85 300D AT linkage bushings
 

I was able to replace the back one by removing the entire floor shifter and pressing the bushing in. Is there a trick to getting the front bushing in or does the Tran. have to be dropped????

Mark

I've done it with a pair of pliers, a socket, the greasy oil film on the oil pan and my two hands... oh and it was raining. It isn't the easiest process but I disconnected the end of the linkage at the transmission. Then I replaced the bushing at the other end and finally the bushing on the transmission end. They are a very tight fit. I lubed the outside by rubbing them on the greasy oil pan. Then I used the pliers and a socket to press them into the hole. The rod will fit into the bushing without a huge effort once the bushings are in the holes.

-Tad

You can soften up the bushing for installation by dropping it into hot water for a couple minutes. And you can remove the bushing carrier from the selector shaft on the transmission to make installation easier--the carrier is held on the shaft by a pinch bolt.

How does the gear selector arm come off the side of the transmission?? I had tried warming up the bushing by sitting it on my drop light bulb for a minute. That didn't get me very far.

Mark

Take a close look at the mechanism and you will see. The piece that holds the bushing at the transmission end is a flat steel plate that is mounted on the gear selector shaft that goes into the transmission. The flat carrier piece has a bolt near the selector shaft that pinches it fast in place. Loosen that bolt and you can work the carrier off the shaft. It's not the most pleasant job in the world but certainly easier than pulling the transmission. :)

Once you have the carrier off, you can have it at the ready near your kitchen range as you're boiling water to soften the shifter bushing. Drop the bushing in the near-boiling water and fish it out after a few minutes -- you should find it will be quite pliable at that point.

That sounds great! I must have missed it. I was working on it after dark last night. I probably won't get to try this out until next weekend. Thank you!

Mark

Has anyone ever tried using a small piece of fuel line in place of the bushing? I heard that suggested somewhere on here and I'm going to try that the next time I have my car up on ramps, probably in a couple of weeks when its due for an oil change.

The bushings are $0.80 from Performance products, the dealer or Fastlane. They last 150k miles or more. It seems like an easy fix in my mind.

-Tad

That's what I thought but getting those dang bushings in there with the shifter in place is a real PITA.

Try this. Get a 1/4 in bolt maybe 2 1/2 in to 3 in long. Put on a flat washer. Put on the new bushing (put a little grease on the bushing). Put bolt through the shifter arm (at shift lever or at the trans). Then a 3/8 drive short socket just large enough that the bushing can fit down inside (square drive side out), another flat washer and then a nut. Get everything lined up and tighten the nut. The bushing will be pressed into the arm. I have done this many times and it works every time.

Hmmmm!
 

that makes perfect sense. I just may have to try that. Thanks for the tip.

Mark