Leo,
I have designed several parts to help the shift lever feel on the early cars but I have not had time to test them. If you would like some free labor help in trade for some test time let me know. I sent you a PM with my phone number.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of the models below. I had some free time and know my way around blender 3d, so feel free to laugh at the models.

The idea is that you can just use a cross bar to brace the shifter, and eliminate the need for the front ball cup. I imagine this wouldn't be hard to do, if you are able to remove the metal cage the shifter sits in, you can cut out from the sides and with a couple of measurements, fit a bent rectangular (or cylindrical) bar in there through the top hole.

 

Don't waste your time, with a short shifter, new rear coupler and the metal Carl faucet front coupler it is a whole new car. I have the fore/aft slop shimmed in the rear coupler too.
Night and day from a stock car with worn parts.
Waste your time in any other of 100 places the 928 needs your help and catch up TLC.

 

The rear shift rod must rotate.... as does the front rod...there is a bearing bracket collar which is located just in front of the shifter it is what keeps the forward rod from moving side to side(also keeps the rear rod from moving) . It too has a plastic liner and when it breaks up the forward rod has extra play side to side. Replacing that on the very brown 1980 tightened the shifter feel a LOT ! ....

 

Is it easy to replace the forward bracket collar plastic liner?

Or does the engine need to come out to replace that piece.

 

It is hard to get to that collar....I removed the console and drilled two holes in the tunnel to get access to the two nuts which mount the bracket on the studs on the torque tube. The ONLY other way is to drop the torque tube....

 

How the Heck did you know my torque tube bearings are noisy.
Don't tell me. You heard me all the way on the left coast.

Thanks much, Mr. Bailey.

 

With the torque tube out of the car both the front angular joint and the collar are very easy to change

 

I fabricated a pry bar to fit up beside my torque tube to get the existing ball cup off the ball. The arm is then free to drop down and fit the new ball cup (or plastic bushing, if you choose) I also used a rachet strap to reseat it.

 

I've tried the rope and tire iron method and it didn't work so I opted to use a hydraulic jack instead.

 

I once use a small gas torch to melt the plastic bushing to pop it off the ball ...it took little heat to soften the plastic...

 

thats why its great to own a race car when it comes to these repairs. I made a hatch where the ball cup is, and like Jim, i cut a small hole in the tube to get at the shifter bushing that is bolted with two 10mm nuts. one thing that i have done that is not talked about, is taking the new shifter cup and shaft, pull out the plastic piece and put a couple of spot welds to strengthen it. then, put the plastic back in and it is pressed on the ball with the screw type hose clamps around the torque tube. use a electric drill and a 8mm socket to sinch the hose clamp down quickly and "snap" it goes into place. very easy and very effective. I also broke a weld on the rear shifter shaft linkage. It makes the side to side a little sloppy, but it still works well enough to race with.

mk

 

Coukd anyone give me the partnumber for the bearing bracket collar? I have been looking through the PET drawings but I couldn't find it.

 

Part # 928 424 017 05 item #4 on pet program page 701-00 shown near the foam insulation it is not obvious that it fits ON THE FORWARD shift rod...but it does

 

Yep... I tried the ratchet strap method and the hose clamp method. Its the bushing on mine that was the issue. In pressing the cup down on the ball, the bushing pushed itself sideways inside the cup, so I never achieved a tight fit.

I ended up ordering a solid shift cup from Carl at 928 Motorsports. I put it on this evening. The only problem I had in putting this one on was my fat hands. The solid shift cup is slightly longer than the original, so a tight squeeze becomes a bit tighter. I still have a bit of adjustment to do before I'm satisfied with the shift quality, but it looks to be a good fix.