Bent shift rod?

MidWesty · Post by **MidWesty** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 3:43 pm

I have a '73 Double cab that will hardly go into gear.. It's a European model, (being a '73) so it's got an upright 1600 and a relatively newer 5 rib. (60K)
This is my winter project and had other items to get to before the shifter. I've not done much with the shifter mechanisms at all so bear(sp) with me.
The PO said the main shift rod was bent, which he took out and straightened to the best of his abilities. He replaced the bushing and was driving it as is, which is brutal at best.
1st, and 3rd gear are almost impossible to find. 1st being the worst. I can catch 3rd if I go into 4th and then up to 3rd before letting off the clutch.
I have a straight shifter rod to replace the current "straight" one.
My main questions are;
Is a bent rod all I should be looking for?
I've read up on swapping trannys with certain year engines, is it possible the shift rod is bottoming out due to.....???
How much time/effort should I expect to put into a shift rod swap?

Thanks!
Steve

Westy78 · Post by **Westy78** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:13 pm

I would try adjusting the reverse lockout plate before going to the shift rod. If that plate is not adjusted correctly it can make finding the gears and smooth shifts difficult.

MidWesty · Post by **MidWesty** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:35 pm

That crossed my mind when I bought it but the PO said he had adjusted it first before discovering the bent rod. Doesn't mean it was adjusted right though I suppose. I'll definitely recheck it.

Thanks!
Steve

Post by **Amskeptic** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 10:53 am

MidWesty wrote:That crossed my mind when I bought it but the PO said he had adjusted it first before discovering the bent rod. Doesn't mean it was adjusted right though I suppose. I'll definitely recheck it.

Thanks!
Steve

I am deeply intrigued by this bent shift rod. What on Earth could bend the shift rod that doesn't also total the car?

To determine if your shift rod is bent, remove the coupler bolt (11mm and pliers) that holds the two rectangular rubber blocks in the coupling cage. Take out one of the blocks. Now look at the end of the shift rod's hole where the coupler bolt used to go through. It should be sort of low in the cage. Pick it up to exactly center it with the hole in the remaining block. Did it align easily? Or did the shift rod butt against the shift tube welded to the bus. Move it fore and aft and side to side just to see if it pivots and slides without undue resistance. If it does, your shift rod is not the problem.

If the shift rod's coupler bolt hole does not align with the remaining coupler block's hole without a fight, loosen the two 17mm nuts that anchor the nose cone to the front mount. You can slide the front of the transaxle up and down until the shift rod and coupler cage are within easy alignment. My bias is towards a slightly higher nose cone-than-shift rod. This reduces rattle tendencies.

Reassemble the coupler when you are done. If the side-to-side movement of the shift rod is being wasted by slop at the coupler cage, feel free to crush the top and bottom of the cage a little with pliers to get more immediate movement. If the fore and aft movement is being eaten up by slop at the cage, crush the sides of the cage a little. Subtle counts here.

Adjust stop plate in 2nd gear only. Because you have mentioned difficulty in 1st/3rd engagements, please ensure that the entire shifter housing is placed correctly in the fore and aft direction, regardless of the adjustment of the stop plate, which is your screwdriver-press against the shifter. For best fore and aft placement, pull gear shifter backwards until it stops, then carefully move shifter knob forward while you also push the housing forward until you have a modest amount of play still in second gear. Once the plate is secured to the floor, check to see that the knob misses the ebrake handle in 3rd. If it gets too close, your adjustment is robbing you of travel in 1st/3rd. Loosen the bolts, bring the housing rearwards a tad, and make sure the reverse cut-out ridge is against the shifter while in 2nd.
Colin

MidWesty · Post by **MidWesty** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 4:24 pm

Colin,
I'll have to print that out and use it as a step by step! Keep me from running back and forth.
You mentioned the shifter hitting the ashtray whilst adjusting it. It already hits it as it is now. I have to shift with my hand down on the stick under the handle to avoid smashing my knuckles. So I guess I should be wary of the shift plate then?

Post by **Amskeptic** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 5:58 pm

MidWesty wrote: You mentioned the shifter hitting the ashtray whilst adjusting it. It already hits it as it is now. So I guess I should be wary of the shift plate then?

Ahhh no. . . the fore-aft position of the entire housing.

