Technical Transmission & shifter Levers - Bushings or No Bushings?

Since it’s difficult for me to just leave well enough alone, I thought I’d ask in advance of modifying, for a change.

I have a Hurst 4-speed shifter on an A833 NVG transmission (3 speed w/O.D.) from an ’84 Chevy truck, which is going into my ’36 3W Ford coupe. The transmission levers & shifter levers never had bushing, just had the hardened shift rods inserted in the levers. I’m thinking of drilling the levers out to fit bushings in, to smooth shifting, eliminate wear & stop any rod chatter. I tried drilling an old lever I had, with a carbide rotary file and it drilled a hole to .504” hole, which is a nice fit for the bushings.

OK, now I know I CAN do it, the question I have, is it worth the time & trouble to disassemble & drill out the levers. Will I see any added improvement? If I go ahead & do it, what’s better to use – the steel or the nylon bushings?

Thanks for any experience & recommendations with this you’ve had.

-Bob

 

You could go hi tech and use heim joints.

 

I would use the steel bushings.
Never had any long time luck with the nylon ones.

 

If the rod holes are good and rods round I'd use as designed.

 

Nothing wrong with bushings as long as you can get good alignment.
So, how many dull HSS drill bits do you have?

 

Do you have access to a lathe or someone you may know that can make custom bushings for you rather than drill out a good shifter? Easier yet? http://www.hurst-shifters.com/products/3327302-shifter-accessory-pit-pack-steel-bushings/

 

Something like these? http://www.hurst-shifters.com/products/3320001-shifter-bushings-pit-pack-nylon-bushings/

 

I have a lathe - 13"x60" SouthBend, but I already have the bushings which are 1/2" OD and 3/8" ID. The rods themselves are 1/2", turned to 3/8" at the ends, to go through the levers. If I made bushings to go through the stock levers, they'd have to be 3/8" OD and 5/16" or 1/4" ID and I'd have to turn down the ends of the stock rods or make new ones. Easier to drill out the levers.

No high speed drills - I used a round, carbide mill to increase the hole of the trial piece.

 

To clarify. Your only speaking of the lever's at the transmission and not the Hurst shifter?

 

No, I'd do the levers on BOTH the transmission & the Hurst shifter.

 

OK your the boss.

 

When I ran the toolroom I brought home various rotary burrs that were deemed less than perfect for production, the radius nose 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2 inchers work great for opening up holes in semi-hard material, sometimes better than new ones as they don't go oversize, such as for bushing installs like this.