Installed Weltmeister Shift Lockout Kit, My experiences installing the kit... Options

[olav]

Hi All.

I just thought I would share this experience with everyone.

I was experiencing the problem of frequently touching reverse when I shifted from either 1st to 2nd or from 3rd to 2nd. It was very annoying especially when I was doing a quick down shift and sometimes would hit reverse hard evern though I thought I was being careful.

I read on one of the forums that Weltmeister sells a kit, the Shift Lockout Kit, will help fix the problem so I decided to give it a shot.

Well, I got the kit that consists of a drill bit (specially designed to cut through the very hard metal that makes up the reverse lock-out plate), two springs, to shafts for the springs, and some instructions.


What the kit does is add two more springs to the two existing spring in the shift assembly.

At first I didn't realize that I had to drill holes in my shifter assembly but I quickly got over that and following the intructions started marking off 1/2" inside from the existing spring locations on all four locations.

I then set up my drill and proceeded to drill the holes. The first hole went well only having to penetrate the stamped metal of the shifter housing, the second hole I made it through the housing and thanks to the special drill bit supplied cut through the harded metal.

I decided to stop there and install the spring and shaft into the newly created holes. This was a problem. The instructions say "press the spring on the shaft...it's going to be hard..."

It was hard. So hard in fact it was impossible. Was I discouraged? Read on.

I had to build a special spring compressor tool to get the job done. I went to the local hardware store with my spring and sourced out a bolt that would fit down the center of the spring.

I then go a nut that would fit on the end of the bolt with a washer.

I cut off the end to the bold so all that was left was a threaded shaft.

I bought a bunch of e-clamps to fit over the bolts threads.

The spring compressor works like so:

I put the bolt through the hole I just drilled, put the nut /washer on the end outside the shifter harness/plate.
I then put the spring over the bolt then pushed an e-clamp onto the bolt through the spring at the very end. The e-clamp secures the spring to the bolt.

I then started to tighten up the nut at the other end which compressed the spring. I had to make sure that the bolt didn't rotate other wise the e-clamp would screw itself off.

After some tightening the spring compressed enought to fit into the space between the two holes. Now I took a pair of pliers and removed the e-clamp (make sure the spring lines up with the holes ).

At this point I carefully slide in the shaft that came with the kit and at-the-same-time removed the bolt . This has to be done at the same time otherwise the spring will buckle and snap out causing one to start the whole process again.

So, after that I got one spring in it started to drill the other two remaining holes to put the spring in. To my suprise the drill bit that came with the kit had broken. The special cutting edge that was bonded to the rest of the drill bit had snapped off and was useless.

I didn't think this was a big deal and went to get another drill bit, a carbon super duper cutter. Well it cut through the normal metal but not the hardened steel. I was pissed!!

I couldn't do anything at the time to get the rest of the kit installed so I put my car together with half the kit in and tried it out.

What a difference it makes!! I highly recommend this kit. Even with half the kit in I don't touch reverse at all and my shifts are way better. I was skeptical at first but the trouble is worth it.

BTW. I phone the kit supplier and they sent a replacement bit and I installed the second spring.

It's great. No more vague shifts at all.

I just thought I would share my experience and help out anyone if they were planning to do this very cool and cannot-be-without addition to the 914 shifter.

Tools neeeded: Electric drill, pliers, stuff to disassemble the shifting parts.

Regards.
Olav