Mike,

I did not remember that -- here I thought I was being pretty clever!
Perhaps your suggestion was subliminally effective.

Actually it's a pretty obvious "patch up" solution if you think about it
for a few minutes.

I'll get a stronger bolt, thread that in and then weld it WITH the bolt
in place.

Anyone know why these are prone to breaking?  Is it just metal fatigue,
or were they designed to snap off for safety in an accident?

Allan
--
1991 Vanagon GL

On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:52:16 -0400, "Mike" <mbucchino@charter.net> said:
> Hi Allan,
>   I'm the guy that originally suggested the tapping and threading as a
> good fix; I'm glad you were able to use it to get you home!
> A threaded rod is about Grade 5, it's not strong enough to last in any
> automotive application.  You need to use a Grade 8 (or higher) bolt with
> threaded area that's long enough to do the job.  Just buy an
> automotive-grade bolt of the same thread that you've already tapped it
> for, cutting off the head and unthreaded portion.  You could also have it
> 'properly' welded and ground flush again, after threading it back
> together for a permanent repair.  Or, you might just be able to buy a complete
> shifter from a parts yard or a member of this list.
>
> HTH,
> Mike B.