In converting from tail to side shifter I have made it all the way up to the shift rods.

I can't get the shift rod bushing into the body of the car. It is much thicker then the stock one. The engine is in the car currently.

Do you mean the bushing at the firewall? I just did this and it took an entire 30 seconds (to push it in)!

1st...I'll assume you have the shift rod from the gear shift lever to the firewall pushed into the tunnel so you are not trying to squeeze the bushing on with the shift rod through the hole

2nd...boil the bushing briefly...softens it up some

3rd...go push it in with your fingers!

With it hard and cold...a bear to get in!

Jim

and you have the "conversion" bushing, correct?

Andy

Yes. The stock one is easy to get in and out.

Try putting it in Boiling water for a couple of minutes.
Take some liquide dish soap and put it on the hole in the body then put the bushing in the body and push it in while its hot.it should slip right in.

I just tried boiling it for 2 minutes then 5. It just laughed at me. I tried pushing it in straight and at an angle.

Hmmm, do I really need it, LOL.

I'll try the soap and the boiling. Be right back, LOL.

Closer. But I just can't get it to pop in. Hmmm.

The side shift and tail shift bushings are different.. BUT, you can't just swap over the side shift firewall bushing because the firewall is different. There is a special bushing made specifically for installing a side shift trans in a tail shift car. That is what Andy was talking about.. make darn sure you have the right bushing or you'll have to boil the whole car to get it in

Thats the problem. The stock bushing is easy. The conversion bushing is a @#$%.

Success!!!!!

I made a tool to pull the bushing into the car from the inside.

The tool is pretty simple but there are a couple of tricks if anyone is interested.

Thanks for all the input and help.

The pictures were taken after I got the bushing in of course.

amen..success with ingenuity!.....good job!

way to go

shifting like it was meant to be is within sight

enjoy