shift rod bushings - front & rear

["Meredith Murray" <vwweekender72@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Q #1: In order to replace the "rear" bushing and/or shift
coupler, does one have to remove the tranny?"

on my 72 I had to remove both the engine and the tranny.

 "Bently says
that in order to remove the rear half of the shift rod, must
remove tranny, so, does that mean that the rod has to come
all the way out to replace the rear bushing? "

Yes you have to remove the entire rod from the bus, fun and greasy usually!


"I've got that bushing in hand, a new one, 211-185B,
found in the dusty back room of a parts seller....."

I hope that it is a NOS VW one as the one I bought recently from a supplier
didn't fit AT ALL, NO WAY, NO HOW!!!!


"Replacement of the front bushing seems pretty straight
forward from instructions in Bentley and Haynes, I'm just
having a hard time finding a 211-182 in stock  anywhere -
two weeks wait from Bus Depot, even longer at the favorite
"downtown" store and none in the "dusty back room"."

This is also another item I tried to replace and had NO LUCK getting it to
fit, NO WAY, NO HOW!
I ended up using some better ones I had from a parts bus.

"Q #2: Also, Bentley and Haynes drawings show a "Guide
Sleeve" at the front of the front shift rod, but no parts
listed in Bus Depot and parts house looked at me with a real
blank look when I asked them. Does that wear and are
replacements available???"

Yes, I believe this should be the same on yours as my 72, if you disconnect
the two rods at the coupler you can replace the front bushing easily, this
was a repo and fit fine, again this part if I understand correctly is the
part that goes into the end of the shift rod and slides onto the nub under
the shifter plate.

I think most of my sloppy shifting was from the front shift guide sleeve
being worn out, I would replace that first since it can be done without
removing the engine or tranny! I did get this piece from Bus Depot!

Hope this helps!