My responses below were copied from similar topics on the rod shifter.
01-16-2002, 10:03 AM:
Funny you should ask. I just replaced the bushings at the transmission end of the linkage yesterday. After driving another MTX SHO that had far fewer miles on it, I realized how loose my shifter linkage really had become.
There are two pivot pins at the forward end of the shift rod that basically function like a universal joint. The rubber portions of both of these pivots had degraded and allowed significant side-to-side shifter slop. I also heard metal-to-metal noises since the rubber was gone from the linkage on the shifter side of the two.
There is a 10mm nut and bolt that holds the linkage to the transmission shift stub (far left in photo). Remove the bolt and its clasps and slide the shifter arm rearward to let the shift rod fall free at the transmission end. I had to grind off the toe end of the rear pivot pin (where the nut is at far right) to remove the pin. With this pin removed the linkage joint could be removed from under the car. This was easier than unbolting the shifter box portion and taking out the entire shifter and its rods. You may choose to do that instead.
There is a rubber (could be replaced with nylon for firmer and more durable use) bushing on each side of the 3/8" diameter pivot pin (at the far right in the photo) to dampen noise. I didn't have the exact bushings, so I used a section of nylon tubing of the correct inside and outside diameters that required it to be firmly pressed into place. I also replaced the 3/8" pin with a 3/8" x 2-1/2" long hex head bolt with a smooth barrel and stainless steel nylon lock nut (at far right in photo) to allow easy removal should this joint require service again. I had to drill (enlarge) the toe end of the outer coupling with a 3/8" drill bit to allow the 3/8" bolt to pass through.
The forward pivot (larger diameter joint in the center of the photo) has a softer rubber bushing that is really more like a short section of rubber hose. It too, had softened considerably. I added two 1/2" ID nylon flat washers (from Home Depot) to each end of the pivot pin to limit the twisting play in this joint. The washers appear as the white shims that fill the gaps at the top and bottom of this joint. I had to cut a 1/4" chamfered channel through the washers to allow them to be pressed onto the joint's shaft since this pivot pin is also riveted in place.
11-05-2003, 07:57 AM:
I had recently serviced that linkage to farther tighten up the play in the transaxle side of that joint. I removed the U-joint from the transaxle stub and the shift rod (now possible due to the threaded bolt at shifter side of the joint). I then pryed open the "clamshell" portion of the coupling and installed some trimmed bicycle tire inner tube to remove much of the play from the existing rubber insert. After a couple of trials, I found the appropriate thickness of rubber to add to snug up the coupling, but still allow the clamshell to attach properly to the transaxle stub. The nylon washers were still doing their job, but now had some help from the less pliable bushing. Shifts felt even firmer after that.
