Topic: 78 Bobcat

[Lonny Candel]

I have had this car since 2014.  It sat mostly due to 2.3 engine smoked, and finally just became extremely difficult to start.  But I recently had the motor rebuilt in 2017 with a Ranger cam.  It now runs great, and have since put a new radiator in it.  Its only real issue now is the gear shifter is lose, and has been like this since owning it.

[Pintopower]

Could you go into a little more detail on how it is loose? Do you mean it kind of wants to just fall into reverse?

[dick1172762]

The loose rubber hose in your hand shifter is often caused by the plastic bushing shaped like a saddle that rest at the very end of the shifter. Take the shifter out and look in the hole. When it wears out the shifter goes bonkers. Merkur Parts Midwest has them in stock most of the time. Very easy fix.

[Lonny Candel]

Well the loosness is very loose.  I can wobble the shifter in any position.  In neutral I can move it left and right way too much.  I have developed an eye of where to shift it as I shift gears. It's easy. However, I have put it into reverse mistakingly thinking I was putting it into 1st, and OUUCH...grinds .  It also goes into gear while driving, but there is a noticeable hard spot as I shift into gear.

[dick1172762]

The bushing is in the Merkur parts Midwest catalog on page two of transmission parts near the bottom for $17.65 each.

[Lonny Candel]

If that is all it is, that is great!  But the Merkur bushing will fit the standard transimission of a Pinto/Bobcat?  Well, I ordered it.  Hopefully, it works.  Thanks for the tip.

[Lonny Candel]

The bushing came in, and I took the rubber boot off.  Then pulled up the smaller rubber boot that fits around the shifter.  Looked down the hole, but all I can see is the round metal ball at the end of the shifter.  There is a round metal piece with metal squares sticking out around it.  It looks like that piece might be able to be tapped out.  Then maybe the entire stick shift could come out. But I did not see that small bushing that I ordered from Mercur Midwest.

[one2.34me]

I pulled my shifter out of the transmission trying to race a Subaru, bad idea! If I remember right, the "round metal piece with metal squares sticking out around it" unscrews out of the trans and comes out with the entire shifter. The trans linkage is then exposed. Be gentle with that round metal piece, in my 1975 4 speed, the threads were plastic, and should not have been cleaned with a wire brush! Oops
I love the grilles on those early Bobcats

[dick1172762]

The part you need to replace is down inside the hole the shifter came out of. A pair of needle nose plyers will remove it. When you replace the shifter make sure you bend 1 or 2 tabs down on the ring of tabs to prevent the shifter from unscrewing from the tranie on down the road. No oil is ever placed down the shifter hole.

[Lonny Candel]

It's been a while, but I had no luck trying to get that shifter out to replace that part.  So the part I orderd from Merkur Midwest still sets in the glove box. I tried 3 times. I realized the round piece is plastic. And the plastic ball sets on top of the metal tabs seems to be glued onto the metal tabs and transimission. If I put any more pressure on the plastic ball with the pliers, I am worried that the plastic ball will break into pieces. So I thought that I better leave it alone since I can still drive it like it is even though the shifter is lose.

I also just replaced the thermostat gasket.  However, it started to steam from the radiator cap after having the engine running for a while. I thought I put the thermostat back in correctly. I will have to take it back off to verify, and hopefully not ruin the new gasket. lol I already replaced the radiator and the cap a couple of months ago. They are brand new.  And of course the 2.3L was rebuilt this summer 2017 with a Ranger Cam.

[dick1172762]

The plastic part your talking about screws in to the tranie. The part with all the tabs prevents the plastic part from unscrewing. It must be retained where it is or the shifter will unscrew itself while driving.

[Lonny Candel]

While I had the Bobcat in the shop, the mechanic verified that the plasitic piece that holds the manual shifter in place is glued to the transmission. So I cannot replace the piece needed to fix the loosness on the shifter unless I break that plastic part to get in there. But I will not do that without the replacement part. Anyway, it is driveable the way it is.