Fellow 914ers.

I am looking for information on how to modify an early 914 tail shifter to a side shifter for my buddy's '71.

Looked on the site, but did not find....

Any help is appreciated

KTF,

Jules

it involves buying most of the parts from the side shifter set up.

its in the archives at least 5 or 6 times, but here is a list of the top of my head (probably missing something)

1) the tranny tail cone (ears) that bolts onto the actual tranny and includes the mounting face for the different style of shifter console
2) the actual shift rods inside of the tranny (3x i think) that facilitate the different style of internal shifter
3) the shift console bolted to the outside of the tranny (the engagement point with those shift rods inside)
4) the full shift linkage (6 parts) includes the actual shifter inside the car, the coupling knuckle at its base, the first and second long shift rods, and the rear coupling knuckle (connects to above console)
5) the motor mount bar (side shift style allows the shift linkage to clear it)
6) the motor mounts (metal parts that are unique to the side shifter and allow the above mentioned bar to attatch to motor)
7) the rubber actual motor mounts
8) The rear firewall shift bushing. (tail shifters had a different size of bushing used, and there is a conversion bushing that has the O.D. of a tail shifter, but the I.D. of a side shifter.)
9) less necessary, but there was a piece of tin work on the bottom of the heat exchanger that was unique to 73-74 exhaust style and accomodates the side shifter. This piece is often just left off of the car since it is deemed not absolutely necessary.

thats most of the list
often people just buy a complete transmission because it is less daunting than opening up and converting the internals of a tail shifter. If the tail shifter is converted internally a 50$ gasket set is necessary reseal the tail cone. Also, typically all shift bushings are replaced at the same time which is usually very necessary and very helpful.

brant

oops..
double post?

brant

It's not absolutely necessary to replace the tailpiece with the sideshifter part. If you want to spend the money, fine, but if you don't care what it looks like you can fill the hole where the tailshifter shaft exited the tailpiece with a freeze plug. I did it on my car 9 years ago and it hasn't leaked. I still want to find the sideshifter piece someday, but it's not that important to me.
BTW, I have a sideshifter engine mount bar that I'll trade for a tailshifter bar if you need one.

Thanks for the input. That looks like a lot more work than he had in mind. Let me find out if he still wants to do it and I'll get back with you on the trade!!

Jules

I did mine back in Jan. and am very please with the results. I did have help and rebuilt the entire box while I was converting.

To expand on what Brant said on item #6 - this is very tough to do with the motor in the car. I did it with the motor in but it is time consuming and hard to reach.

Good luck.

T

I did this and am very happy with the results.

I would caution you that once you open up the tail shifter, you will probably find plenty of "issues"

Unless you know for certain that the internals are sound, I would consider buying a core side shifter, then dissassemble them both and combine the best parts of each in the side shift case. With any luck you will end up with some spare parts. (Nothing in there is cheap). Check out Red-beards site (here somewhere). He has a great article on inspecting parts and determining what is trash and what isn't.

With any luck, you might find someone to sell you the entire setup from shifter to gear box. Purchase some new bushings and syncro's and you will be golden.

Also, I did mind with the motor in the car as I had never dropped the motor before. It was hard but doable. Looking back, I don't know what I was thinking.

good luck

I agree with jr91472. Once you open it up, know what to look for. As an alternative, you can contact Dr. Evil (on this site) and he can do most of the work for you for a small fee. He did my convertion and he is well regarded around these parts.

T

Gents, thanks you for all your feedback. I did some asking and looking and I found a side shifter transmission for sale locally. The guy tells me it came from a 914/6 tho. Are all 5 speed trannies the same ? I mean 914 to 914/6? Or does the 6 have a different setup?

KTF,

Jules

the 6 tranny has slightly different gearing.

the gearing for the -4 and -6 were set up to provide constant rpm fan speed at highway cruising for the respective motors (the 6 motor has enough difference in its redline and fan requirements that the factory changed the gearing slightly)

it would physically work
it wouldn't be the same as original in 2nd and 5th gear

usually the -6 tranny's are more valuable and more desireable
brant

914/6's came with tailshifters originally, so either it's a converted tailshifter or it's really a side shifter from a /4.