Fitting brass selector bushes

[DomP182]

Nice day so I thought I'd perform the simple task of fitting the brass bushes from @plees . The heatshield pretty much fell apart so that but was easy but getting the selector to pass through the brass bushes is another thing all together. It simply will not go thorough nor can I get the bushes back out of the gear lever. Any ideas other than cat off and gearstick out?

 

[DomP182]

Ten minute job just became most of a day!

 

[plees]

Sorry to hear your having issues @DomP182.

Have I read it right that’s it’s only one of the bushes that your struggling with?
The bushes should be a good fit Into the bottom of the shifter, so not easily able to get them to push out as this would be another point that play in the assembly could be coming from.
Could you PM me over some pics and il do my best to help. Cheers

 

[DomP182]

There you go mate, stuck at that point. It will pull out but won't pass through and can't get the bushes out.

 

[Adey.]

emery cloth and lube the part that pushes in if there are no obvious bruises on the brass bushings?

 

[DomP182]

I'm at the point of no return really, got it on but the gearstick is pretty much immovable.

 

[DomP182]

Right I've given it some s**t and it's begun to free up a but, hopefully it will get better with some miles on it but hell it's tighter than a Herefordian

 

[RichValver]

I fitted these to my mk1, other than one of the old bushes being a bit of a s**t to come out the brass bushes fitted lovely. Looks like there is some paint on the selector where it inserts into the bush? May be worth cleaning that up with a bit of emery cloth as mentioned

 

[DomP182]

I fitted these to my mk1, other than one of the old bushes being a bit of a s**t to come out the brass bushes fitted lovely. Looks like there is some paint on the selector where it inserts into the bush? May be worth cleaning that up with a bit of emery cloth as mentioned

The problem I have now is that I've got it on but can't separate the two, my fault losing my temper with it, it slipped through the first bush fine.

It's far too tight for use though so I'm going to have to do something to separate them.

 

[plees]

I know that they can take a few miles to loosen up a touch. But as @RichValver mentioned. It does look like there’s a coating of paint on the pivot pin that goes through the centre of the bushes.
If using it doesn’t free it up. You should be able to prize the pin out using a set of grips or similar, on the back of the bush and on the front of the pin where the thread is if that makes sense.

 

[DomP182]

It's far too tight to even select a gear without a lot of force. I can't get the pivot out for love nor money.

 

[DomP182]

I can only see cutting the selector off to get the gear lever out as being an option now. God I'm growing to hate this car.

 

[DomP182]

Strop over! I decided I had nothing to lose in hitting it with a Mapp torch and grease to see if I could loosen it up, seems to have done the trick! Still a bit tight but I think a few hundred miles will get it to a nice point.

Apologies for throwing my dummy out of the pram.

 

[JamesBryan]

@Louis had the same problem iirc

 

[DomP182]

@Louis had the same problem iirc

I feel for him, it's taken a ridiculous amount of time and made me hate the little red shite!

 

[Louis]

Yep mine did this. What a c**t that was.

Ended up chopping the linkage off I was under it for about 3 hours smashing it with hammer and heat.

 

[DomP182]

However, I bet Louis didn't force the bloody things in creating more grief like I did.

 

[DomP182]

Oh! So you did then

 

[Louis]

Yeah they need testing prior to fitment. Ssnd the ID and the flats aswell.

 

[plees]

Glad your semi sorted @DomP182 !

 

[DomP182]

Glad your semi sorted @DomP182 !

Cheers mate, it was my fault not the bushes, I should have popped then out before I decided to go hell for leather with a bolt and two washers to press them in.

 

[DomP182]

What is the purpose of this bit that fell off the lower part of the gearstick? Looks to just cushion the linkage from touching the sides.

 

[Louis]

What is the purpose of this bit that fell off the lower part of the gearstick? Looks to just cushion the linkage from touching the sides.View attachment 1553293

Holds the rubber gaitor in place at the bottom. Not needed

 

[Bankrupt_drunk]

I had Alex at AW motorworks fit the brass bushes last time the 172 was in for major surgery. Reading this I'm really glad I didn't try to do it myself.
Even so it took a good couple of hundred miles for the bushes to free up nicely.