Shifter Rod Bushing "Hippy Fix"

vwlover77 · Post by **vwlover77** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:44 pm

OK, there's a bit of a story here, but hopefully not too long and boring!

When I first bought my Westy in 2005, the gearshift was really sloppy. A Sunday morning exploration session at that time discovered that there was no front shift rod bushing (the round, clear plastic one) to be found. As it was Sunday and my favorite foreign car parts store was closed, and since I was in an experimental mood, I decided to use a small piece of rectangular 1/2 inch plywood to fashion a "bushing". I drilled a hole in it just slightly larger than the shift rod, put it in place with the shift rod through the hole and the face flush against the sheet metal bracket (that the regular bushing fits into), drilled a bolt hole through the plywood and the bracket, bolted it together tightly, and greased everything.

It has worked well to give me nice, crisp gearshifts ever since, but I also have been getting a lot of vibration and noise through the shifter at higher engine rpm. I thought the hardness of the plywood was probably transmitting this vibration and noise much more than the correct soft plastic/rubber bushing would, so I decided it was time to change it out.

My favorite foreign car parts store could not provide me with the correct shift rod bushing, but had the Beetle version in stock. He and I agreed that for $2, it was worth a try. The Beetle version is a longer along the axis of the shift rod, but is not molded in a full circle, so it's shaped like a round letter "C".

I installed it pretty easily, but the shifting was sloppier and the noise and vibration were still coming through loud and clear. So, I resinstalled my plywood "bushing" and took a good look at the shift rod at the rear where it exits the tube to connect to the transmission. I it found very easy to move up and down and side to side, and actually in contact with the bottom of the tube in its "rest" position. Doh! I've had the engine out four times and never thought to replace the bushings along the length of the shift rod!!!!

Figuring it was worth a try, I took the Beetle bushing, placed in around the shift rod where it exits the tube at the rear (after first greasing the rod and the inside of the bushing), and using a long screwdriver, pushed it as far inside the tube as I could. The rod is now much better supported and not in contact with the tube.

The end result is even crisper shifting and NO more noise! I don't know how long this fix will last, but it will be a lot easier to do it again if needed instead of pulling the engine to allow the removal of the shift rod!

dtrumbo · Post by **dtrumbo** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 5:44 pm

I have that exact same problem and when replacing the front bushing (even with the correct one!) didn't stop my rattle noise, I was really bummed! I really don't want to pull the engine just to replace my rear bushings so maybe I'll try your trick! Thanks for the write-up!

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:27 pm

Thanks. Very informative.

vwlover77 · Post by **vwlover77** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:00 am

I can't believe how much this little fix has increased my driving enjoyment! Instead of hearing thrashy noise every time the engine goes over 3K rpm, I hear nothing but the sweet sound of a well-running engine. Very pleasing!

dtrumbo · Post by **dtrumbo** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:30 am

Is this the part you used?

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/Detai ... 111701259A

I'm definitely going to do this as I'm sick of hearing the "shift-rod-death-rattle" (not quite as bad as Colin's 'fuel-pump-death-rattle').

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:33 am

dtrumbo wrote:Is this the part you used?

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/Detai ... 111701259A

I'm definitely going to do this as I'm sick of hearing the "shift-rod-death-rattle" (not quite as bad as Colin's 'fuel-pump-death-rattle').

Doesn't look like a "like a round letter "C" " to me.

dtrumbo · Post by **dtrumbo** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:38 am

chitwnvw wrote:Doesn't look like a "like a round letter "C" " to me.

How 'bout this.

Same part number, different viewing angle. I'm gonna go for it!

vwlover77 · Post by **vwlover77** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:46 am

That's the one! It was only $2.68 including tax at my friendly local foreign car parts store.

Post by **Amskeptic** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:23 pm

The earlier buses have adjustable nose cone mounts, so we have an additional step of making sure that the transaxle is high enough to center the shift rod in the tube. I grabbed an unused new plastic rear shift bushing (with the lousy locator pegs with all of that flashing) and banged it into the tube and held it in with a fuel hose clamp accessible from just outside the tube. Werks gud.
Colin

misszora · Post by **misszora** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 7:34 am

By chance, does anyone know the part number for the bushing that would work on Miss Zora? (1977) I've got a sloppy shifter too.

thx
p

dtrumbo · Post by **dtrumbo** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:40 am

211-711-185-B is the part number for the correct bushing. However, this requires removal of the engine/transmission to facilitate its installation. That's why we're discussing using the Beetle part number 111-701-259-A which, because of it's design, can be installed without removing the engine and transmission. This, of course, is just for a temporary fix until the correct part can be installed at the first opportunity. Perhaps a personal best for comma/hyphen usage!

Post by **Amskeptic** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:46 am

dtrumbo wrote:211-711-185-B is the part number for the correct bushing. However, this requires removal of the engine/transmission to facilitate its installation.

IF - you're assuming that her sloppy/imprecise shifting/engagement is due to rear/middle shift-rod bushing - her sloppy/imprecise shifting/rattle? may be due to front shift-rod bushing/frame interface-
- Colin/Amskeptic -

misszora · Post by **misszora** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:51 am

Amskeptic wrote:
dtrumbo wrote:211-711-185-B is the part number for the correct bushing. However, this requires removal of the engine/transmission to facilitate its installation.
IF - you're assuming that her sloppy/imprecise shifting/engagement is due to rear/middle shift-rod bushing - her sloppy/imprecise shifting/rattle? may be due to front shift-rod bushing/frame interface-
- Colin/Amskeptic -

hope it is the latter.

I am actually bringing her in to Heckmann & Thiemann to address multiple things at once because I am running out of time before Burning Man. Don't hate me because I'm not tackling it all myself!!!! But at least when I walk in, I know exactly what I want and can describe my engine's behavior to my mechanic with confidence.

dtrumbo · Post by **dtrumbo** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:58 am

Amskeptic wrote:
dtrumbo wrote:211-711-185-B is the part number for the correct bushing. However, this requires removal of the engine/transmission to facilitate its installation.
IF - you're assuming that her sloppy/imprecise shifting/engagement is due to rear/middle shift-rod bushing - her sloppy/imprecise shifting/rattle? may be due to front shift-rod bushing/frame interface-
- Colin/Amskeptic -

Of course, the good doctor is always right. FIRST you must make sure your front bushing still exists and is in good shape. This bushing is part number 211-711-182 and looks like this.

This part CAN be replaced quite easily and, like Colin said, should be checked first. Only when this is not the problem should you go down the road Don has led us. (See how I've passed the buck back to him? Tee Hee!)

Post by **Amskeptic** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:58 am

misszora wrote:Don't hate me

Oh honey, you'll NEVER be hated. . . do you want to talk about it?
Colin

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Shifter Rod Bushing "Hippy Fix"

Shifter Rod Bushing "Hippy Fix"