its not needed in the sense that the car is drivable without it, sure. Even the spring isn't needed by that criteria.

Im thinking this thing blew out the first time I put this car in reverse 15k ago when this car was converted to 4-speed, reverse lockout has always had to be manually undone, and shifting has always been clunky. The spring hasn't been in there all that time.

In the sense of making shifting smooth and easy, its definitely required though. The spool that the shifter works off of is supported on one side by this bushing, without it, it can clunk around, and some of your shifting energy goes towards that play, not towards shifting gears.

I pulled the less destroyed, but still damaged hat bushing out of the end of the 115 shifter assembly, and put it into the 123 shifter to support the end of the spool or rod. To keep the spring in place without popping out this new 2nd torn bushing, I made this little plate to hole it in place. That sucker isn't going anywhere now, no matter how destroyed it is.

Shifts like a dream now, might as well be new for the amount of difference over previously. If you have that bushing and its missing, id install it personally.

plate-




installed with the other brackets-

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