Shift coupler cone-set screw

[nhromyak]

Apparently, this little screw is giving me troubles...



It was almost stripped before I got to it. I tried an easy-out... now I am going to try some heat.

Any other suggestions?

BTW: How do I go about changing the bushings (the whole reason for this exercise) inside the coupler???

Thanks

[Fishcop]

Hi Nick

Heat and the easy-out should work.

The bushes are real simple, just pull the cup off the ball at the bottom of the shifter and push the new one on with a little plastic compatible grease, like brake grease (red). The ring that circles the shift rod in the tunned sometimes likes to be dipped in hot water for a couple of minutes to make it pliable enough to push into its housing - grease it also once its in. The rear coupler bushes can be a bit hit and miss with a chance of breaking the alloy coupler when removing the pin.

PS the Wevo PSJ is an outstanding upgrade on the original coupler.

[nhromyak]

This bushings at the transmission end are the ones I am attempting first...

This little cone is more competent than I gave it credit. :/

I will await a new one before I go for more heat and EZ-out. So far, the EZ-out has been drilling the cone... I am not sure how big it is, else I will have to drill it out.

Thanks for the help.

[Fishcop]

Can you get some vice grips on it? Or perhaps a dremel to slot it and then use a BF screwdriver?

Good luck.

PS Use a decent vice for the coupler rather than hitting the pin out. Or a press if you have access to one.

[nhromyak]

No way will vice-grips go on the cone-screw....

Looks like I am drilling it out.

Ummm... hitting what pin out?

[Gunter]

Do a search for the shift coupler bushing replacement; lot's of info here.

[oldE]

Nick,
This was my project last winter. I approached the job with some trepidation, as I had read two threads in which guys had managed to break the soft alloy yoke while trying to press the coupler pin out.
Once you get the tapered set bolt out of the body of the coupler, it will slide off the shaft. You will note it is made up of two parts, an alloy yoke which holds the bushings and a steel block with a pin through it which pivots within the bushings. Most breakage comes from mistakenly putting force on the arms of the yoke while attempting to move the steel pin which is press fit into the steel block.
This should take about 5 minutes. Take the coupler to a vice and clamp the free end of the block in the end of the vice jaws. DO NOT clamp the yoke, it should be free to swing when the block is held in the vice. Take a drift or punch, smaller in diameter than the pin and gently tap the pin out of the block. After it is started, it will slide out as it is shouldered and you now have the yoke and old bushings in your hand. Clean up the yoke. The bushings pop out. the new ones should pop back in with a firm hand pressure. Remember, do not apply any force to the arms of the yoke.
Once the new bushings are in, line everything back up, insert the pin and use a small hammer to tap the pin back into its position. Release the block from the vice and re-install the coupler. The hard part is getting the transmission and shifter back into proper alignment. It was easier done than described and took two tries. Lots of helpful advice in these threads.
Les