Dreaded linkage problem

[doylerl]

I know there have been many posts on this, but I am not sure if this is the same problem or not. I can get it into gear, that is not the problem. The problem is, after you get it in gear, the stick can be moved side to side and sometimes back and forward, and still remain in gear. Right now, without it running or driving, I can find every gear, it's just really sloppy, like I said. You can almost make a full circle pattern with it still in gear sometimes. Is this the bushings, or the linkage / shiftgate that people dread? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

FYI:
It's a 1992 EFI 5spd GL, if it matters.

[sasquatch]

check your shifter bushings... thats the only thing that i can think of that would give you that result...

[Ogrestiva]

check the bushings under the car, the bolt that holds them in place might just need tightening, don't worry it happens after awhile.

[m715]

Grab the shifter FIRMLY while you wedge yourself between the seats and PULL AS HARD AS YOU CAN UPWARDS! It is likely that the ball is out of the socket, and will pop back in place solving the problem. It is common, and a member used to fab a bracket for underneath to hold it in place.

[jmye1524]

Mine would do that also, I took the old bolt out and replaced it with a 1/2" bolt. You will have to run a drill through it to clean out the rust, and drill new larger holes in the arm. put some grease on it and tighten till the bracket almost touches the shaft. I squeezed mine till it touched and then backed it off half a turn. Make sure you use a lock nut.........( I am not certain that it was 1/2", maybe it was 9/16", whatever it was fit perfectly through the shaft on the bottom of the shifter.)

[Damkid]

Grab the shifter FIRMLY while you wedge yourself between the seats and PULL AS HARD AS YOU CAN UPWARDS! It is likely that the ball is out of the socket, and will pop back in place solving the problem. It is common, and a member used to fab a bracket for underneath to hold it in place.

that could likely be the case, IF its not, check the linkage itself where the linkage goes through the floor and at the tranny and see if anything is lose there

IF all those are good then it could be inside the tranny, those are the only possibilities i can think of

[doylerl]

Mine would do that also, I took the old bolt out and replaced it with a 1/2" bolt. You will have to run a drill through it to clean out the rust, and drill new larger holes in the arm. put some grease on it and tighten till the bracket almost touches the shaft. I squeezed mine till it touched and then backed it off half a turn. Make sure you use a lock nut.........( I am not certain that it was 1/2", maybe it was 9/16", whatever it was fit perfectly through the shaft on the bottom of the shifter.)

I think this is my problem. In this picture, the free space is to the right.

And, in this picture, the free space is on the left.
<this picture is not cooperating right now. Photobucket is not loading for me right now. I will add it later>
There is quite a bit of play left and right, and it feels like the hole on the arm is bored out a little too much as well, because it can go back and forth as well. Is this what is causing the slop? I would think so, but I'm not sure. If this is what you were talking about, shouldn't there be some kind of rubber bushing or something in between there to prevent metal on metal grinding? Also, as far as the movement back and forth, should there be a rubber bushing inside the arm hole? Thanks for the help and information.

[skimsucka]

There's that nut and bolt with a bushing and two more at the other end if you go to hardware store you can get 1/4 steel spacers they have to be cut to fit in between the fork cause they only have 1inch and 2 inch long 1/4in is the dia. and two or three washers on each side of bushing will take up the leftover space your seeing . I didnt this and made sure there was no movement at all in any link and my shifts are nice and close and not sloppy at all.

holy rust !

[m715]

Yes, there were nylon bushings on either side. That is a great deal of rust to contend with also! You might try cutting out washers like a circlip just enought to snap onto the bolt and take up the slack until you can take the shifting unit down and replace it with a less rusty one, or disassemble it to repair it. I would want a spare handy in case things get ugly. And I just thought our shifters got this rusty in this area!

Michael

[Tim]

Find an Aspire and take its bushings. They're the same and are usually in good shape.

-Tim

[jmye1524]

I think this is my problem. In this picture, the free space is to the right.

And, in this picture, the free space is on the left.
<this picture is not cooperating right now. Photobucket is not loading for me right now. I will add it later>
There is quite a bit of play left and right, and it feels like the hole on the arm is bored out a little too much as well, because it can go back and forth as well. Is this what is causing the slop? I would think so, but I'm not sure. If this is what you were talking about, shouldn't there be some kind of rubber bushing or something in between there to prevent metal on metal grinding? Also, as far as the movement back and forth, should there be a rubber bushing inside the arm hole? Thanks for the help and information.

That is exactly what I had, that is the area I pinched together with the bigger bolt. I wasn't concerned with having any bushings or metal to metal contact. Just put on a liberal amount of grease. You will be surprised how much that tightened things up.

[jmye1524]

Here is a couple pictures of my fix.........also having trouble with photo bucket.

[hofficergrover]

i jsut bought a civic short throw for 20 bucks on ebay free shipping and swaped them and used the brass bushings and fixed mine i did this on both of mine and am going to on my third one too. works alot better.

[ejp2fast]

check out that rust!!!!

glad you found the culprit.

[doylerl]

I just went ahead and ordered some new bushings from my local ford dealer for under $7 each. They will be here tomorrow morning. I am just wondering how much of a PITA it is going to be to get the bolt loose with all that rust! After I get it fixed I will post up more pictures. Here is the other picture that would not work in my other post.