new to saturn sloppy shifter(5 speed)

[kjathena]

just bought a 97 sl1(I think) shifter is really sloppy/loose but she shifts into all gears smoothly...clutch seems fine. What should I have checked ?

[Signmaster]

The number 1 issue is usually a bad or replaced with other than proper shifter bushing. It's easy to remove the console and check it out. From there wear can be hit and miss at various points from the bushing connection, the shifter mechanism itself, and the outer linkages at the tranny.

Sometimes it just needs cleaned up well and lubed. Sometimes it takes something more. This post from DIYguy has some great tips on getting rid of the slop. Better yet, this thread has even better info and many photos by DIYguy on what he did with his.


And BTW, welcome to the forums.

[kjathena]

Thank you will have it checked

[2NDSOUT]

The center console removes easily. It is held in with 2 philips head screws.

Check to see if you have a cable tie holding the shifter tower together. In most cases people will use a cable tie to re-attach the broken shifter loop to the cable, or do some kind of home brew connection to get the shifter tower reconnected.

If you search on Ebay (Saturn Bushing Man- a former Saturnfans member), sells both a shifter bushing replacement and shifter loop replacement.

Either way, money well spent to get rid of the slop in the shifter. I have both of the replacements in my 94 SL2 (Stainless Steel shifter bushing and shifter loop)

[SLCraig]

I find most of the play in my car's shifter is from the shift tower joints having some slop in them. (where the cables connect on the transmission)
It is likely normal, but still worth checking everything over to be sure.

[eRic 02sc2]

Originally Posted by kjathena

just bought a 97 sl1(I think) shifter is really sloppy/loose but she shifts into all gears smoothly...clutch seems fine. What should I have checked ?

replace the shift tower that's mounted on top of the transaxle. my 92 SC and 96 SC2 shifter had symptoms where the lever would flop around and didn't have any springiness to return to center between shifts. a new shift tower fixed it.

[alordofchaos]

Originally Posted by 2NDSOUT

The center console removes easily. It is held in with 2 philips head screws.

Four, iirc - on 2nd gens, there are also two in the front (under the driver side kick panel and passenger side fuse cover).

There is an excellent video by richpin06a on Youtube showing the console removal. Pictures here
http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/sho...light=computer

[kjathena]

Originally Posted by 2NDSOUT

The center console removes easily. It is held in with 2 philips head screws.

Check to see if you have a cable tie holding the shifter tower together. In most cases people will use a cable tie to re-attach the broken shifter loop to the cable, or do some kind of home brew connection to get the shifter tower reconnected.

If you search on Ebay (Saturn Bushing Man- a former Saturnfans member), sells both a shifter bushing replacement and shifter loop replacement.

Either way, money well spent to get rid of the slop in the shifter. I have both of the replacements in my 94 SL2 (Stainless Steel shifter bushing and shifter loop)

yep it was a cable tie....may replace bushing too just because

[DIYguy]

2+ years and many tens of thousands of miles after repairing/tightening my shifter it is still reasonably tight and ergonomically much better than it was originally (far easier on my wrist). Thanks for the thread references Signmaster.

I'll probably be putting a small ball bearing or cam follower on the plate at the transmission shifter input some time this spring. This is where the follower button wore flat and so I rotated and brazed it to tighten it up on a fresh round surface.

The button is just now starting to get a bit loose again despite being greased periodically. I wish it had a dust cover, and I thought about devising a rubber boot from an old inner tube to cover it, but didn't, so there it sits covered in grease most of the time.

Despite all that, the shifter probably has +/-1/8" play at the shift knob tip left and right (gate) and a bit less front to rear (throw) at this moment.

Old computer disk drives or hobby shops can be good sources for nice, inexpensive (or free) ball bearings. The trick will be locating the right outside diameter to replace the button (around 1/2" as I recall).