Who carries the bronze replacement bushing kit for the shift console? The only place I've found it is Patrick Motorsports and they want almost $20 to ship the $25 part.

Click to view attachment

thanks!
Carl

I do not think that I would install that, it tends to wear out the rod and also the housing

It’s aftermarket. I know there was a guy making these, not sure who. The factory part has a wear rib on the inside that allows a tight tolerance. The idea is that tat is a convex shape. Allows for alignment as a narrow point. It is a sacrificial part. The bronze is more durable,it can however induce a small side load. Does this mattter? Maybe not. The issue is more of how often you will hand the part. I’d venture a guess that the factory style is good for 30k, the brass lets guess 120k.
These retail at $2.99 each

https://shop.914rubber.com/Late-side-shifte...6?categoryId=-1

The brass if I recall was $15-$20. So you value not having to replace as often right?

Well the firewall busing (that now may have some additional side load), still wears at the same rate. So you will be replacing this one at a standard interval similar to the one in question.

I get it, but this was the logic I used to determine if I should make in brass or just make like OEM.

Just my .02

I think there's been something screwy with the calculators used for shipping by the parts companies lately. It was the same deal for me at Sierra Madre recently. They wanted to charge me $15 to ship something that could be sent using a single 55 cent postage stamp and letter envelope! I called them up and they adjusted it to the standard $6. Something similar happened with Pelican and AA too. So I'd call them up and see what the deal is.

As for George's comment, I've had the plastic one in for a few thousand miles with no issues. No experience with the brass.

Why do you want or think you need the brass one?

They are made out of bronze, if I recall correctly. I've always used these with no issues, almost as if they are indestructible.

I think I have an extra one, something I double ordered when I did my /6 conversion.

I believe there was an eBay seller, but I didn't find any......

I installed a new bushing kit from one of our 914World members. Even with a new plastic bushing, I am seeing 0.074" of radial play (a combination of bushing loose in housing and clearance between bushing and shift rod.)

Maybe that's normal?

The shift rod is constant diameter over it's length, so I don't think it's worn just at the bushing location. I have to remove the engine for other reasons, so thought I'd investigate the bronze bushing.

regards,
Carl

Good info ,not made of brass for sure,the ebay seller has them no more or the last time I checked,good part and have had no problems,the original part is not a tight fit for no other reason than you can't fit it otherwise.
These bushes are what in the old days they called an oilite bush which is bronze and other materials impregnated with oil so self lubricating hence little wear,not sure about the AA reply ,improved my shift for sure.

Not all bronze bushing fit the same. The one I bought from PMS several years ago required me to open the hole in the transmission slightly with a file. It is a very snug fit. The other bronze bushing had a sloppy fit in the transmission. I gave it away. The shifting is now amazing in my car. Spend the big bucks on shipping AND handling. It's worth it!

THOMAS made the front coupler and rear console bronze bushings for my '75. Those, coupled with the Tangerine spherical firewall bushing made all the difference in the world tightening up the shift linkage.

I'll be doing the bronze coupler and console bushings in my '71 for sure.

If the bronze bushing is over sized for the rod diameter you can sleeve the bushing. Go to a hobby shop or hardware store that stocks brass tubing for hobbyists/modellers. (It comes in telescoping sizes.) Buy a piece that slips smoothly and snuggly over the shift rod. Cut a section the length of the bronze bushing. Tin the bushing inner diameter and the brass tube outer diameter with solder. Slip the tube into the bushing and heat the assembly and flow some additional solder into the joint. Clean it up with a file and sand paper. Now you should have a snug custom fit bushing.

The various tranny console plastic bushings I have bought have all been oversize for the shift rod diameter. My steel shift rod had always ridden in the original and one replacement plastic bushing, so I really doubt there was a reduction in diameter due to abrasive friction wear.

On mine, the new plastic bushing was also loose in the console so I shimmed it with a single wrap of aluminum from a La Croix can and now it’s tight in the console and on the shift rod. It really made a difference shifting into first.

Yes, by all means get and install the Tangerine firewall bushing, it’s money well spent. I had a bronze bushing at the console; it was ok but had some slop. Ended up making a custom one out of Delrin which is also very durable. As the last bushing in the shifting process it does help greatly, and especially as Michael mentioned, getting into first.

I got one here.
GPRparts.com
Part Number: 91442422402B

GPR's site isn't working correctly. If you try searching for that #, it doesn't come up, but if you enter the year, make & model (for a late 914) you'll find it under the transmission category, and can add it to a shopping cart from there.

http://www.gprparts.com/ShopforOEAccesorie...ALL&mode=PA

Appears Rich @ 914werke has them on his website,better price than the ebay seller who appears to be NLA on this part.
Oh and yes to them not fitting or atleast in my case but OP had sleeved the console with a steel bush...took a little work with a round file and popped in.Click to view attachment