How the heck do you get the ball bushings on? I tried softening them by boiling them, BFH , and my next trick will be lots of grease and a huge clamp. Not sure what to try if the clamp doesn't work. Suggestions?

Which bushing are you trying to install on what area/part/linkrod of the shifter. If you mean "thru the firewall bushing", freeze it for about 30 minutes (causing the size to shrink just a bit) and then immediately pop it in.

Not the thru the firewall bushings Mike, the two balls that go on the rods. One on the firewall one on the short rod. I'll be heading out shortly with the big clamp...

will report in later.

My best,
Mike D.

That ball bushing has to be perfectly inline with the rod for it to seat.If it is off the slightest it will not slide on.PIA but well worth aggrevation.Good luck.

"Lots of grease" will make it harder to slide the bushing onto the ball. It'll "hydro lock" on you--the grease is not compressible, and it can't get out of the socket if you pack too much in there!

I had this problem with the bushings on the rear sway bar drop-links. A little grease and a big bar clamp worked for me; not sure how the access is to get a clamp on the bushings for the shifter in a tail-shift car...

--DD