Rod shifter U-joint
I am pleased to report a kick-ass improvement in my shifter. I drilled out the old double-headed-pseudo-bolt, and noticed that half of the bolt was smaller diameter than the other, so the holes on each side of the bracket were also. I drilled the smaller hole out to match the larger, 3/8", so it would pass a full-sized bolt all the way through. Then, I betook myself to Ye Olde Home Depot for some grade-8 hardware.
Order of pieces follow:
- Grade-8 3/8" x 3" bolt
- 5/16" flat washer
- One side of u-bracket
- Two 3/8" nylon flat washers
- One 9/16" neoprene rubber bushing, jammed inside...
- ... the shifter-arm-to-shift-shaft-assembly
- One 3/8" nylon flat washer
- Other side of u-bracket
- One 3/8" split-ring lock washer
- One 5/16" flat washer
- One 3/8" star-shaped lock washer
- One 3/8" nut
The original idea was to use a pair of 9/16" rubber bushings up against the inside assembly, but the bushing squished its way into the assembly, and I couldn't get a second one in. That's ok, the assembly no longer has free play against the bolt. I used two lock washers because, well, I don't know any better.
Shifting action is now awesome.
Apparently, Jose (of short-shifter fame), also offers a Delrin bushing; I don't know which U-joint this is for: the one here (the outer), or the inner U-joint between the outer and the transmission shift shaft itself.
