Scorpion Shift Bushings

[davidb]

How many does a Scorp take ? My supplier sent me 7, I put in
the 6 which were accessible . If you want to call the ones under
the car accessible [yikes] . Got a BAD feeling the 7TH one goes
under the shifter in the damn tunnel which might mean pulling
the console or worse . It shift VASTLY better [although a tad stiff] .
We all know about the weakest link in a chain breaking & I DO NOT
that want to happen to me ! Is there/where is that 7TH bushing ?

[Will]

Total bushings are NINE. The most complete "set" you can buy that I know of is SEVEN. Breakdown as follows:

SIX (6) Bushings are the "cup" type that fits around the ball and inside of the rings on the main gear linkage

ONE (1) Bushing is a larger, cylindrical busing that fits between the vertical shifter rod and the hole in the rear crossmember.

TWO (2) Bushings are nearly invisible when fitted and support the shaft in the sleeve of the "arm" mechanism that bolts to the gearbox. Changing requires unstaking the arm, which is probably not staked properly anyway unless your PO did you the favor of welding it in which case you will have to grind it off. Most people don't know those bushings are even there, but they are bushings in the shift linkage, so I'm counting them.


There is also a nylon fork at the bottom of the shifter itself that can wear and/or deform on the steel clevis pin and cause sloppy side-to-side shifter movement. Most often caused by somebody cramming the car in reverse without using the push-down interlock. If you've fixed everthing else and still have side-to-side play, look to replace that as well. Chad has some kind of brass (I think) replacement.

[markalen]

TWO (2) Bushings are nearly invisible when fitted and support the shaft in the sleeve of the "arm" mechanism that bolts to the gearbox. Changing requires unstaking the arm, which is probably not staked properly anyway unless your PO did you the favor of welding it in which case you will have to grind it off. Most people don't know those bushings are even there, but they are bushings in the shift linkage, so I'm counting them.



What is a PO?

And you are speaking of the arm that selects the gears, not the clutch release arm, correct?

[Will]

Yes, the arm that moves the selector shaft in and out of the gearbox is attached to a rod that passes through a tube on the plate that bolts to the gearbox. This tube is fitted with a bushing at either end, the bushings are shaped like a top hat with no "top" on it, or rather like those electrical no-short bushings for armored cable or Greenfield.

In place, the shaft of the "top hat" is fitted as a sleeve between the rod and the wall of the tube, the edge of the "brim" of the top hat is barely visible at either end of the tube and looks like a flat washer. It's not. It's a bushing. the rod is actually smaller than the ID of the tube, and so the plastic bushing is the only place the two should touch.

And sorrry, PO means "previous owner" or more loosely as I use it, all previous owners collectively, not necessarily the guy you bought the cars from. I should probably make a new term like PO(S) I guess but then one might confuse it with the car and think I was calling their ride a Piece Of Shit. What do you think?

[davidb]

Okayyyyyyyy, that's interesting . Which leads me to ask are
they availible, are they known to fail & how difficult are they
to replace ? Thanks .

[Wallace]

They're certainly very easy to loose ! I've had to turn up a couple out of nylatron . ..

[Will]

I can't answer that question because I've only dealt with my own, I had one bad, I don't remember if I made something or sourced from a parts car. It was quite a while back and I had a lot of scavengable spares then. I suspect the best way to do it would be to true the shaft and then make a pair out of oil-impregnated bronze. Obviously, if the shaft is moving about in the tube under hand pressure then yours are no good. There is some compliance in all of the bushings unless you go to something like heim joints, in which case you will definitely want to check the aforementioned "top hat" bushings to make sure they are present, not split, and not worn. Minor wear on the stock system probably wouldn't be detectable.

-Will

[davidb]

I think, I THINK I see where they are . For now they're staying in .
The replacement of the 6 graphite colored "top-hat" bushings
really snugged up the linkage . Still gonna pull the console to
see what's beneath there . Thanks to all .

[DJ]

Okayyyyyyyy, that's interesting . Which leads me to ask are
they availible, are they known to fail & how difficult are they
to replace ? Thanks .


They are available from TMH. See link. Part number MH4544.

http://montehospital.com/pdf_files/gear_selection_and_drive.pdf

Very easy to replace.