Silverghost
Yoda
Offline
"Buzzy" shifter handle...
The gear shift handle in my 68 B had a rattle to it since I bought it. I didn't mind it much since I mainly drove around town, shorter runs. I recently drove from Chicago to Minneapolis and at the end of that decided the rattle had to go. Pulled the boot off, pulled the retaining plate off, pulled the shift handle out - no anti-rattle gizmo. No gizmo, no spring, nothing - everything was gone! That explains the shifter rattle! Also the grease in the "cup" was hard and dry.
Not wanting to endure another 8 hour ride back to Chicago with a buzzing shifter and knowing that parts would not be found before leaving, my solution was to:
A) put new synthetic grease in the "cup" and on the shifter ball.
B) put a 1/8 in. thick O-ring around the shifter ball and then put the retainer plate over the O-ring.
When I tightened the plate, it slightly squished the O-ring, keeping the shifter from rattling.
Now I have a quiet shifter! :laugh: And the ride back to Chicago was buzz free!!
Question I have is - can this be a long term solution? The shifter ball is smooth and the grease is new. I don't see that there is much abrasion - certainly not a lot of movement. The grease is synthetic so it shouldn't melt the O-ring. Part of me says get the parts because that's what belongs there - part of me says the fix worked, go with it.
The gear shift handle in my 68 B had a rattle to it since I bought it. I didn't mind it much since I mainly drove around town, shorter runs. I recently drove from Chicago to Minneapolis and at the end of that decided the rattle had to go. Pulled the boot off, pulled the retaining plate off, pulled the shift handle out - no anti-rattle gizmo. No gizmo, no spring, nothing - everything was gone! That explains the shifter rattle! Also the grease in the "cup" was hard and dry.
Not wanting to endure another 8 hour ride back to Chicago with a buzzing shifter and knowing that parts would not be found before leaving, my solution was to:
A) put new synthetic grease in the "cup" and on the shifter ball.
B) put a 1/8 in. thick O-ring around the shifter ball and then put the retainer plate over the O-ring.
When I tightened the plate, it slightly squished the O-ring, keeping the shifter from rattling.
Now I have a quiet shifter! :laugh: And the ride back to Chicago was buzz free!!
Question I have is - can this be a long term solution? The shifter ball is smooth and the grease is new. I don't see that there is much abrasion - certainly not a lot of movement. The grease is synthetic so it shouldn't melt the O-ring. Part of me says get the parts because that's what belongs there - part of me says the fix worked, go with it.