I collected parts for 3 years for my conversion and finally completed it this week. Now the shifter is super stiff to move anywhere. Here's a little background info:

I installed a side shift transmission and of course converted, shifter, linkage etc. New bushing back at the transmission and a Tangerine bushing at the firewall,(Thanks Chris!) I have only backed it out of the garage, turned it around and backed it back in so I haven't had it on the road to row through the gears. What concerns me is I've had issues before finding gears,(one of the reasons I converted, but not the only one), but now it is very stiff even moving side to side in what is neutral.

You know how you can grab your shifter and "wiggle" it side to side without moving it forward or back to select a gear? even moving it there is stiff. It's like something is binding?

A little more info. I installed a new complete clutch kit with new flywheel about 1000 miles ago. New clutch cable with the side shift conversion and I also inspected clutch tube in tunnel to be sure it was OK but I know that won't cause shift linkage binding. Pedal assembly is freshly rebuilt as well. I'm just trying to give as much clutch/transmission/shifter info as I can!

Any ideas? I've waited four years for first gear and haven't driven the car in 2 years now. While it was down I also installed the stereo, ATS classics with new Michelins, fuel pump conversion and few more things. As you can imagine I'm itchy to try it all out!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Some guys get some interference from a bolt in the shift tunnel. Open the hatch between the seats and make sure there is no binding on the rod.

If you don't see any problem from above, I would remove the linkage from the transmission console. If you still have binding, you will know it's in the linkage, if no binding, you know its probably in the trans.

In my case, the driver side seat bolt was too long.

Also, your clutch cable may need to be tightened.

What those guys said ............. Pull out the right drivers side seat belt bolt.
Happened on Matt's conversion.

Rich needs to sell a shorter bolt with his conversion kit. LOL.

Yes and no ,the trans may shift @ the console but it pays to make measurements to make sure it's actually traveling the required amount to correctly engage the gears,thats how I worked out mine was buggered .
I have all the improvements possible in the shifting setup but @ the end of the day if the trans is poo no end of work will fix that,sad but true.

THANK You for all the responses! I love 914world! I haven't gone back to look as I just got back from being called into work on overtime but I appreciate how everybody responded so quickly. I'm going to look at it tomorrow and I'll update the thread.

Thanks again, "the world" rocks,.......AGAIN!

@porschetub

I got the trans from a friend who's sons car was wrecked. The trans worked flawlessly before the crash and the crash wasn't severe enough to wreck the trans. I super appreciate all the responses. Keep 'em coming, please.

So another update and plea for opinions.I checked the seatbelt bolt and NO issue there. I had a roll pin in my shifter coupling that I had to remove to replace coupler bushings. I got the roll pin out and replaced the shifter bushings at the coupler. The holes in the coupler are slightly ovaled but the bushings went in OK and don't have any play.I had our machinist at work shave the front of the coupler to ensure I had enough room for forward and aft movement with the tangerine conversion bushing installed.

I went to replace the bushing at the shift console and the hole in the console is enlarged so the new bushing, (914rubber), "floats" in the hole, it is installed in. I now have reverse, First (finally,.....thank you Jesus), second, third, and fifth gears. I have another shift console that I "rebuilt", new seal cleaned shaft etc. It still has the old shift bushing from my core transmission but seems tight so I'll transfer the new one I got from Mark.

I've been working hard to get any slop out of the shift linkage that I can. Might the shift console bushing cause me to not get fourth gear? I adjusted the shifter via the shifter-right armrest bungee method. Is it potentially a little more adjustment needed? I'm so over this issue. I've waited for shift improvements for 4 years now! If I don't get through this soon it'll be listed in the classifieds in the "rolled off a cliff and burned" section.

Any help,as always, is appreciated.

The "wiggle". Did you put a long bolt in the rear of the shifter assembly?

You can JB weld the bushing into the console so it stops moving around.
That may be enough to get 4th gear. If not, go ahead and make a further adjustment at the front. As long as first/reverse requires movement into the spring (preventing accidental engagement), you can adjust to make 4th/5th easier to engage.

Do you have sheet metal over the shift rod and covering the push rod tubes ?

Do you have heat?

When I installed the heater control lever on the floor I put the bolt in from the wrong side and it rubbed on the shifter rod.

Did you swap the driver's side warm air guide for the SS version?

Sometimes it can be as simple as a cone screw backing out.