jwillman

Took apart my shift lever assembly to replace forward shift cup and rear shift coupling bushings. Surprising that went well. Even got the allen head lock screw out with no drama and installed delrin bushings.

I am struggling with the ****er reinstall. I can't seem to get all the parts installed and the springs compressed enough to get the pin grooves exposed to insert the locking clips.

Whats the trick?

Tom. M

I was able to use one of those curved carpet tack strip tools (stanley) leverage off the edge of the tunnel and push the shifter enough to slip on the clips...pain in the butt...and was much easier to put on a short shifter that doesn't use the springs the next time in there

Others, I have heard, use copper wire to wrap around the springs when they are compressed in a vise...install..and then cut the wire..

tlsmith1999

Jim,
Give Roger a call and get the short shifter it goes in easier, and is a great improvement from rowing the original.

Hilton

Compress the springs and tie with thin copper wire.

Install, then snip the wire and remove

jwillman

Thanks all. I used the wire trick and then a long nosed vice grip to compress the rest of the way to get the clip on. I forgot the outer bushings so will get to do it again!!

As for the short shifter Roger recommended against it for the OB's. Good thing is that going from what I had to where I am now it is like a different car anyway!!

tlsmith1999

Roger has a different (older ??) version of the short shifter that I have on both of my OB's. If I remember correctly his newer kit removes the front ball cup, but the ones I have are pretty much the same as original, but shorter and a different distance between the holes.

Hilton

Yep - I recently bought another of those short shifters from Roger (already had one on my '89).

wag

Get 2 long nosed vice grips and compress the unit / spring enough to put the clips on. I did it in less than 5 min.

Dave928S

Here's a pic of a short shifter. It does away with the bushings and springs, and is not as high as the standard one. Fit a new ball cup at the front and bushings at the rear as well, and you get rid of all the play in the standard setup, and get a shorter throw between gears.

The lizard shifter kit that Roger sells goes a step further and eliminates the front shaft and ball cup.