Loose Shifter

[coco:v]

I recently bought a 96 z32 N/A. It was a good deal but it has some details to it. The most "scary" one is that it had a short throw shifter installed. And its loose. You can literally pick up the shifter. Could it be that when it was installed the previous owner didn't place new bushings? No problems in shifting, does not grind any gears but I dont think that is safe to drive so I stopped driving it till i fix that.

[NolimitZ32]

Most likely the rubber that holds the shifter in place is torn, it happens, you can replace with OEM or get an aluminum AM one.

[fastVG30DETT]

Do you mean the shifter can slide up and down (not side to side play)? If so, some short shifters are adjustable by spinning the knob / shaft and will become "loose" like that at the shortest throw. Try see if it tightens up if you turn it. If it's side to side play, then yea, check the shifter bushings.

[NolimitZ32]

I was referring to the shifter mount, not bushings, bushings would make it sloppy but not scary, when the rubber goes it's scary loose and has like 6" of play all over the place.

[coco:v]

Yeah the Shifter slides up and down. Dosent have play from side to side. Im gonna check the shifter like you said, see if its adjustable. If not I might have to take it out to check the bushings or mount.

[echonightsi]

There are multiple bushings and washers in the shifter. And Megan, the cheapest and probably most popular short shifter for the 300zx, doesnt come with a few washers that are required and sometimes the bushings it comes with doesnt fit. As with mine, I had to install it minus these and it is thee loosest POS ever right now. Im gunna bet whoever put that shorty on didnt wanna go back and fix the washers and bushings. Not having the bushing is gunna suck, although if you have time, take apart that shorty go to a hardware store, slip the little shifter rod into some plastic tubing see what fits, get some washers, and reinstall that bad boy. The shifter is crazy hard and annoying to take apart at first but once you understand how it goes together its pretty easy if youre ok with breaking some of your fingers . Let me know if you need info/help with that.

[itsa300zx]

There's only two things that can allow the shifter to move up/down freely. First, more common, is a broken shifter support mount (it's a rubber cross brace that gets hard over time and breaks). Secondly, is much less common; a broken pivot ball cup that is bolted to the shifter brace. This cup holds the pivot point in place.