Shift lever feels sloppy
 

the shift lever on my 1987 300E is starting to feel sloppy . the transmission is automatic . were amd how difficult a job is it for me to replace this bushing ? were is it, on top or below the car and is this job listed in the Work shop manual under drive train?

Thank You
Bob Geco

Bob, look under DIY Articles on this forum ... there is a detailed description of how to replace the shifter bushings on W124 cars.

I need to replace the (non-existant) shifter bushings on my 300SE. Really sloppy.

http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/W124ShiftBushings...for the lazy

I think that's shift rod bushings. There are bushing at both ends of the rod that goes between the bottom end of the shift lever and the bellcrank on the transmission. Lots of room to work in a W126 or W140. I hear it's a bit of a challenge on the "smaller" cars.

Sixto

OK, so I tore my car apart and got the shifter out along with the rod. Last night in my auto brake class I replaced the bushings. I drove the Crown Vic to class and then work since the MB cannot be driven right now, no shifter.

The rod was rusty so a few mins at the wire wheel and it was all clean, now for some paint. The trans crank was dirty so a few more mins at the wire wheel and it was much cleaner. I pressed the bushings in with the arbor press in the shop.

Next, I'll paint the under body bits and replace everything, after I clean out all the french fries and cookie crumbs from under the center console. The console carpet has some coffee stains and I'll clean them up too.

I also need a new internal shifter rubber boot and I'm going to get a new shift knob.

BTW, I'm not going to replace any of the internal plastic bushings in the shift mechanism because there are far too many springs and clips in there and it could turn into a disaster.

I'll post some after pics in a while.

Here are some pics I just took:

This shows the shifter mechanism and the rod to the transmission

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...e/IMG_3705.jpg

This pic shows the crank at the trans:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...e/IMG_3706.jpg

Hmmm, new bushings:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...e/IMG_3707.jpg

Oh my! I have my work cut out for me!

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...e/IMG_3709.jpg

I'm going to paint the rod black for rust protection. The shifter boot, inside the mechanism, has some holes. It would be nice to get a new knob too.

Thats a very thorough job. I managed to squish the shifter-end bushing in while under the car using pliers, a box-end wrench and plenty of silicone lube. Its one of the nice cheap improvements you can make.