Shift Bushing Replacement

[Sh0ty]

Today I replaced my shift cable bushings with rollerblade bearings, and WOW. What a difference. I read about this on the MR2 wiki but never got around to it. One thing to note is that the bearings are not supposed to be a half inch ID as listed in the guide. Of course, I didn't know this and ended up tearing 3 pairs of rollerblades apart :P

Best FREE modification ever.

[lucky_charms]

can u do this on the aw11

[Sh0ty]

Yeah, you can. I'm having trouble with the shift bushing that's responsible for the lateral movement of the gear stick (like moving L and R to select 1,2 and 5, R)

Does anyone know how to remove the bellcrank lever? (the upper shift lever, responsible for the lateral movement) I have it unbolted, but it won't come off because the other shift lever is in the way.

[Sh0ty]

Fixed it, the brass bit was just rust welded, seized onto the part, so I wriggled it free from the car and then filed it off.

[madmeatcleaver]

does anyone know where to find the "shift lever bushing"?? I all I'm able to find is the "shift cable bushings"... The round ones.


here is a pic of what I'm looking for
CRW Gallery :: reasons for poor shifting :: worn_shift_lever_bushings

[karl]

i used the rollerblade bearing for several years. my shift cable broke last fall on a drive and after looking at it, i believe the skate bearing was a direct contributor to that failure. it does'nt allow any flex at the transmission, so there's a bending load applied to the cable end, which fatigues over time and breaks.

skate bearings work fine for the select cable because it never changes planes, but the shift cable moves in and out (in addition to back and forth) as the select crank moves it to different gearsets so it moves through 2 different axis. i'd definitely recommend using a spherical on the shift cable. pegasus sells one for $13:
Pegasus - Steering Column Spherical Bearing

the 8x22 is the same dimensions as the rollerblade bearing.

[Benckj]

On the brass bush you can rotate 90 deg and it will be as good as new. If you want better than new get the round roller bearing that Josh can supply. They work better than the brass and will last forever.

CRW Gallery :: reasons for poor shifting

Just be patient as Josh has had a rough patch and may not respond to inquiries promptly. I'm sure he will help you if he can. Read the link as its all self-explanitory on fixing shifting problems.

jimb.

[Sh0ty]

Originally Posted by karl

i used the rollerblade bearing for several years. my shift cable broke last fall on a drive and after looking at it, i believe the skate bearing was a direct contributor to that failure. it does'nt allow any flex at the transmission, so there's a bending load applied to the cable end, which fatigues over time and breaks.

Yeah, I killed my shift cable shortly after replacing the brass bushes. It was cool while it lasted though. Now I'm just using the stock bushing.

[Gairloch]

It is worth noting that these will only make a difference for you if your old shifter bushings are shot and allowing too much movement.

[Benckj]

It is worth noting that these will only make a difference for you if your old shifter bushings are shot and allowing too much movement.

I disagree. The OEM's are brass inserted into rubber which acts like a shock absorber. The roller skate bearings are solid and allow positive engagemnet.

I understand the point about not allowing the shift cables to 'twist' and leading to potential metal fatique but I have not experienced or know of anyone else who has. By far the spherical bearings offer the best solution, OEM included. Combine this with replecemnt square brass bushes and decent synthetic tranny fluid and you will have the ultimate combination.

jimb

[Sh0ty]

I disagree with your disagreement, the point of replacing the shot bushings is to make your shift arm movements the same as your shift lever movements. With the stock bushings, the cushion isn't so much that your shifts are inaccurate like they would be with shot bushings.

[Benckj]

Agreed but the solid type bushes transfer the arm movements better than the stock rubber will. You have enough shock absorption in the cables themselves so having rubber on the level bushes adds more than required. Think of it like double dampning with shock absorbers acting in series.

jimb

[karl]

Originally Posted by Benckj

I understand the point about not allowing the shift cables to 'twist' and leading to potential metal fatique but I have not experienced or know of anyone else who has.

lucky you.

i know of plenty of people who have broken shift cables over the years. i'd be interested to know how many had aftermarket bushings installed. pure speculation, of course.

and it's never the select cable that goes, it's always the shift cable.

i do agree though that the bearings feel better than even new stock rubber bushings. the rubber ones have voids in them to allow for twist. it makes them squishy.

[Benckj]

Off the top of my head I'd say I know at least a dozen cars which have roller skate bearings with not cable failures. Problem is that many owners install the bearings after the bushes are worn and they already have started cable fatigue. This only degrades the cables further and they eventually fail.

By far the spherical bearings solve the problem and are the best solution IMO. Combine this with replacement of the square brass bush and you have a decent system which will out last the car.

jimb