help me get rid of shifter play

Is-vicIs-vic New Wagonist
in Engine & Drivetrain
so when my car is in gear i can move the shifter left and right about a half inch in each direction what causes that? is it a worn out bushing or something else?

i guess my real question is would a short shifter or some sort of new busing get rid of that play and if they dont make them for the wagon are ef or any other civic compatible? i also plan to throw on a weighted shift knob for a better feel

Comments

  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    When you make a post asking for help you need to state what car you have or else the answer we give could be completely wrong.
  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    What Haydz means, I think, is that the rt4wd shifter is a waay different animal. I don't have any experience with the rt shifter (ask Jaker!) but the 2wd shifter/bushings/parts do interchange with the other 4thgen. Civics. The short shifter will make it feel tighter, but I'd recommend new bushings first.
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    Yeah pretty much. :P

    We may as well make this the definative shifter thread because when i searched about it there are alot of topics on it but nothing solid.

    What i can add:
    -EE/EY/EF FWD Wagons use the same shift linkage setup as the 4th gen hatch/crx
    -EE/EY/EF RT4WD Wagons use a cable operated shift linkage similar to the H-series Prelude
    -Both setups apprently use bushings to limit slop or play in the shifter


    And also something from a post by turbo_teg:
    turbo_teg wrote:
    my friends dad up the street that used to own a civic wagon when i was kid dropped off this book today for me. its the honda civic wagon bible this thing is awsome its full of detail anyways i got to looking and it tells u how to overhaul and readjust your shifter assembly so i took the best pictures of the pages that i could if u have troubles reading them i can email a way better pic of the pages that is very clear.

    www.civicwagon.com

    www.civicwagon.com

    www.civicwagon.com
  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    Another thing I noticed the other day: The wagon shift lever may well be a "short shifter", at least for other 4th gens. As you know, short shifters make the shift throw shorter by moving the fulcrum higher up the stick. Simple leverage principles- less motion at the knob for more motion at the linkage below, right?

    Anyway, I looked at a 2G Integra shifter next to a wagon one, and the wagon stick was longer below the pivot ball by maybe 1/4". I didn't have a hatch or sedan shifter to compare, but my theory is this: Since the EE shifter is longer-handled (for higher operator position relative to the floor) the bottom part was made longer to compensate for the noodly feel you get from a long lever. Make sense?

    This is just a theory, I could be wrong. And it does nothing for you if you want a short shifter for your wagon, but cut the handle down and you've got a low-buck short-throw for your sedan/hatch/crx.
  • Is-vicIs-vic New Wagonist
    Haydz wrote:
    When you make a post asking for help you need to state what car you have or else the answer we give could be completely wrong.

    sorry about that, its a 1989 civic wagovan 5 speed. ive been trying to bring this civic up to date and this was a problem i wanted to fix. if you guys give me some ideas on how to get rid of it i have no problems being a guienna pig for this experiment ill post pics.

    EDIT ill try to find a place to buy bushings for the wagon an ill let you know if it helps
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