Shifter parts

[Wildthings]

The one thing I don't have at this time for my automatic to manual tranny conversion is any of the shifter parts. Never having seen a stock T4 shifter I have no idea how it differs from a Bug shifter or a Bus shifter. Can either be reasonable made to work or should I be on the lookout for T4 shifter parts?

[raygreenwood]

Not really....for most of the parts. I think the shifter itself from a bus or bug could fairly easily be made to work. The shifter guide plate could be fabricated if you had a guide. the long shift rod is a a little unique un that it has a bend or hump in it.
With the front end of the shift rod from a bug....you could make one if you had all of the measurements.

The type 4 has especially sensitive shift linkage. Because of the way the drive train is suspended....it needs that damn floating coupling to keep from misaligning the linkage and causing issues with wear in the rear seal of the tail cone.
The early models of 411 used a shift rod that was more straight-forward and could use a standard bug style shift coupler. That set-up caused problems though…because the rear tail cone bushing on the very early models was actually a solid 2 or four bolt mount. This made for very accurate shifting…but very difficult drive train alignment problems…which would cause wear and damage to the main shaft and main shaft gearing.

Let me explain a little: The type 004 four-speed has a design issue. It is a light strong…but very long magnesium alloy case. If you put either engine weight load on it or let the weight of the transmission or engine rest on the tail cone bushing…it warps the case during running and causes needle bearing and main ball bearing wear…if not actual gear wear.
So…..they suspended the engine and transmission package from the two big rubber bushings right above the bell housing. The rear hanger bar mounts and the tail cone bushing on the transmission are designed to be “bump-stops”…not to bear weight. They arrest movement…not carry load. There is an exact adjustment using three feeler gauges for the tail cone bushing…and an exact crush level for the hanger bar bushing. There are adjusting points at the ends of the hanger bar and at the shims over the bell housing bushings.

The problem is that not only were they a little soft (about 50 durometer)…when they get oil on them they turn to mush.
The early 411’s had a solid mount at the tail cone which made for very simple shifter linkage. It also had solid outer rear hanger bar mounts with no adjustments. All of the original adjusting was done via the shims over the bell housing. The wear issue from transmission case loading and flex was discovered by about 1969 or 1970. That is why the 2nd generation of 411 transmission had an extra syncro ring on 1st to 2nd . Once they went to the fully floating bushing set-up with the floating coupler….they started shipping here to the US and Canada.

Now….. I have found that by making a cast urethane rear tail cone bushing…very simple to do, you can even do it at home……of just the right size to allow only about 1/16th” to 1/8” total movement…but be much stiffer than stock….it will act a lot like the early 411 bushing. This should allow making a straight through shift rod that will allow the use of the stock bug/bus type shift coupler….and make the necessity of using hat tunnel cover plate as a major component to guide the shift rod…unnecessary.
I have all of the parts. Lets make a list and we can start getting things measured for you. I have a spare shifter, shift gate and couplers I can measure and photograph for you. I cannot measure the shift rod and the in situ placement until I get back to my storage unit in Dallas in a month. Ray