Changed my shift coupler...now what?

[thrown_hammer]

I still have slop in the lever but the coupler doesn't. Am I correct in assuming it is the little cup bushing at the bottom of the shift lever? Could it be anything else?
The car has a short shift kit and I am almost positive it is the Porsche one. How involved is changing the little bushing? Any step by step pointers?
Thanks.

[red911]

I just did this job last week. The bushing on the bottom of the shift lever and the one in the bracket behind it is very easy. The hard part for me was putting it back together. The instructions say to start the two small allen head bolts in the bracket before starting the 3 large allen head bolts on the shifter assembly. The catch is the shift rod drops down when you remove the shifter assembly and the two small bolts won't reach to start them. Find a longer bolt to reach and start it in the bracket so you can hold it up high enough to start the other bolt. It should all line up.

Believe me it really makes a difference. No slop anymore and no gear grinding.

Good Luck

[tmctguer]

please define "slop"?

i've got a short shift kit, and new bushings all around, and engagement of each gear is very crisp, except for 5th (and rightfully so).

the only slop i have left is when the tranny is in neutral !

please elaborate.

[thrown_hammer]

In gear the lever is "sloppy". It wollers around. After I replaced the coupler I left the lid open and wollered the lever around. The shift rod didn't move at all.
So I assume it is the cup bushing on the bottom of the shift lever.

[tmctguer]

if you are able to freely move the shifter left, right, fore and aft, and you are not seeing movement in your shift coupler, you should take your shifter housing apart and inspect the parts.

the shift lever may not be engaged to the shift rod. this could be due to the disintegration of the ball cup bushing. or perhaps the metal housing that the ball cup fits into (where it engages in the shift rod) is no longer attached properly. from what i recall, there is a small hex-keyed pin just like the one at the shift coupler that must be tight (not mongo-wrenched, but snug), or you will not engage the shift rod. it could also be the disentegration of the plastic bushing that fits around the shift rod as it traverses in front of the base of the shift housing.

and i wouldn't rule out the disengagement of the large pin that passes through the base of the shift lever that attaches to the sides of the shift housing.

i'm sorry if my descriptions aren't too clear, but i did the best i could. the shift housing assembly isn't too hard to disassemble. it has been about a year since i put my short shift kit in (plus a robotek), so i'm a little fuzzy about how it all connects together.

update us on what you find.

[thrown_hammer]

Okay here's the update.
I took apart the shift housing and the cup bushing was literally gone. I replaced it and the bushing on the shift rod. Put it all back together and wow what a difference! Also noticed the shift kit is not the factory one. It looks like the Weltmeister kit but the spacer is HUGE! It also looks fabricated. Its formed 1/8" thick aluminum and it stands almost two inches high. Shifts great now.