1G Dude's Custom Shifter Bushing Kit questions

[CrackedDSM]

Hey guys, I wasn't sure where this should go or how to title the thread, so forgive me double if this needs to be moved somewhere or if the title is confusing.

My question: How many people have the Dude's Custom Parts complete shifter rebuild kit? Doesn't matter what year.

My issue: After I installed the complete kit, it firmed it completely up and took all the slack out of it. That's not a problem, I enjoy how it feels. The Problem IS, it no longer will "spring" back or "return" back to center neutral(in neutral underneath third gear) in the cabin. It's not a shifter spring issue, because taking the cables off on the transmission and pushing down on the shift rod/assembly that goes into the transmission, mimics the same problem. It'll just stay down there. It's in neutral, it just doesn't "return" up anymore. This was not a problem before I installed the shifter bushing kit.


Does anyone else have this issue? Did you have this issue and it went away after they all broke in? Should I disassemble it and lube up the bronze bushings everywhere?

Real world experience is much appreciated!


Edit: here’s a pic of what I mean.

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[Drewpy Dawg]

There is a spring in the selector mechanism on the transmission. It sounds like the spring may have gotten weak, broken, or is out of place. My previous car sat for a long time in gear (because the parking brake wasn't working) and when I got it back on the road I had the same problem, the shifter didn't want to spring back to center. Apparently the force on the spring all that time stretched it out. I seem to recall that it eventually began to spring back, but that was over 20 years ago and before a transmission swap so I can't really recall. The spring I'm referring to is number 26 in the attached diagram. Hope that helps. May give you someplace to start looking.

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[CrackedDSM]

There is a spring in the selector mechanism on the transmission. It sounds like the spring may have gotten weak, broken, or is out of place. My previous car sat for a long time in gear (because the parking brake wasn't working) and when I got it back on the road I had the same problem, the shifter didn't want to spring back to center. Apparently the force on the spring all that time stretched it out. I seem to recall that it eventually began to spring back, but that was over 20 years ago and before a transmission swap so I can't really recall. The spring I'm referring to is number 26 in the attached diagram. Hope that helps. May give you someplace to start looking.

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Well, it worked the 15 minutes before I installed the shifter kit. Then afterwords it wouldn’t.

I wonder if it’s just weakened from being old and with the OEM loose bushings it can still lift it all up but with the tighter brass stuff it just can’t do it.

 

[Drewpy Dawg]

That’s another possibility. If nobody else has any answers I can take a look at my trans and see how to check and/or change the spring but that won’t be until this weekend.