Heel toe shifter is loose

[Trader]

The heel toe shifter on my 83 is flopping around on the shaft.

 

The hole in the aluminum shifter body has gone oval shape and it makes shifting less "secure" if that's the right word. Feels uncomfortable in that I'm not really sure I AM getting to the desired gear or if the shifter just moved under my foot. (I've rarely missed a shift...but you know what I mean.)

 

Is installing a bushing something I can do myself?

I don't really want to pay for an expensive machinist job!

 

I am assuming I drill out the hole in the aluminum shifter to the outside diameter of a bushing that would fit tight over the shaft.

 

What would stop the hole from wearing out again?

 

Where does someone buy bushings?

[Bob Myers]

If you weren't so far away, I can fix that easy in 30 minutes!

My first thought looking at that is to open the hole up about1mm, press a bushing into that, that I fabricated from oil-lite material(oil impregnated bronze), then via a cnc mill do a circle mill on the shaft to drop the diameter back to round and pit free again, looks like maybe 1mm would would, then ream the pressed bushing for whatever size my shaft ended up being.

 

Drilling the casting with a normal twist drill will result in a larger oval shaped hole, the twist bit will follow the already distorted hole, a multi flute reamer the next larger size will bring it back to round

[Condor]

Like Bob says it's an easy fix doing a re-bush. But Bob's not next door and another machinest might not be as understanding...?? I'd find another stator cover on Ebay, or?? and replace it. Keep it lubed and it shouldn't go oblong on you again....

[reddevilmedic]

ACE sells some bronze bushings. i used them on my brake pedal. i got rid of my heel-toe for that very reason and went back to stock. found parts at pinwall on ebay pretty cheap.

[Venturous Randy]

Like Bob says it's an easy fix doing a re-bush. But Bob's not next door and another machinest might not be as understanding...?? I'd find another stator cover on Ebay, or?? and replace it. Keep it lubed and it shouldn't go oblong on you again....

 

 

Even though the stator cover bushing is probably worn, like most of ours are, I don't think that is what he is trying to address here. He is trying to get some of the slop out of where is heel toe shifter piviots.

RandyA

[lsutley]

If you want to get away "on the cheap" and without major work, the bore can be bushed with UHMW or other self-lubricating plastics. Cut and shape a piece to fit the shape of the distorted bore (the stuff is easily worked by hand). Leave it a little large and press it into the bore. Drill it out to the proper size and it should last for a long time, if there remains a sufficient amount of plastic.

 

An end-mill can be used to plunge cut an accurately sized hole that will accept a bushing made of the oil-lite bronze, that Bob mentioned, or Roulon or other PTFE materials. The plastics can be massaged a little to fit a less than precise pilot bore. A drill press and a sturdy clamping fixture would be a minimum requirement.

 

The re-bushed hole would not need to be located on the exact center of the original as the position of the shifter can vary a little without ill effects. I have used plastic milk jugs, brass shim stock and a variety of other materials, when the need has arisen, with a great deal of success.

[Marcarl]

Might I suggest something back yard:

Clean up the hole, ruff it up a bit with coarse sand paper, and then fill it with JB weld. Give it at least 24 hours cure time. In the mean time, clean up the shaft with fine steel wool and get a measurement on it, so that you can drill new hole into the shifter. Keep it well greased and you should never have to worry about it again. If it does go again, should you ride that scoot that long, then you will have experience in just how to do it.