Should you be able to move gear shift from side to side in gear?

[Jehu]

hello, I have a question for Civic drivers. With a manual trany, should you be able to move the shifter from side to side while in gear? Mine in gear is able to move 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch... is this normal or should I worry about something wrong with the transmission?

thanks
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dave

 

[Polar Bear]

hello, I have a question for Civic drivers. With a manual trany, should you be able to move the shifter from side to side while in gear? Mine in gear is able to move 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch... is this normal or should I worry about something wrong with the transmission?

Sounds normal to me on my '96.

I had an '84 Mercury once which used to have nearly an inch of play in the shifter while in gear. Which gear you were in was more a matter of feeling than of specifics.

 

[Andrew Smit]

having some slack is ok, as long as it is still in gear, remember the shifter is not going down into the trany like a typical domestic, it is linked forward so any slack would be in the linkage and so on.
-Andrew Smit-

 

[Jehu]

Thanks

 

[Me]

Thanks

If you want to tighten it up, get a polyurethane bushing for your linkage (and perhaps a short shifter). The bushing runs about $10 on ebay and takes about 5-10 minutes total time to install. The short shifters are all about the same no matter how much you pay (I happen to have paid $80 for an OBX with bushings and shift knob), and take about 30 minutes to install with a friend. They take FOREVER if you don't have a friend to hold the odd shaped screw/bolt things in the passenger compartment.

Nate