Fiat 500 Abarth Transmission Shifter Bushing Repair | My DIY Attempt

What seems to be a common fault on Fiat 500 Abarths are the shifter bushings on the transmission side. I see a lot of folks reporting this as an issue and I decided to try and replace mine. The shifter could use a little bit of precision anyway and worst case scenario, it was a proactive repair. It proved to be more difficult than anticipated. I hope this video serves as a tool for visualization for anyone attempting to replace these. #fiat #fiat500 #fiat500abarth #500 #500abarth #abarth #abarth500 #abarthgram #italy #diy #cars #mopar #cartok

[@csskiller]

Well shoot. My 500T also fights me getting into certain gears. I bought the same bushing kit and was going to do it on the weekend. Now I'm not so sure it's going to change anything for all that work! I've taken out the battery tray once before to install a Madness ECM..... I don't really wanna deal with the tray again for nothing.

[@Coronet777]

@@csskiller It could very well work in your case! Something I neglected to highlight in the video was the process of removing the rubber bushing material and replacing it with the new insert. I ended up using a razor to cut out the old material. With a little bit of lubricant, the new insert popped in using only the force of me standing on it lol. I’ve got a short throw shifter mechanism and replacing the cup the shifter sits in. I think most of my trouble actually comes from the ends of the cables directly under the shift knob. They don’t have an aftermarket option and require replacement of the entire cable.

[@Coronet777]

@@csskiller I also think that if I had a proper plastic clip removal tool for the tray wiring , taken the air box off, and had thought of using an open ended wrench to pop the ends of the shifter cable off, it wouldn’t saved me some time in the end. Either way, even with the tray removed, it’s a tight squeeze but also cheap insurance that those parts are taken care of.

[@themayorsworld]

What happened

[@Coronet777]

I thought there was an issue with my shifter but I pretty much did a repair for no reason haha

[@themayorsworld]

@@Coronet777 lol oh ok

[@Coronet777]

@@themayorsworld thanks for watching!

[@thelacityguy818]

My first gear is a little hard to get into sometimes and it’s also felt like it wasnt fully engaging a few times. My reverse gear grinds going in most of the time like I’m not pushing the clutch. Is this something you’re experiencing? Any ideas?

[@Coronet777]

@@thelacityguy818 I had the same experience with first gear. It happens from time to time after I go into 1st and 2nd, then back to 1st. As for reverse, I’ve read that there aren’t synchros on that gear (I could be wrong). Before you shift into reverse, move the shifter into 1st gear and then reverse and it won’t ever grind.