out between 2-3 and 3-4 like they used to

My tips for the short shifter install: Use two adjustable "squeeze handle" clamps to compress the springs, and wear safety glasses, these things are projectiles.

Tip for the coupler change: have some bright nail polish or red touch up to mark the home position on the splines. Wayne's book called for a perm magic marker, but that doesn't show up on greasy splines.

[jpahemi]

When I got a new factory coupler, I noticed the bushings were oval not round; I believe this is done to allow the tranny to move fore and aft.
j.p.