How much shifter play is normal?

[radroach]

I had a clutch installed recently by a shop, and I've noticed more side-to-side play than I did before. Before there would be a certain amount of springiness or slight rigidity in the shifter when in neutral or any gear. Now, I have like a 1/4 inch of play, side to side, in every gear. Is this normal, or did my tuner shop not put something together correctly?

Also, would mtec springs fix the side to side play?

[humfrz]

Maybe they didn't put the OEM springs back in the transmission ........


humfrz

[radroach]

Bumping with a youtube vid of the problem, I get about 1-2 centimeters of side-to-side free movement in every gear.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by radroach

Bumping with a youtube vid of the problem, I get about 1-2 centimeters of side-to-side free movement in every gear.

Well, nor @radroach, I made a special trip out to my garage, just for you, to check the play in the shift lever of my FR-S.

My transmission's shifter play is about like yours.

Ya, know ......it needs a certain amount of "play" on hitting the gate, or would be a real nightmare to shift.

Back in the day (here we go again ..... ) the old floorboard shifter on my old trucks had so much play, that second gear was anywhere from just to the right of the speedometer to ..... the glovebox........

IT appears to me that your car is ....... "normal" ......


humfrz

[radroach]

@humfrz Double thanks!

Yeah I was looking at this video of a BMW M3 with fresh bushings and it also has the same amount of play in the stock shifter:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTtQLDixQXE"]BMW CAE shifter comparison to replica CAE shifter and stock shifter - YouTube[/ame]

Bonus: Ka-chunk sounds from an M3 with a CAE shifter

So this makes me feel better. I guess I'm going through a placebo affect. Though my new clutch after install has definitely changed the characteristics of the car, I suppose this amount of play in the shifter is tolerable, but I'd still like a more solid feel.

[Packofcrows]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Well, nor @radroach, I made a special trip out to my garage, just for you, to check the play in the shift lever of my FR-S.

My transmission's shifter play is about like yours.

Ya, know ......it needs a certain amount of "play" on hitting the gate, or would be a real nightmare to shift.

Back in the day (here we go again ..... ) the old floorboard shifter on my old trucks had so much play, that second gear was anywhere from just to the right of the speedometer to ..... the glovebox........

IT appears to me that your car is ....... "normal" ......


humfrz

So much play your GF would prefer to play with the car's shifter, eh?

hahaha

My pickup has a lot and over the years I've become lazy in shifting i'm made it worse with my lazy shifting. Now, it pops out of first gear by itself around 3.5k rpms.

I tried my car too. His car has a tad more play than mine.

[radroach]

Originally Posted by Packofcrows

I tried my car too. His car has a tad more play than mine.

Ok so you're saying that I've got a bit more play than yours, correct? I know that there was a bit more play in the shifter after I had the clutch job done than before. It's tolerable, but it is an annoyance.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Packofcrows

So much play your GF would prefer to play with the car's shifter, eh?

hahaha

hmmmm......if I recall proper, when I would shift from 2nd, down and to the right, for 3rd, the range was from about from my right leg to her left leg.

So, naturally, when I shifted, I slid the shifter down to the right side of the range, touching her leg and would hold it there, so it wouldn't pop out of gear. The shifter vibrated a lot because the 3rd gear bushing was wore out.

...... THAT'S the reason she said SHE would hold it over there ........ NOT because my hand bothered her ...... BUT, because it was VIBRATING ......


humfrz

[Packofcrows]

Originally Posted by radroach

Ok so you're saying that I've got a bit more play than yours, correct? I know that there was a bit more play in the shifter after I had the clutch job done than before. It's tolerable, but it is an annoyance.

Yes sir. Here's a bad example:

If your shifter shakes 2 inches side to side, mine does 1 inch. But yes, your car has a tad more play. Just a tad. Based on video.

[dkstylezz]

my 2013 manual shifter has some play in gear or out of gear u feel the play and then you feel the shifter spring. first gear and second was slightly harder to engage. Found the problem on mine. I had my throw out bearing replaced from 2 different dealers. Dont know exactly what dealer misplaced a collar for the shifter rod but one plastic collar and a washer was missing and was causing the play. check the collar out heres the part number and with the part number u will be able to go to subaru online parts store and see exactly where it is located on the car. subaru part number is 35025ca000 for the plastic collar. since my car only had one collar the one collar slowly disfigured its shape and caused more play gradually over time. the collar is thin and might make you think a 1mm gap in the collar would cause almost a inch play on the shifter. hope this helps.

link to part diagram

http://parts.kirbysubaruofventura.com/p/Subaru_2015_BRZ/ROD-COMPLETE-GEAR-SHIFT/49246392/35041CA000.html?partner=googlebase_adwords&kwd=&or igin=pla

[radroach]

Thank you so much @dkstylezz , the part# 35025ca000 is actually a part I found in my trunk, some time after my clutch install. This:



Apparently the installer left it behind.. and then I found it in the trunk and just thought it was just some odd/end and tossed it. I then started looking at diagrams and found the part, became suspicious, called the shop but the installer denied it, months passed.

Then today I find your post @dkstylezz, I called up my shop and complained to them today, and found out that they ended up firing the guy who did my install b/c shoddy work. Dude literally left my shift bushing in my trunk then denied it. Shop owner says he'll cover it, so the shifter play will be fixed soon. WOOO!

[radroach]

Ok so update, I just got the P/N # 35025ca000 in the mail and it actually isn't the part that I'm looking for, I overlooked your comment when you said it was plastic. The part I'm looking for is actually a soft rubber piece that is in the same shape, slightly smaller. I was certain that this was the part I was missing, but now I'm confused..

Can anybody help me identify the soft rubber bushing in the diagram that I need? http://parts.kirbysubaruofventura.co...5017CA000.html

*edit* Think I found it, P/N # 35035CA000 and 35035CA010 BUSHING-GEAR SHIFT LEVER

It's all the way in the back of the shift linkage/plate.

[Vracer111]

Originally Posted by radroach

Ok so update, I just got the P/N # 35025ca000 in the mail and it actually isn't the part that I'm looking for, I overlooked your comment when you said it was plastic. The part I'm looking for is actually a soft rubber piece that is in the same shape, slightly smaller. I was certain that this was the part I was missing, but now I'm confused..

Can anybody help me identify the soft rubber bushing in the diagram that I need? http://parts.kirbysubaruofventura.co...5017CA000.html

*edit* Think I found it, P/N # 35035CA000 and 35035CA010 BUSHING-GEAR SHIFT LEVER

It's all the way in the back of the shift linkage/plate.

Those are porobably the ones, they are the only rubber bushings in the shifter system, everything else is plastic or delrin.

[radroach]

@Vracer111 not so sure of that, there's also a part called "Shift Lever Damper" that could also be a rubber part.

I'm surprised I can't find some pictures beyond these diagram sketches for what I'm looking for. This is very frustrating.

Just ordered P/N # 35035CA000 and 35035CA010 which are coming up labeled as "cushion" in the online parts store. $8 shipping. These better be the ones.