ARG! Working on someones side shifter, replacing old bushings. Or trying to. When I went to back out the conical screw on the forward most coupling knuckle, the damned allen screw rounded out. NOW how do I get the sucker out? An easy out? If I just try to drill it, I do not think I can get in far enough to get the cone portion out. HELP!

I did that once too.

You can try over size, tack something on there. Is there any part of the cone screw sticking out and over that you can get a vice grip on? The screw can get tight on installation if not lined up right.

I ended up drilling out mine and needing a whole new connector rod. I may have one if you want to come by.... not sure about a spare mirror...

Eeesh. I will try to force an oversize allen into it. Maybe some heat too to unstick things.

Probably you know, but careful with the heat, so the bushings don't melt. I have better luck with a 3/8ths drive allen, as I can start the next size up, and hammer it in, and the hammer banging will loosen the threads. If not, drill a little bit thru, and hammer on the smallest easy out to get her out. A lot of fuching around for a simple move, I know!

Make sure you are actually using a metric allen key...

BTDT.

Use a torx bit. Find one that just fits, then grab the next bigger bit. Hammer it in and pull the screw. Works everytime. A little heat is fine, your changing bushings anyway

I like Curt's suggestion. Finally, if other ways fail, you can try and EZ-Out, which is particularly effective if attached to a 20V Impact Driver. The impacts will help loosen it up, the driver itself will give you more leverage to push into the screw and the EZ-Out will dig more and more into what's left of the inside of the cone screw as you bear down on it.

Both excellent tips. Now what is the trick for getting that rod pressed out of the shift shaft? I got it partially pushed out with a combo of sockets and C-clamp, but cannot move it the last few millimeters. Well, about a cm to be exact.

Open your bench vice until the pin can pass, then set the saddle of the joint on top of the vice jaw. Drive out with hammer and drift. Helps to have someone hold the shift rod, but if you're creative you can do it solo.

Power blaster, heat, rinse, repeat three times. Torx bit hammered in, and viola! Out she came.

The rest of the procedure went super smooth, even putting in the firewall bushing.

After all that, it was the smoothest shifting teener I have driven. Also, its the only FI car I have driven. I was surprised in how much power it had. And SMOOTH. Damn, my engine is leaving some HP on the table. Hmmm.

Damn, we love a happy ending.

Yep. Messed with it for hours a few days ago. Much swearing, cutting of hands, and cursing the bastards that designed the thing.

Today, everything just went clicking along. Even guesstimated the front shift rod connection close to perfect.

Funny how some days they fight you. But then you walk away for a bit, come back, and everything just works out.

Man, that's two fixes this week for two different stubborn problems! WTG Team 914world!