Sloppy shifter lever

[c_rice_99]

My 951 shifts in and out of all gears just fine but is very loose while in gear. Tons of side to side movement. Any common problem areas? Thanks for the help.

[AaronM]

Worn lever. Replace the gear lever and ball cup bushing in the center console.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/944M/POR_944M_Pcable_pg1.htm#item2

[2Tight]

Originally Posted by AaronM

Worn lever. Replace the gear lever and ball cup bushing in the center console.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/944M/POR_944M_Pcable_pg1.htm#item2

Side to side is usually a worn pin on the shifter. If it's really bad the shift rod needs repair also so it doesn't start all over again. I've done this repair on 3 cars and it eliminates all metal-to-metal wear. It can be done with the shift rod in the car contrary to what the article says. Mine is still tight as new from over 3 years ago.

http://www.dietersmotorsports.com/tech/tech-july-03.htm

[mfloren]

another upgrade you might wasnt to do is the short shift kit from SFR or LR, and what is the Sfort throw kit that ataches to the transmission???

oh. Im thinking about doing both. extra crips extra short throw.

[AaronM]

Originally Posted by 2Tight

Side to side is usually a worn pin on the shifter.

The pin is integral to the lever and cannot be replaced separately. Hence, the lever is worn and needs to be replaced. The ball cup bushing should be replaced while you're in there since it is a cheap part and to remove the lever you need to do all of the labor necessary to change the ball cup bushing, so best to replace it now rather than waiting.

I agree that the bushings are a good idea if you're still getting play after replacing the lever, but that's fairly rare from what I've seen.

[Cory9584]

i have a lever in perfect shape for 30.00 if you want it.

[2Tight]

Originally Posted by AaronM

The pin is integral to the lever and cannot be replaced separately. Hence, the lever is worn and needs to be replaced. The ball cup bushing should be replaced while you're in there since it is a cheap part and to remove the lever you need to do all of the labor necessary to change the ball cup bushing, so best to replace it now rather than waiting.

I agree that the bushings are a good idea if you're still getting play after replacing the lever, but that's fairly rare from what I've seen.

I agree and would replace the plastic cup while you are in there. I disagree on the shifter slop though. Once the shift lever pin is barrelled badly it usually causes the opposite wear pattern in the shift tube head depending how long it was used in the poor condition. Any repair is up to the owner but I love having a tight shifter that hasn't changed in years. The bushings are like $1.24 and I bought extras thinking they would wear out quickly but it hasn't happened yet in over 3 years. The 3 cars I've done all required reaming of the shift rod to remove excess slop, even with a new shift lever. IMO it's not really that difficult to do if you have the tools and drill bits plus you have the satisfaction of a job done right.

[c_rice_99]

Thanks for all the information. It's definitely a worn shifter lever. I unhooked the shift rod and wrapped some electrical tape around the lever and jammed the shift rod back on. Temporary fix but it's very tight now. Thanks again.

[nize]

i've had my transmission out of the car and noticed the linkage in the rear at the transmission itself has rubber bushings that's prone to wear. it could also be this, but most likely a combination of all of the above.

[schmedes1]

C_Rice: You got lots of great advice and help here. You obviously did not state your end objective on the shift feel, so any improvement would have worked. The improvements at the tranny linkage (nize) and metal-to-metal clearance on the shift lever (AaronM), plus zero slop on the long shift link will get you a near-new feel.