Jump to content

Is there any alternative to new shifter bushings?


Speedymaru

Recommended Posts

I have a 78 620 that is in need of shifter bushings. I know that they aren’t very expensive, but I was wondering if there’s anything else I could use as a substitute. I was thinking washers for the side to side movement and maybe some kind of plastic on the shaft part? Any ideas would be appreciated!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • Replies 30
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Get the bushing kit, it also includes the plastic 'cup' for the ball on the bottom of the shift lever.

 

 

If you look around you may find these later shifters used on the 720 and '80-'83 S110 200sx maybe others in the early to mid '80s cars. The plastic bushings are much wider so will have less wear. Fits the earlier shifter and pin, and though it looks a little odd it's hidden under the dust boot anyway. Better yet just swap the other shifter in entirely. The shifter is rubber filled and isolated from annoying vibrations.  I have one in my 710.

 

i1OKBSS.jpg

 

Ignore the terrible shift knob that was replaced.

RPZpjFn.jpg

 

 

For $3-$5 you can get a car door hinge rebuild kit. I think this was a Dodge van but... there are others that might fit better.

 

pHk0t8I.jpg

 

As you can see it's loose on the pin and tight on the shifter so....

 

JT43aPN.jpg

 

 

I sliced through it with a hacksaw, pressed the ends together and , a perfect fit.

 

BkafAeB.jpg

 

If I remember correctly I had to make a few passes with a file on the soft bronze sides to get it to slip between the two ears on the transmission end. But it never wore out and there was zero slack. There was nothing I could do about the bottom cup.

  • Like 3
Link to comment

brass works great. keep in mind, u well can get vibration noise from shifter. especially at high rpms(datslocos fun runs). oem's r quiet but only last couple yrs with hard driving.

although,dodge door pin bushings u can pickup any parts store.

Link to comment

That other shifter in the picture I posted has a small spring the pushes up on the metal shifter and down on the plastic to it's somewhat snugger, and the thicker part of the shaft above the dust boot is rubber lined. You can lock the bottom part and the top will still move but very firm. It's like a suspension bushing.

Link to comment

I once installed new factory plastic bushings, and they disentegrated in probably 200 miles. Did the brass door bushings, been good for the last ~8k miles.

 

I used to get gnarly vibration and noise from the ball cup bushing. There was space between the ball of the shifter and the (new) cup, so I packed it with RTV and eminimated that noise.

Link to comment
  • 3 months later...

I've got an early 72' PL620 with the L-16 and a 4-speed. I'm pretty sure the transmission is not original.  It shifts okay but there is a huge amount of slop (side-to-side) in the straight shift lever. Do you think these bushings help? How hard are they to install?  What would I be looking for on eBay?  Thanks.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

The A shifter uses two cone shaped rubber bushings squeezed between two washers. Try the e bay ones if they are cone shape. You might be able to add washers to increase the squeeze. I did that on my 521... the shifter when in any gear could be moved in a circular pattern the size of a basketball. Shifting was always a lottery.

Link to comment

3YxnKZn.jpg

 

Shifter goes through the hole, one cone on top and one on bottom. Top washer has tab that fits the notch to prevent turning. Bottom of shifter has washer and is threaded for a nut that clamps everything together.

 

QTT9WOT.jpg

 

Fe1IoY6.jpg

.

  • Like 2
Link to comment

This is how I removed a lot of the slop in the shifter.

First, you need to get the seat out of the way, to get access to the plate covering the top of the transmission. My garage is too tight to remove the seat out of the truck, and it was late last night and raining, so I just raised the seat on two short pieces of 4x4 wood.

SeatOnBlock1.JPG

The far side of the seat on a block.

SeatOnBlock2.JPG

 

Now would be a good time to remove the shift knob,

ShiftKnobOff.JPG

 

Then remove the transmission cover plate screws, and then the cover plate.

TranCoverPlate.JPG

 

TranCoverPlate2.JPG

 

TranCoverPlate3.JPG

 

That exposes the shift lever pivot pin.

ShiftPivot1.JPG

This is the gap in the shifter with the lever moved right.

ShiftPivot2.JPG

 

ShiftPivot3.JPG

 

In the last picture, the pin clip is open side up, I carefully pushed it around the pin until the opening is down, with a smaller blade screwdriver. Then I used the screrwdriver to carefully pry the clip off the pin. Put the screwdriver blade in the opening of the clip, and twist the screwdriver against the pin, and the clip will come up. I also held my thumb against the clip, so to would not spring off somewhere I could not find it. Even thought the body parts of a 521 are Imperial measurements, the engine and transmission are metric, and it would be hard to find a Metric "E" clip.

ShiftPivotClip.JPG

 

With the clip off the pin, then you can start to push the pin out of the lever.

ShiftPivot5.JPG

 

Here I am using the screwdriver to pry the pin more out of the shift lever. after the screwdriver will not move it any farther, it should come out with your fingers, or maybe a pair of pliers.

