Reply to "SHIFT LINKAGE UPDATE"

Go to MangustaInternational.com. There you will find my written and pictorial account of how to rebuild the shift linkage with sources for the u-joints. All you have to do is replace the trunions, no welding is required.

There is no need to add anything. The stock linkage is adjustable in length and in the radial plane, all you need to set the linkage function up to the ZF. With good joints the linkage works very well, is easy to adjust and has no glitches or hard spots of any kind. The reverse spring load is in the ZF.

I did change the joint at the ZF end to a military type joint that is commonly available, allowing the detachment of the linkage from the ZF without losing the adjustment.

The adjustment process is also described, it is very easy once you have good joints without play. I also put a new and larger diameter more wear resistant pin into the shift lever.

Also, the joints are the same ones used in the steering. The new ones are needle bearing joints with grease fittings.

A good trick to make the original shift linkage last twice as long is to undo it at both ends and rotate it 180 degrees. This puts the wear points on the joints into new positions. That should be done at about 30,000 miles. You would have to do that with the steering too by removing the trunions.

I did all that about 4000 miles ago and the car shifts and steers great. I did the shift linkage before I found the replacement trunions so I had to use new joints, welding them in. Then I found them and did the steering with the originals.

Everyone with a Mangusta is going to have this problem with shifter and steering joints, starting around 45,000 miles.

Let me know if you have any problems.
DICK RUZZIN
+313-824-0539