Has anyone here who has swapped in more solid shift link bushings care to share the results?

These are to replace plastic bushings on the square bar link that connects the shifter at the lower end and the transmission. They look like they would tighten up both forward and aft movements as well as selecting which rail by the twisting incurred as the driver moves the shift **** left to right?

I'm thinking of something like the AMP TR3650 Bronze Remote Shifter Bushing Kit, but it took some looking to find them. I ask here because these transmissions were used in both V-6 and V-8 models with 5 speed manuals. I don't have a problem, but it looks interesting, would for sure reduce wasted motion I think, especially twisting motion as you change from 2nd-3rd or 4th-5th.

 

I found some pics after much searching, I don't know if it was my choice of search terms or just that these are a well kept secret, but got a set coming now. Just ordered the AMP 5-pc bronze bushing kit for the link bar myself, they look to be just what the doctor ordered as they will snug up the real connection between the shift handle and the shift rod at the transmission, transferring both for & aft movement as well as twisting motion in selecting the 1-2, 3-4, and 5-R internal shift rails. I already have the Hurst C+ Billet shifter I put in in '13 with a lever extension I made to raise the ball (still only 2.5" 3rd to 4th and no hitting console with funny bone), and the McLeod SS braided clutch line (no expansion) and a Bondurant pedal extension (clutch pedal should be higher than brake as it requires such a long stroke) . I think the bushings look to be the topping on the cake.

If the OEM link bushings wear and allow slop, even the finest shifter can't transfer driver input to the transmission effectively with no lost motion Buying a aftermarket shifter gets one shorter throws, but there's still the lost motion as to that twist that goes on at the "gate" like from rail to rail from 2 to 3 or 4 to 5. None of the aftermarket shifters address that, they all have one reuse OEM bushings. They often include polyurethane bushings for mounting, but you could weld the shifter support arm to the transmission and still loose the motion due to sloppy or soft link bushings. The bushings they do include just stiffen up mount bushings that have to allow for the engine/transmission twisting in relation to the car body.



I found it on Amazon, not the picture, but the kit.

 

"We will watch this thread's career with great interest." - Senator Sheev Palpatine.

 

Well, last night I stumbled upon a thread (I was searching to look at the Blowfish thing) on another site where one fellow mentioned putting these bushings in his well over a year ago and he seemed very pleased too, said he would skip the Blowfish brace then, and so I am looking forwards to trying them. I like the idea of the brace, I remember Chevrolet using Muncie shifters on the Muncie 4 speeds in the '60s, it to was body mounted. Those Hurst Competition Plus Shifters and the "Super Shifter" later, even "Indy Shifters" were tail shaft extension mounted and way better. Mopar , Ford, Pontiac, Olds, even Buick used Hurst for the most part, though some cars including earlier Mustangs used their own deal or a B-W.

Edit 01-19-2021: The 5 bushings came in a sealed bag in a sealed shipping bag. Get some warmer outside, I'll aim to get them in place and update with operational impressions in a new post.

 

A video I found on another site, freely posted. Looking at it, the rubber you see is like a dust or dirt cover for the factory plastic bushings, I think one uses them on the bronze ones too. Mine haven't arrived yet.


Edit 01-19-2021: The 5 bushings came in a sealed bag in a sealed shipping bag. Get some warmer outside, I'll aim to get them in place and update with operational impressions in a new post.

 

Link? Can't find it on Amazon.

 

I found it, I think...

 

That's it. Took me to it and it told me I already purchased it. It's been cold and between snows and rain, just have not gotten around to dragging the Mustang out from cover to jack and install mine yet.
I did measure mine though. Made sure two of one, two of the other, and just one of the third with the hole through it that goes on ball end of shift rod extension from transmission. The five were in a sealed clear plastic bag inside the Amazon padded shipping bag.

 

The review mentions a frozen bolt?

Do you think this would help the MGW shifter be more precise? It's GREAT, BTW. Love the MGW shifter, it made a world of difference.

Not sure about the mounting bracket though, I have a Shaftmasters AL 1 piece driveshaft, clearances are already very tight as it is.

 

That could happen where the reviewer was writing about, I'd use Kroil or Deep-Creep or something like that on it. His issue was the highest bolt up on to of the shifter shaft that exits the transmission case ... that has a pin going downwards I think. I don't think I'd use a punch and hammer if I could help it unless I was just using light taps. I think it would help about any of the shifters as it uses non-compressible bushing materials. I might buy a new bolt that has that pin end on it before hand ... just to have on hand. He did say it helped a lot with his Barton shifter.

 

Still looking for that bolt.

 

Ok my mechanic couldn't get ahold of any. I messaged Tremec to see if they could help. But this is the part it goes into.




this is also the schematic that we found on their computer. Notice the part number ugh. I also stopped at a local transmission shop and that's why I took mine off so I could stop buy tomorrow after work to see if they have one. They think it is called a shoulder bolt. That's what the part is called that the bolt goes into

 

Ok turns out nobody knows or has this bolt/pin. So what I did was took the shoulder off the shifter took that to the transmission shop and then we figured the closest thread was a M-8-100. My threads on the shoulder were a little boogered up so we tapped it with that thread, then after scouring the county to find a bolt we put it in the lathe and got it to the correct size. The bolt we used was a M-8-100-40. I just put it in and it works great. Also the bolt turned red after all the thread locker I put on it lol. That sucker is not going anywhere hopefully. The attached photos are the bolt that we used and the one we machined down.

oh yeah Tremec answered back and said they have no clue. That it was a Ford part to contact the local Ford dealer. That went well when I took them the shoulder and they looked at me and said nah that's not off a ford, can't be, yeah it's one of those 2 star places.

 

I was expecting as much, but just seeing what y'all made from a M-8-100-40 helps a lot.

Thank you Sir!

 

No problem, wish I could remember the measurements for ya. He sort of went off into his own world there.

 

Just an update, after I put the bolt in and tightened it down pretty snug my shift is not sloppy anymore. I dont know how it happened. Could be the bolt or the felt I put in the bottom of the shoulder. There was a piece of sponge or felt in it already where the ball/shift rod goes into the shoulder but the original one fell apart ( more like disintegrated ) when I went to pull it out to clean up the shoulder. Any who just thought that might help someone in some way.

 

Your machinist might have restored some diameter in the pin that was maybe worn away? Thank you.

 

That is what I was thinking. It had some slop in it when it was in gear, still has a little like it should but so much better.

 

I was looking at where I had measured these bushings, the holes through the single bushing that goes there on that ball piece is 0.2575", so just a smidgeon over 1/4". .... 6.5404mm. In our case, I don't hammer or pull wide open shifts like I did in my young'n'hood days ... wear is my concern. A pin of 1/4" diameter should handle all the pressure I'm likely to exert on it, I just want smoothness with precision.

I like the placement and ball height and throw as I currently have it. Maybe I'm chasing something that doesn't exist, "seamless smooth movement between the gear positions".

Edit 06-24-2021: ... Yesterday while I was changing oil, etc ... I crawled under the shift area with big adjustable wrench and good light to manipulate the shifter from the ground (the parts all have flat on them, so the big adjustable works well) and at 34,6xx miles, OEM bushings are all still tight and no play at that shift shaft connection either, so I'll wait on awhile before putting the new bushings in for now, I couldn't help but notice the internal detents are pretty strong, I think that's the source of my displeasure. Shifting from like 3rd to 4th, there are two detents to pass through that were not there in my youth, one is to get out of third, then there is neutral, but it just drops into the next one at fourth.

 

Once I click the link it brings me to Amazon but won’t let me buy it. did amp discontinue the bushing set?