Shifter ‘Feel’ Loosening Over Time? UPDATED

[Doc_Mello]

Hey, gang! Would love to know everyone’s thoughts on this topic.

Context: 2019 Si 6MT w/ 2020 CTR shifter unit + Acuity Stage 1 kit (shifter base bushings, spherical shifter cable bushings, upgraded centering spring), the car is not driven aggressively, and no track time.

So, I've had this set-up for almost a year, and, at the start, I loved it because everything was 'tight' in the right ways (yes, I know, the lascivious joke potential abounds ?): The forward/backward and lateral play (left/right; gate spacing & in-gear lateral play) were reduced, and pretty minimal in general.

Over time, though, everything has loosened up, somewhat noticeably, in fact. I expected this as a natural outcome of use, but not within a year. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Just recently, in fact, I inspected the shifter cable bushings while rummaging around in the engine bay, and, as far as I could tell, everything looked in fine condition. So, I'm wondering if things have loosened up at the shifter unit itself? I swear I tightened everything, though I don't recall if I Loctited the base bolts.

Thoughts/ideas welcomed! TYIA! ??

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[SDAlexander8]

Things that move get looser with time. If you were to get into a 2008 civic Si with 250k miles on it, you’d be surprised how sloppy it feels compared to new. Shifter cables stretch over time and rubber bushings wear out.

Now if your shifter doesn’t feel like it is properly engaging gears or staying where it should be, you might want to crack open your center console again and make sure everything is still tight.

 

[Doc_Mello]

Things that move get looser with time. If you were to get into a 2008 civic Si with 250k miles on it, you’d be surprised how sloppy it feels compared to new. Shifter cables stretch over time and rubber bushings wear out.

Now if your shifter doesn’t feel like it is properly engaging gears or staying where it should be, you might want to crack open your center console again and make sure everything is still tight.

Right, totally agree. Again, I anticipated this to occur, but maybe not to the degree I'm feeling. It's not massive or anything, but noticeable from what it was at the start. WRT the bushings: they're spherical, but with a polyurethane outer bushing, so, I guess I didn't thing it's be that much of a degeneration.

WRT engagement: on that front, everything is fine, enters/exits gears with no fuss (a bit of Gear 2 thunking, but that's common; already replaced the MTF with better stuff long ago, which improved things), and stays in gear no prob.

Thanks for the insight!

 

[Benster]

how much more play are you talking about? if you mean the slop is measurable in 1/8"s then there may be something loose in there, but you're right, spherical and poly should not be looseing up within a year. A little looser is normal once everything breaks in but it shouldn't be much, just a tiny bit if anything. I only have a few shifter bolt-ons on my stock hatch sport shifter base and it's still almost as tight as it was 2 years ago when I installed it with stock rubber cable bushings so yours should be the same technically.

 

[MrJustin81]

I installed my OEM shifter with all accessories and cable bushings in the summer. I had about 60k? and 71k now. I agree with the OP that the “tightness” from the parts has loosened slightly. Thinking of getting into it and checking because there’s like a “loose/rattle” like noise when shifting to 4th.

 

[Doc_Mello]

how much more play are you talking about? if you mean the slop is measurable in 1/8"s then there may be something loose in there, but you're right, spherical and poly should not be looseing up within a year. A little looser is normal once everything breaks in but it shouldn't be much, just a tiny bit if anything. I only have a few shifter bolt-ons on my stock hatch sport shifter base and it's still almost as tight as it was 2 years ago when I installed it with stock rubber cable bushings so yours should be the same technically.

I installed my OEM shifter with all accessories and cable bushings in the summer. I had about 60k? and 71k now. I agree with the OP that the “tightness” from the parts has loosened slightly. Thinking of getting into it and checking because there’s like a “loose/rattle” like noise when shifting to 4th.

Thanks for your input!

I don’t have any looseness to the degree of rattles, but it just ‘feels’ looser. Hard to explain. I’d notice 1/8”, I think,

 

[MrJustin81]

Mine might partially be I lost one of the acuity bushings. I bought from a member had them all but when I was installing I had managed to loose one so I kinda had to rig the one . I feel that has something to do with the “rattle” I’m getting

 

[SDAlexander8]

Mine might partially be I lost one of the acuity bushings. I bought from a member had them all but when I was installing I had managed to loose one so I kinda had to rig the one . I feel that has something to do with the “rattle” I’m getting

Are you referring to the clicking noise when going into even numbered gears with the short shift adapter? If so, Acuity has a solution for that.