If it gets too close, your adjustment is robbing you of travel in 1st/3rd. Loosen the bolts, bring the housing rearwards a tad,

MidWesty · Post by **MidWesty** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 8:50 pm

Alright, I gotcha now. Had to read what you first posted a couple more times.
The entire shifter mechanism is possibly askew. Correct?
Leave the plate alone for the time being and adjust the entire shifter to allow for a clean (knuckle free) shift pattern.
As far as the bent shift rod, I have no idea what could have happened to it. I can only go by what the PO said.

Thanks again!

Steve

Post by **Amskeptic** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:23 am

MidWesty wrote: The entire shifter mechanism is possibly askew. Correct?
Leave the plate alone for the time being and adjust the entire shifter to allow for a clean (knuckle free) shift pattern.

Well, here's the thing. . . if you have to loosen the bolts that hold the whole thing to the floor, you WILL be affecting the stop plate.
So when you do adjust the fore-and-aft position of the entire assembly so that it gives you a little slop in 2nd and finds 1st and 3rd before you mash into the ebrake handle, you will have to check the reverse cut-out action.

After you have pulled it into 2nd, then pushed the entire housing forward to get that little bit of play in the shifter, your last step will be to push the stop plate to the left until you feel it contact the gearshift. Then tighten your 13mm bolts. If you push with too much oomf, you will narrow the 1/2 gate to such an extent that it will be difficult to find both 1st and 2nd.
Colin

MidWesty · Post by **MidWesty** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:22 pm

Well, for what it's worth. The shifter is "fixed". I took it over to a buddy's shop and we discovered what the problem was.
At the front of the shift rod there is an alignment or guide "pin", for lack of a known technical term, that keeps the shifter moving straight forward and back and pivots around on. This apparently had broken at another time and was replaced with a long bolt. The bolt was too long and severly bent to one side, not allowing the shifter to move all the way to and fro. The shift rod was basically binding against the bolt.
I had to grind out the bolt as it was welded in. I replaced it with another bolt, but one that is shorter. So far so good. I can't find a picture of what is supposed to be there. There should be some type of bushing there, no?

Thanksl!

Post by **Amskeptic** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:59 pm

MidWesty wrote: The shifter is "fixed".
there is an alignment or guide "pin that keeps the shifter moving straight forward and back and pivots around on.
I replaced it with another bolt, but one that is shorter. So far so good.

Where is this? Welded to the car where the shift rod goes over it? Or are you talking about the pin in the shifter "stick" that engages the slot on the shift rod?

MidWesty · Post by **MidWesty** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:16 pm

This is a spot welded just in front of the shift rod. Directly in front of it, welded to a smallish flange. The shift rod slides over this pin, as you mentioned.
The shift rod stops against this flange that holds the guide pin if you are in 2nd or 4th gear. Does that help?

Post by **Amskeptic** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:46 am

MidWesty wrote:This is a spot welded just in front of the shift rod. Directly in front of it, welded to a smallish flange. The shift rod slides over this pin, as you mentioned.
The shift rod stops against this flange that holds the guide pin if you are in 2nd or 4th gear. Does that help?

Got it. So is it working well? Do you want to apply for a Hack Repair Hall of Fame Nomination?
Colin
(Methinks the shift rod should be in gear and done with any forward motion long before it gets stopped by the flange. If you move the shifter housing forward (loosen the 13mm bolts and move the housing a couple of mm's at most), then that should give you a little more space)

MidWesty · Post by **MidWesty** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:41 pm

I adjusted the whole mechanism all over the place and this was the optimal spot. I'm no longer hitting my knuckles under the dash and it's shifting fine. The flange has been hammered around on in the past it appears. Possibly a side of the road repair.
Any idea what should be in place of the now new bolt? Is there a bushing possibly as well.

I've already got the the "Hack of the Year" award, it's right next to my "Bloodiest Knuckles in a Single Afternoon" ribbon.

Steve

Post by **Amskeptic** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:11 pm

MidWesty wrote: Any idea what should be in place of the now new bolt? Is there a bushing possibly as well.
I've already got the the "Hack of the Year" award, it's right next to my "Bloodiest Knuckles in a Single Afternoon" ribbon.

Right, you award-festooned Bloody Hack

, there was a swaged on guide pin originally. Yes, there is a plastic bushing that inserts right into the shift rod up to 1973 models. The '74 and later buses deleted that pin and have the whole shift rod go through that little cross piece with a plastic bushing stolen right off the Types 1 and 3.
Colin

MidWesty · Post by **MidWesty** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:42 pm

After all the trouble it has caused I can see why they changed it. It's not the best design. Appreciate the info.

Steve

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Bent shift rod?

Bent shift rod?