side shift or tail shift

[Eat-um-up]

well ive heard all this great talk about side shift trannys. But i was sittin ghere thinking what are the pros and cons of both?? i dont really know and i was hopeing someone could fill me in. now that i have both types i need to figure out witch one i want to put in the car
Thanks James

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Sweet Blue 72' 914
Check it out at
http://www.geocities.com/eat_um_up/914.html

[campbellcj]

Side shifter was 73-

Easier/more precise to shift

I think just about everybody with a tailshifter who gets had a chance to upgrade to a sideshifter does it.

Just my $.02



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Chris C.
73 914 2.0
70 911E Targa
campbell.chris@gte.net

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Pros: Shorter linkage, fewer turns. Fewer opportunities for "slop" to creep in. This tends to lead to rather more precise shifting.

Cons: A bit more complex to bolt in than you'd think initially. A bit expensive to get all of the parts unless you have a donor car already. The car is no longer original.

Note that the 914-6 tail-shifter linkage is superior to the four-cylinder version. Mostly this is due to it not having to go around the sump of the motor. (A 914-6 side-shifter with a straightened rear shift rod is supposed to be the best-shifting 914 of all...)

--DD

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Pelican Parts 914 Tech Support

A few pics of my car: http://www.pelicanparts.com/gallery/Dave_Darling

[efeinsmith]

Other than the different shift rods/parts, remember that the engine crossmember and motor mounts are different between cars with tail shifters and side shifters.

[Eat-um-up]

Originally posted by efeinsmith:
Other than the different shift rods/parts, remember that the engine crossmember and motor mounts are different between cars with tail shifters and side shifters.

Yes!, i found a donar car and stripped eveything off it that i need to make it work aside from the adaptor that is needed on the linkage. thanks for all the info. i guess it all depends on how lazy i am about doing the conversions. it seems to me that there isnt much diffrence except less possibility of grinding

[SteveStromberg]

I have both, The main problem with the tailshift is that the shift ball gets worn ,that coupled with old worn out bushing makes shifting a chore.I would check the ball and replace the bushings. To swap to a Side shift you will need to get a engine cross bar and change the motor mounts,Also the SS shift rod and the special bushing for the body.Steve

[This message has been edited by SteveStromberg (edited 08-29-2001).]

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

What you need:

Transmission. (If your tail-shifter is really special to you, you can actually use most of it--but it's generally easier just to swap the whole gearbox.)

Shift linkage--everything from the transmission end all the way up to and including the gear shift lever. You can use your old gearshift knob, if you really like it.

Motor mount bar.

Inboard engine mounts--the two sort-of "L"-shaped pieces, plus the rubber "hockey puck" isolators.

Outboard engine mounts--the solid ones. If you use the early-style rubber outer mounts, the whole thing will "sag" down and rest on the rear shift rod. You won't be able to get several of the gears.

Adaptor bushing in the firewall. The only part that you have to buy new. The rest can come from a donor car. But I'd replace all the bushings and the two cone set-screws with new parts as well.

--DD

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Pelican Parts 914 Tech Support

A few pics of my car: http://www.pelicanparts.com/gallery/Dave_Darling

[smpiers]

What is this velios adapter I sometimes see on ebay for tailshifters do?

It is awfully expensive.

[Eat-um-up]

Yes i have ripped everything outta that donar car, orderd the special adaptor bushings and new mounts. Im gonna try and do this right. lets hope ive done everything you all have listed. thanks a million


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Sweet Blue 72' 914
Check it out at
http://www.geocities.com/eat_um_up/914.html

[campbellcj]

Originally posted by smpiers:
What is this velios adapter I sometimes see on ebay for tailshifters do?

It is awfully expensive.

Not sure, but you might actually be talking about the Velios adapter/conversion for the 915? It "flips" the 915 so you can run it the other way around and replace the 901/914 trans.

[Rouser]

You must mean this small money pit: 916 Rear Shift Kit.

Ouch!

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

That would be the one. If the photo were better, you'd see the tail cover is embossed "VELLIOS".

What it does is it turns a 915 tranny into a side-shifter. More or less. It doesn't make it spin the correct direction, though--you have to take care of that yourself. Plus you have to install the Vellios kit.

Not cheap.

--DD

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Pelican Parts 914 Tech Support

A few pics of my car: http://www.pelicanparts.com/gallery/Dave_Darling

[HMeeder]

My $.02?

Unless you are doing a faithful restoration, go for the Side Shift. A side shifter with new bushings and properly adjusted will convince you to never go back!

If you know anyone with a later model car, beg them to let you drive it around the block (under very close supervision, of course!) I believe one drive will make you wonder why the hell you waited so long to do it. I swapped to a SS in my '72 and am ever so glad that I did.




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Herb
'72 1.7 Tangerine 'Teen
'74 2.0 Red Rustmobile

[Eat-um-up]

Well im waiting for the adapter bushings and some intake gaskets to get here. Im pretty anxious to try this out and i cant afford a motor rebuild for another month or two :-( good part is that i took the engine out of the 74 that had the tranny too. so i ran a compression test. it turns over with 100lbs on one side and 90 on the other (i know pretty worn out). Im gonna slap it in there and see if i cant just get it to run for 2 months. or wuold i be better off to wait and aviod the work?