ShiftPivotPinRemoval.JPG

 

 

These are the parts I got at Ace Hardware. The flanged bronze bushing has nominal inside diameter of 3/8 of the inch, and an outside diameter for half of an inch. The brass washers are 5/16 inch ID, and 3/4 inch OD.

AceBushingWashers.JPG

 

If you can take the pivot pin with you, the pin will go into the bronze bushing,

PinInBushing.JPG

 

The pin will not go into the brass washers.

PinNotInWashers.JPG

 

I used a tapered reamer to slightly open up the hole in the brass washers.

WasherReam.JPG

 

And tested the brass washers on the pin.

WashersOnPin.JPG

 

Then you need to use a file to remove any burrs from reaming the hole in the washers.

WashersOnFile.JPG

 

Then you need to modify the bushing. This is the hole on the shift lever.

ShifterHole.JPG

 

and this is the bushing diameter.

BushingDiameter.JPG

 

The bushing is to long also, and has a flange on it. i cut the flange off with a 1/32 cutoff wheel in a die grinder,

BushingCut1.JPG

 

and then cut the length of the bushing, so it could be squeezed together.

BushingCut2.JPG

 

Then I used a pair of vice grips to close the gap in the bushing.

BushingClamped1.JPG

 

BushingClamped2.JPG

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Now install the bushing in the lever. I ground a slight taper on the bushing, and started that end of the bushing onto the lever. Then I used a vise to press the modified bushing into the shift lever. This is hard to explain, but you want use some force to push the bushing in the lever, but not so much force as to damage or break the bushing. But it cannot go in too easily or the next few steps will be difficult.

BushingLeverPress.JPG

 

This is just some excess bushing. It will be cut off with the 1/32 cutoff disk.

BushingPressed.JPG

 

I used a punch and a hammer to drive the bushing all the way through the hole in the shift lever.

ExcessBushing.JPG

 

Then I cut the excess bushing off. try not to cut into the shift lever like I did.

ExcessBushingCut.JPG

 

After cutting the bushing, I used a file to smooth both sides of the bushing and the shift lever.

BushingFiled.JPG

 

The slot cut in the bushing, and pressing it into the lever now makes the hole in the lever too small for the pin. I drilled the hole with a 23/64 drill, to provide clearance for the pin. this is why the bushing needs to be kind of tight in the shift lever, so it can be drilled without spinning in the lever hole.

BushingDrilled.JPG

 

Just another view of the drill in the bushing.

BushingDrilled2.JPG

 

This is a close up of a metal drill gauge. It is really handy to have around. why did I choose a 23/64 drill? because that is the smallest holes in the drill gauge the shift lever pin would fit into.

DrillGauge.JPG

 

 

Try to fit the pin in the bushing pressed in the shift lever. When it fits, file the sides of the shift lever again, to remove any burrs. Try the pin again, it still should go in the bushing in the lever.

 

Now the bushed lever can be put back in the transmission. Start the pin into the transmission lever pivot.

PinStart.JPG

 

Put one of the brass washers on the pin.

PinWasher.JPG

 

Put the lever in the transmission with the end of the lever in the shift rod end in the bottom of the hole, and slide the pin into the lever. Then put the second brass washer in the space between the lever and the ear of the transmission pin pivot. Now the fun begins. You have to move the second washer around until it's hole lines up with the pin. I used the edge of a cold chisel to move the brass washer. the second washer need to move forward, and down to line up, in this picture.

PinInLever.JPG

 

I missed a picture, I used this chisel on the brass washer to move the washer around until the hole lined up, just like I am moving the pin clip.

ChiselOnClip.JPG

 

It took a lot of time to get the second brass washer to where it needed to be to line up, but i got it in the correct place, after about 20 minutes.

PinFinished.JPG

 

This is just another picture of using a cold chisel to push the pin clip around.

chiselOnClip2.JPG

 

This is a small rubber boot that goes over the shift lever, and keeps dirt and crud out of the hole the shift lever engages the shift rod in the transmission. I got it from Dick Hanna Nissan Friday March 25, 2018.

SmallLeverBoot.JPG

 

This is that boot on the transmission.

SmallBootOn.JPG

 

I then put the transmission cover plate with the shift boot over the shift lever. No picture of screwing it down, do you really need that?

TransPlateOn.JPG

 

Then I put the knob on the transmission shift lever.

KnobOn.JPG

  • Like 2
Link to comment

23/64 confirmed. A 'T' letter drill is just a C hair larger. I bought one on the way home last night as I plan to modify my 71B shifter this long Canada day weekend. Good stuff Daniel. Is that a dogleg? They take the same pin and shifter as the 71B.

 

 

 

Fe1IoY6.jpg

 

On the A shifter you can try to slip a nut and bolt into the #17 pin location and tighten. This will draw the two ears on the  #37 part closer together and remove slop but this must be free to move easily on the #15 bushing!!! I think I once slipped a thin washer onto the #19 pin to remove slack on my 521 shifter. You might slip some C shaped shims in beside the #33 washers too to remove forward and back motion. You mustn't remove all play. There has to be some for the shifter to turn on.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.