I had a chance to drive my teener about 150 miles over this holiday weekend. What I noticed was as time went on, finding second gear kept getting harder and harder to do.
I tried to be as gentle and careful as possible but I would either grind as if hitting reverse, or I was going into fourth gear. I put it back up on jack stands yesterday and tried a few things that I read about from other members. I did the test where you jack up the transmission and if it will move before the rest of the car then perhaps the mounts are bad…..

Well, mine moved up about ¼ inch, so I tried to tighten the mounting bolts….that just put rust into my eyes (despite safety glasses). Is that test really valid? It appears that the way the rubber mounts are made there is a stop or something that creates a bit of give in the suspension of the transmission am I correct in assuming this is OK? Or do I need new mounts? Can anyone give me an answer?

Well I decided to worry about the mounts after getting a response from you all, and then with my good eye (the one without rust in it) I went to look at my linkage. The back end looked solid, the cone set screw and the 2 pounds of Loctite I had put on it were still there nice and snug ! I undid all the nice interior work I did to get to the access ports and fiddle farted with the linkage. I then recalled finding washers under one of the two bolt holes that hold the front end of the shifter in place when I originally worked in this area a year ago. I thought if one washer was there before I bet two would be better. I did that and Presto I think I got it! Notice I said THINK…….I drained the transmission oil and will put it all together tonight. I have my fingers crossed, and wait for your replies regarding the mounts (also where is the best place to buy then if I need them).

PS ..While driving this weekend it was such a thrill occasionally seeing the looks on people trying to figure out what kind of car I was driving. Unfortunately I did not get any “Come-on” looks from any 19 year old Nymphomaniacs…A guy can dream can’t he.

PPS
Is there any one that lives near Xenia Ohio that has a yellow 914? On Saturday May 29th I was driving down a road and saw a yellow one turn onto the road and head the opposite way. I waved and tooted my horn and blinked my light (only one headlight came up when I pulled the switch), the fellow waved back, but I wish I could have talked to him and find out more about his car and bragged about mine. Oh well, if anyone knows him or if he is reading this post, I am Al of Dayton with a black 1975 baby.

Sounds like one of the couplers on your linkage is loose.

So both cone screws are tight? and you don't have ANY slack in the bushings. Should shift pretty good. One thing to check is that the rod in the tunnel is clamped down tight to the gear shift selector. if the rod rotated even one spline tooth you will either be nicking reverse or wandering over to 4th.

Happened to me in the -6. I replaced all the shift linkage bushings and it was the finest shifting 901 I've ever experienced.

Plus, that afternoon a 19 year-old nympho literally jumped into the passengers seat and mauled me in a nearby parking lot. It was a good day.

(check your bushings)

Hey Eric, took the car on a long top-off drive to the coast last week. For some reason the 19 year-olds left me alone. But I had a sixty-something bend my ear for 15 minutes about the 914 she had back when! Maybe I should have exposed my bushings.

Last Autocross I gave a ride to this hot little jail bait girlfriend of a fellow ricer racer.
She squealed the whole way through the course. Either I was going prety fast or the sub belt was working on sumpin.
But she had a smile and just ran over to her boy friend proclaiming my car is WAY faster than his.
Nothing to do with shifting but just felt the need to share.
Bushings should not allow slop of any kind. PERIOD

Definately the shift rod coupler bushing near the firewall. Its doable, and pretty cheap too, but NOT FUN! Gotta use a really big vice to push out the shift rod coupling after you take the whole assy out, and the #$^^$ rubber cover is hell to bet back on, but it'll take out the slop. The tranny mount replacement mostly stops shift lever movement as the engine moves around.

QUOTE

Maybe I should have exposed my bushings

Yup... at that point you usually get two options. They either stay and play or run away.

Got a big job. I want my car back!

In Bend?

No... it was a toss up but SLC won out. I'll probably kick myself in 10 years, thinking what a couple of acres along the Deschutes would be worth by then but...

I'll be here getting a paycheck from Medford. Back in the multi-million dollar income category.

Ship the car to:

Eric Shea
10883 Pleasant Hill Drive
Sandy, UT 84092

Let me know what I owe you for storage and the engine work