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U12 Bluebird, Pintara & Stanza => maintenance issues => Topic started by: Westy on Feb 17, 2004, 11:11PM

Title: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: Westy on Feb 17, 2004, 11:11PM
I don't know if this has been previously discussed to a point where a viable answer was available as a search yielded no answer.

But i have a problem where my gear stick moves to the left and won't spring back like it does when i move it to the right and feels like it's in neutral in every gear and when driving along a highway or freeway it rattles really badly and drives me insane.

From what i have so far been told, it could be either the gear fork selector or the gear stick shaft and linkages, but i'm not willing to spend a sh*tload of money removing the gearbox and having it reco'd till i have exhausted all other avenues.

So having said all that, does anyone have any ideas on what it might be and how to go about fixing this?
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: Jtas on Feb 17, 2004, 11:28PM
it may be the bushes at the base of the gear shifter... i think that richtrx and some other people have replaced these or some other bushes that have sorted out the problem... my shifter is fairly sloppy but not bad enough for me to worry about just yet...
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: aussie-gli on Feb 18, 2004, 12:43AM
there are 2 springs which return the selector to the centre when free... If one of the springs have come off, it'll explain the rattling and why it springs back on one side

My bro had the same prob... Bit of a bitch to get to though...
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: RichTRX on Feb 19, 2004, 12:26PM
That's right. Go to nissan and buy two new gear selector bushes. They cost me $2.50 each from Grand Nissan.

Next, use a trolley jack to jack up the front of the car (using suitable chocks to stop the rear wheels from rolling back).
Now go under the car and undo the gear selector shaft from the yoke that connects to the gearbox. You'll need two 12mm (I think) sockets with two ratchets to prevent the bolt from turning when you're trying to undo it. Once the bolt is undone, remove it, and slide the selector shaft out of the yoke. Replace the bushes that are in the selector shaft with the new ones you've bought, then slide the shaft back in, replace the bolt and tighten. Make sure the bolt is tight, but not so tight that it crushes the new bushes. It is normal for the yoke to bend inwards as you tighten up the linkage. To prevent the nut from coming loose (with vibration, etc) it would also be wise to install a spring washer on each side of the bolt.
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: Jtas on Feb 21, 2004, 12:36AM
thanks for that rich i didnt realise itd be so easy to replace the bushes... and i didnt realise they were that cheap.... ill replace mine next week ;D

one thing about your explanation on doin them,,, you forgot to say to put jack stands under your car after jacking it up :)
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: RichTRX on Feb 21, 2004, 10:13AM
lol, that's because I don't have any jack stands ;) ::)
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: Jtas on Feb 21, 2004, 02:03PM
*searches for bazooka smiley*,, but its gone >:(.... :D
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: rival81 on Feb 21, 2004, 11:31PM
Had this problem when i first got my TRX....replacing the bushes fixed it. Do it yourself if you can as labour costs about 60 bucks otherwise.
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: noss on Feb 24, 2004, 10:29AM
there is only 1 spring on the trx as well. its a pissweak one too.
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: Milford on Feb 24, 2004, 05:44PM
ive got the same problem
going to get my mates dad to take a look at it soon, by the sounds of things its a bush
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: Westy on Feb 25, 2004, 09:48AM
Thanks guys for your help.

Getting it done today.
Hope this works, caus it's been like this ever since i got the car and is the only problem i havn't addressed.
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: noss on Feb 25, 2004, 12:33PM
yeah the problem is that at the base of the shifter. the bushings at the gearbox end shout be a 2 way type thing with 2 cylindrical sections at right angles to each other. its very very rare that these will go.

if the stick rattles & is sloppy at the base of the selector there is a metal tube that runs thru the shifter that hooks up to the selector rod. there are two little bushings in each end of this. i cant think of what they're called but for lack of a better description they look like little top hats.

to get to these you have to remove your cat converter, then remove your cat heat shield and then undo the selector rod at the base of the shifter.

dont forget to check the spring is there too
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: mrwiggly on Feb 25, 2004, 10:25PM
Also on the spring in the Trx they had some foam in the middle of the spring which stops the spring rattling as well . Also you will find the crappy nissan bushes being plastic wear down quite quick. I have replaced mine twice now so now I use (Wait for it ) 1/2" garden hose with the outer green skin peeled off, its a close fit. Also there is a welded shaft closer to the gear box which on mine I had to grind off and replace with a bolt as there was no way to replace the bush. Hope this helps.  Take the time to get it all fitting tight as for some reason it makes shifting so much more fun when its all firm. As for getting to the bushes all I did was remove the heat shield (Best to wait till its cool)                     And no the garden hose was not from a bong !!!
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: Budgie on Feb 25, 2004, 11:56PM
Sure it wasn't Mrwiggly... ;)
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: Jtas on Feb 26, 2004, 02:23AM
hey rich do you have a part number for the bushes? because i rang up nissan parts in town and asked for a price on 'gear selector bushes' and he said that they are 70cents each, so i dont know if there the same as what you have replaced? 

the way you explained it i need to replace the bushes in the control rod yoke connection part. but the other guys are saying that i need to take the cat off or just the heat shield and replace the bushes in that area.

make sense?
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: noss on Feb 26, 2004, 09:14AM
get under your car, look at where the selector rod joins up to the box, you can see that easy, otherwise, wiggle it & see at which end the selector rod wiggles, that end will have the busted bushings. its only going to be one end or the other.

its not hard to do.. and its going to be much quicker than having 10 or 15 guys putting their 2 cents in over the internet.
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: Jtas on Feb 26, 2004, 09:42AM
yep thanks noss. im pretty sure its just the ones at the gearbox end of the control rod. the only thing that had me puzzled was the price rich payed for the bushes :)
Title: Re: Gear Stick Rattle
Post by: amirite on Apr 11, 2015, 05:37PM
there is only 1 spring on the trx as well. its a pissweak one too.

do you happen to know where this spring is supposed to be connected? Mine has fallen off completely.