 

[MrJustin81]

Are you referring to the clicking noise when going into even numbered gears with the short shift adapter? If so, Acuity has a solution for that.

Yes. It’s mostly 3rd to 4th
1st to 2nd slightly and 5th to 6th it’s very slight

 

[Doc_Mello]

Just wanted to provide an update on this: so, I was fishing around in the shifter to try to isolate and eliminate an annoying noise that occurs during shifting into fourth (it’s not the known shifter clunk issue), and while I was able to find the source of the noise, it‘s part of the cable, which I could not eliminate (realistically, is a non—issue, a tiny tinny noise no one would hear except me ?).

Now, during my excursion into the center of The Hotness™️, I took time to thoroughly inspect all of my shifter components, and everything totally fine. Plus, I recently inspected the transaxle shifter bushings while I was installing the Mishi intercooler piping, and those also looked great.

SO, I think I’ll officially close out this issue by concluding that whatever looseness I felt from the shifter is minimal, and simply due to use, not anything loose, or excessively worn. Woohoo!

 

[arpypat]

Next time you open your center console up, you should install the full adjustable Acuity shifter ?

 

[Doc_Mello]

Next time you open your center console up, you should install the full adjustable Acuity shifter ?

So, I thought about that, but I don't think it will fix the (microscopic, First World Problem™️?) issue with which I'm dealing because whatever tiny amount of play is in the shifter is due to normal tolerances, AFAIK.

I have the 2020 CTR shifter + the Acuity Stage 2 kit, which, for all intents and purposes, is identical to the full shifter excluding customizable height, throw, and gate spacing. The 2020 CTR unit has the rocker, spring, and mount upgrades, which are on the fully-adjustable shifter. WRT gate spacing, it's not the gap between gears that I want to decrease, but rather the lateral play within each gear, if that makes sense. And, TMK, within-gear play is reduced with the transaxle bushing kit, which I also have.

Ideally, I want each gear to feel rock-solid, like the stick is in and welded in place. Realistically, it's like that now for any normal person who would drive The Hotness™️, but, you know, me... ?

 

[Doc_Mello]

Are you referring to the clicking noise when going into even numbered gears with the short shift adapter? If so, Acuity has a solution for that.

Yes. It’s mostly 3rd to 4th
1st to 2nd slightly and 5th to 6th it’s very slight

SRY, doods, I just saw your posts. ?

No, it's not that issue. I don't have that issue because I'm using the 2020 CTR shifter.

 

[arpypat]

So, I thought about that, but I don't think it will fix the (microscopic, First World Problem™️?) issue with which I'm dealing because whatever tiny amount of play is in the shifter is due to normal tolerances, AFAIK.

I have the 2020 CTR shifter + the Acuity Stage 2 kit, which, for all intents and purposes, is identical to the full shifter excluding customizable height, throw, and gate spacing. The 2020 CTR unit has the rocker, spring, and mount upgrades, which are on the fully-adjustable shifter. WRT gate spacing, it's not the gap between gears that I want to decrease, but rather the lateral play within each gear, if that makes sense. And, TMK, within-gear play is reduced with the transaxle bushing kit, which I also have.

Ideally, I want each gear to feel rock-solid, like the stick is in and welded in place. Realistically, it's like that now for any normal person who would drive The Hotness™️, but, you know, me... ?

WELL, I did have the 2020 CTR shifter + Stage 2 Acuity kit for a few months before I said FK it and upgraded to the full Stage 3 setup ?

I can say that the full shifter is definitely stiffer than the 2020 CTR shifter set up. There really isn't any comparison - the full shifter is MUCH stiffer. So much so that when I drove @rhino car (sold him the 2020 R kit), I had gotten so used to the Stage 3 setup that it felt like I was driving a 10 yr old civic w/ 200k miles ??

 

[Doc_Mello]

WELL, I did have the 2020 CTR shifter + Stage 2 Acuity kit for a few months before I said FK it and upgraded to the full Stage 3 setup ?

I can say that the full shifter is definitely stiffer than the 2020 CTR shifter set up. There really isn't any comparison - the full shifter is MUCH stiffer. So much so that when I drove @rhino car (sold him the 2020 R kit), I had gotten so used to the Stage 3 setup that it felt like I was driving a 10 yr old civic w/ 200k miles ??

Hmmm. ?

Well, riddle me this: would you be willing to send me a video of the amount of lateral play the shifter has in gear?

Here’s what I’m talking about on mine: