Converting 914/6 Tranny to side shifter

[sandiego]

I have both a 914/6 tail shifter and 914/4 side shifter. Is converting the tail shifter to a side shifter as easy as replacing the three shift rods from the tail shifter with the 3 rods from the side shifter plus adding the side shifter appendige? Can I retain the rear housing of the tail shifter?

[Lyle Detwiller]

You can continue to use your tail shifter housing. All that you have to do is machine a metal plug to cap off the hole used by the tail shifter shaft. I used aluminum and then epoxied it into the hole.
Here are a few other thoughts about this conversion. After market metal bushings are a much better (tighter) fitting bushing then the factory plastic bushings that most people use. You will need to fabricate your own external shifter shaft that goes from the side shifter to the firewall. The exact shape of this shaft will depend on what exhaust system you use and what type of motor mount you use. The bushing that you use in the firewall must be specifically chosen for a 914 side shifter conversion. Metal bushing are also available for the firewall. Make sure the roll pins you have on both the inside and the outside of the sideshifter shaft are OK. Some used pins are partially cracked and the crack can only be seen when you drive out the spiral pins. I learned that one the hard way. Aso be sure to use the high quality spiral pins, not the one revolution roll pins available on the after market. They are not strong enough and won't last long. Lastly, the hole that the bushing mounts into on the sideshifter console is often worn out if you are using a used casting. This can leave you with an eliptical shaped hole that causes trouble.
Goodluck with your update. It is one of the best updates you can do to your car. Lyle

[sandiego]

Thanks for your comments on the rear housing.
Could anyone else comment on my question on what you need to do with the 4 (tail shifter) shift rods inside the case which somehow have to become the 3 shift rods for a side shifter. Are the 3 remaining rods different between the tail and side shifter?

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

I believe that you replace the tail-shift rods with the side-shift ones. As for plugging the hole in the tail-cone, you can simply leave the last bit of the tail-shift linkage in place. It evidently won't interfere with the side-shift guts at all, and it is a piece that is machined to fit the hole exactly...

--DD

[mike mueller]

Originally posted by Lyle Detwiller
. It is one of the best updates you can do to your car. Lyle

is there anything wrong with the /6 transmission?

the /6 tranny does not shift as vauge as the "true" /4 tailshifters...one of the best shifting cars I've driven used the /6 transmission.....I think this is one of those items that people read about the tailshifters being replaced with sideshifters and don't realize the the /6 and the /4 tailshifters are not the same...

[sandiego]

I have the original -6 box but with shorter gears. Im putting in a 3.2 because I missed a shift and blew my 2.7, so it was cheaper (supposedly) just going to a 3.2 rather than rebuilding the 2.7. With the 3.2 the short box is too short because I will be shifting in the 6300-6500 range rather than 7000. But eventually I would like to convert the short box to a side shifter. :I also have a second 914/6 tail shifter which I need to do something with.

[davidppp]

Hello there.

I am looking for the 914-6 stock shift housing and rear shift rod if you would like to sell them.

Kind regards
David