Gear shifter movement

I have a 1994 Dodge Stealth with a manual five speed.

When traveling on a flat stretch of road I have noticed that if I alternate between accelerating and engine breaking that the gear shifter moves back and forth about 3/4 of an inch.

I can't say for certain that it has not always done this, but I have only recently noticed it and I am wondering how much movement would be considered normal and how much would indicate a problem. The amount of movement does vary a bit depending on the gear I am in. It is most notable in fifth gear.

My first thought was a loose motor mount, but my initial examination of those didn't show anything obvious. Are there other things I should be looking at?

TIA

Reply to
Rick Brandt
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You could check the linkage bolts, but I'm betting its the rear motor mount.

Reply to
Nobody U. Know

Reply to
<djmcreynolds1

Reply to
<djmcreynolds1

also check the engine mounts as engine movement can be transmitted through the cable to the shifter

Reply to
peter

Movement is side to side , right? Is the shifter mouted on the tranny? Not the body. if so 3/4" is no big deal, between loaded (pulling) and unloaded (holding you back, using the motor to slow you down) 5th having longer legs (if OD less than 1:1) and less umgh, giving the tranny the proverbale "short end of the stick" and the rearend the big stick, causing load Vs. unload to have more effect on the shifter. Now if the shifter is mounted on the floorboard and conected via cables and is moving 3/4" , you got problems. good luck,lyndo

Reply to
<wffarms

No, movement is fore and aft. This is a front-drive transverse mount setup so the engine actually "torque-rolls" parallel to the vehicles movement when alternating between accel and decel. The tranny is under the hood towards the passenger wheel and the shift linkage is with rods (not cables).

All of the bushings at both ends of the linkage rods are sound. With the hood open, parking brake securely applied, the amount of engine movement I can see from the drivers seat as I apply and remove tension with the clutch doesn't appear to be that much and the three motor mounts I can examine from under the hood look fine. I guess I'll get it up on some ramps to get a better look at the lower rear mount.

My son had an older car in the past where I found one of the bolts had completely fallen out of a motor mount. Other than that and the rubber getting really broken up is there anything else to look for in a mount? I mean if the rubber appears intact and the bolt is secure is that all there is to check or is there a more definitive way to check a mount?

Reply to
Rick Brandt

I will take another look then, but my mounts are a steel cylinder with a rubber cylinder within (check this picture...

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...so I don't see how a separation between rubber and steel can happen.

Reply to
Rick Brandt

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