here lately I haven't had much time (in a stretch) to work on my car... an hour here, 2 hours there... but the bad thing is this... I don't feel like I'm getting JACK SHIT done!

I fight with my tranny linkage every time I go over there, and I still can't get the 2 bars to connect... they will connect about 1/2 of the way, and then nothing... I've tried everything I know to try, took the shifter off, took the firewall bushing out... put the shifter back on and used it for leverage(to try pushing the rod into the coupler instead of putting the coupler into the rod... what's the trick?

I get tired of messing with that, so I go to electrical issues... lord knows I have a few... I figure out 1 or 2 and then something else breaks, this time the starter button I rigged to go around the relay board(which I suspect being the issue behind the key ignition not starting the car..) stopped working, and I haven't even jacked with it...


and when ISN'T taking the dash off a PITA?!

sorry if I'm whining, I just have to vent... this is my first project car, and my patience for the learning curve is worn down a bit... I love this little car, but DAMN!!! I think I'll have a few beers and take a break from the heat...

I feel your pain

Just came in to do the same...

If you figure anything out with the shift rod fiasco, post it because I'll be 'jacking' with the same thing as soon as Pelican's parts arrive.

I could not empathize more!!!

My car has been on jackstands for a little over 3 years now. The ONE stopping point? The F'ing tranny. I've gotten taken for a ride with two trannys so far. (OT rant - NEVER EVER EVER BUY ANYTHING FROM MOTOR MEISTER. NEVER EVER. Those guys are the biggest crooks in the business)

I took my last one to Brad up at HPH and he gently lets me know that it will be a cool $2500 to make the tranny work. I trust Brad I don't think he's taking me for a ride but that was my breaking point. I really wanted to get this car on the road but I seriously think I'm going to have to sell it and move on.

It sounds like you are way closer. So stick with it. Whatever it is it doesn't sound to expensive to fix.

Step one:
Step two:
Step three: turn on some tunes
Step four: lie on your back under the car and just stare at the situation for a while. Don't even pick up a tool.
Step five: make a plan and
Step six: start slow and go back to step one when things stop working.

Sometimes, the only way I've been able to get the front and rear shift rods to go together is to pull the front one as far aft as it will go without disconnecting it from the gear shift lever. Then take a BIG pair of vise-grips and grab the rod, between where it rides on the bushing and where the coupler slides on. There should be enough room there for you to get a grip.

Then I grab the coupler and the vise grips and push the rod and coupler together. It often takes a lot of twisting and wiggling, but so far I've been able to get it to go. That's worked on about four different 914s so far.

Except for the spare coupler I bought a couple of years ago... For some reason it doesn't seem to want to go.

--DD

I think you are onto something Dave... I've been using vise grips to hold the front rod stationary, near the firewall... while I twist and push with the coupler... I think I'll try to reverse my strategy... thanks!!

the beers and burgers, along with the encouragement from you guys last night helped put me in a better mood, ready to tackle it all again...

Dave's method worked for me in the past. I struggled with it for some time before grabbing the visegrips to hold in place.

I guess an alternative would be to have a helper hold the shifter while mounting the coupler, but how often is a helper available?

Mike