I'm slowly piecing back together my car. The shell is from a 74, but I'm using 75 parts for reassembly. The problem I'm having is the shift rod isn't aligned quite right. The 74 tub already had an existing front half of the shifting shaft in the center tunnel. I decided weeks ago to leave it in, and reuse it. I installed the rear (75) shifter half yesterday and I couldn't get the bar to fit inside the ball fork assembly, unless I took out that plastic bushing. Even with it somewhat installed, it seemed to have a high angle of attack entering the fork assembly. The bar was also rubbing against the CV hub axle.
I assumed that this was only possible due to me interchanging different year shafts, being the front half is from a 74 and the rear is from a 75. So today I dropped the engine, pulled out the front half of the shifter rod and replaced it with my 75 rod. So now the whole rod, front and back, is from the same year (75). After reassembling all of this, I get the same result. The end part of the rod entering the fork assembly is at some weird angle, the rear shaft is brushing against the CV hub, and I’m at a loss here. All the set screws are correctly aligned, and I’m pretty sure it’s not operator error on my end. When I install the rear bushing, (the one on the fork assembly) the whole shaft has little to no movement. The firewall bushing is new, and from what I can tell, everything from the engine firewall to the front of the car is fine. It’s just the rear half seems wrong.
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One of these pics shows the rear shift rod having interference with my CV axel. Sorry for the poor quality pictures. I would love to see some pictures of a properly aligned rear half shift rod.

You need new bushings. Available in plastic and brass(better). Very cheap!

That rear rod is at the wrong orientation. The bend in it should go out to the side, not upwards. Unhook the front of the front rod from the shifter, and twist the whole thing around. It should all go together without interference.

Then you can put the front shift rod into the coupler under the shifter.

--DD

The rod looks like it's bend way too much. Almost looks like someone dropped the whole assembly onto something and bend the rod upward.

I really want to believe that this is orientated wrong, but the set screws are set into the pre drilled hole on the shaft. I checked the hole on the tunnel shift rod,(near the firewall) and it's just one hole. It's not completely drilled thru, so I don't have 2 options of aligning the rear bar. If I turn the bar 90 degrees to the side, then rear set screw,"the one in the fork assembly" won't line up. I'll double check this tomorrow. Dave if your right, I seriously owe you a case of beer!
However, I have my doubts, I have played around with different orientations for many hours today. I think Andy is right, maybe someone in the past 15 years, used this rear shift rod as a fulcrum for something. These pieces have been sitting idle in the corner of my garage for a decade.

Buy new bushings and then bend the rod straight. Need both! Once the bushing is in the tranny hole, bend the rod so it doesn't deflect up/down/right/left when shifting. Only at the end at the tranny. The rod will have a bend in it to clear the engine. Once you get it as close to correct as possible, attach back to the tranny and adjust your shift pattern.

Looks like the rod is bent to me. I'm not sure I'd try bending it back straight and re-installing either. If you have the means, find one local and pick it up for a few bucks, or post a WTB in the classifieds. Because once those pieces are in place, you're going to want to adjust the shifter inside the cabin so that you're able to select all your gears. Some people think getting your gear pattern sorted out is a chore. If you're one of those people, wait till you try it with a bar that you tried to bend back into place!

-Rob

I agree to bent rod if the screws line up correctly.

That rod is so bent

Here are a couple of pics to compare to. Mine is a 74, with a rear 75 shift rod.

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This is a 74 rear rod out of the car

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Hope this helps, yours does look bent.

Jeff

I only had to see the first pic to know that rod is severly bent. I doubt that you will ever get it the way its susposed to be with out a good one to use as a pattern.

Thanks Jeff for the reference pictures. After comparing pics, my bar looks like somone had used it to pry open my mother-in-law's tight ass!