shifter wobbling

[MEisGQ]

well, I just bought my first 'older' model car... a 91 240sx hatchback. my problem is: when I drive at higher speeds~fourth or fifth gear speeds, the shifter wobbles up and down like it is following the suspension travel. Could it be bad mounts? I've driven stick before and have never noticed anything like this.... can someone please help? btw, the car accelerates cleanly, idles fine and even shifts smoothly without grinding... thanks in advance.

[Surf Ninja]

my pw95 does the samething think i heard it was from the motor mounts being so chity...well that's my perception

[240Stilo]

Surf Ninja: What is up with "PW"?

[Surf Ninja]

pearl white...belive factory paint was like aspen white or so but got repainted not really a different color all together but paint guy said the closest he could come to oem color would be pearl white...cheap paint job...so whoever owned the car before me had it painted pearl white. Kinda confusing isn't it maybe should just stop putting that up there.

[97DubTruck]

i drove a 92 hatchback that had the same problem and i think it was the motor mounts. I didn't buy that car because i bothered me so much. It would usually idle a little rougher/lower if it were the motor mounts though.

[Twinchy]

i think you need motor mounts or maybe tranny mounts

[wingsnthangs]

Originally posted by Surf Ninja
Kinda confusing isn't it maybe should just stop putting that up there.
It's confusing and trivial. That's what RSX people at ClubRSX do though. When they say DSM, chances are they're not referring to the famous motor company (Diamond Star Motors), but rather, a factory color code (Desert Silver Metallic). Silly use of an acronym IMHO.

[TurDz]

I get a pretty shakey startup...it rocks the car about 4 oscillations, maybe 5 or 6 on cold starts. The shaking is strong enough to be noticable if I was another car lined up right next to mine. I've noticed it from first day I bought the car. Also, my shifter wobbles occasionally, usually during highway cruising.

Does this indicate bad motor mounts?

My car is a 98 though and just considering it only has 50k miles on it and is only 5 years old, I'm a little skeptical. The condition of the car is really great too.

[Surf Ninja]

lol don't worry bout that...ain't nothing but too much torque lol...yeah the motor mounts in the 240's where shotty to say the least... try launching your car hard and watch the thing jiggly...or take and let it sit at idle and pop it up to like 3grand and it looks like the car torques up like a 69 camaro... and the idle you got to love the idle and the start up like you got a big cam or something...anyways just my perspective.

[twitchy]

look at how everything is connected under your car that will tell you.

A front wheel drive car wont do that, theres linkage to absorb this movement

our 240's have no linkage, any movement in the tranny will result in the shifter knob moving

my 93 does it too, more side to side tho.

[kanekz]

Bottom line: Its no biggy so just be happy and live with it. My S14 does the same. Doesnt bother me anymore..never REALLY did either.

[hookedup240]

mine used to do this with the stock shifter. But not too much any more since i put in my B&M. Not sure if it had anything to do with it though.

[old_s13]

Interesting you guys say the things you say. I figure I'll chime in.

1) I had so-so mounts, they werent too bad.. maybe 5 years old as I replaced them a while back, so they werent the original S13 mounts.

2) I did a 5-speed swap, the transmission mount was pretty torn up.. but useable, and so I used it.

3) I installed a B&M because I felt the OEM shifter is unacceptable. Yes, I had my rattling issues galore with the B&M, but quickly solved them (i've already posted how, dont ask -- search).

4) I would sometimes grind gears when peeling out and sliding, while trying to shift DURING a slide. I was always confused, thinking maybe it was the transmission (it had mileage on it).

5) I was on the freeway, I was not racing. I blew up my motor because I mis-shifted a downshift. I was close to redline in 3rd, going to 4th. I ended up in second for about 2 seconds, hit 8000+ rpms.

When I put my new motor setup in, I made sure to do something about the mounts. I remember during a slide, I would feel the transmission literally DANCE around. With the B&M you can really feel each small movement in the transmission since the shifter kit is SO solid, and I mean.. the transmission would literally MOVE bigtime during slides.

SO. After blowing up my old motor, I didnt feel like doing the same thing twice. I took some old-schooler advice that my friends gave me, and went to the hardware store. I picked up some Industrial-grade Polyurethane. $6 dollars later, my engine and transmission mounts were filled with urethane. All it took was a bit of time degreasing and cleaning the stock mounts, filling them, and letting them cure for a week.

My engine and transmission mounts are extremely solid, the engine does not move.. I dont even see the FUNCTION behind adding on of those silly engine shock support things, what a joke of a product. The solid mounts keep everything bolted down.

Yes, there is more rattle and vibration -- for sure. After 2 months of driving, I've noticed its really calmed down. The first week was pretty jittery, but that could have to do with the ACT clutch as well.. that adds a lot of vibration and chattery.

So anyway, car is solid.. transmission doesnt move.. engine doesnt move.. I am happy, and I have saved over $200 dollars on "nismo" mounts.

- Mike

[MEisGQ]

thanks for the advice everyone... im gonna keep them in mind when I replace the clutch

[Kookaburraz]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid63/pef47ae4cdac0cf14ffb4a79ec40398a9/fc1859a9.jpg

Slap some black spray paint on it after 2 days, and enjoy the shaking.