Play in transmission shifter

[scubachris]

Hey y'all,

I have a massive amount of play in my shifter and was wondering what could cause it and what parts I need to order. Since it is a daily driver, I don't want to break anything down till I get the parts

[toyfiats]

Most likely it's the lower socket which wears with use - http://www.autoricambi.us/product/TR5-5 ... r-Socket-/

But if you're going to replace it might as well order the entire kit - http://www.autoricambi.us/product/TR5-5 ... ---1973on/

Not likely to be stranded. When I was just getting into Fiats in the dark pre-internet days the shifter on my 124 Coupe felt like a bowl of porridge, but as a high school student I didn't have the funds to bring it to the dealer and lived with it for years (and even then I just figured it was somewhat normal, as it was my first car, and the only other manual transmission I had driven for comparison was a Volkswagon van!)

[scubachris]

Most likely it's the lower socket which wears with use - http://www.autoricambi.us/product/TR5-5 ... r-Socket-/

But if you're going to replace it might as well order the entire kit - http://www.autoricambi.us/product/TR5-5 ... ---1973on/

Not likely to be stranded. When I was just getting into Fiats in the dark pre-internet days the shifter on my 124 Coupe felt like a bowl of porridge, but as a high school student I didn't have the funds to bring it to the dealer and lived with it for years (and even then I just figured it was somewhat normal, as it was my first car, and the only other manual transmission I had driven for comparison was a Volkswagon van!)

Thanks man! I was a little worried but not so much anymore.

[johnsje6]

Just for the heck of it, you may want to look at this post http://fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=28715
My '79 got a lot of play in the shifter in a short amount of time and it ended up being a loose nut on the bottom of it.

[PeterSteele]

Most likely it's the lower socket which wears with use

[snip]

Not likely to be stranded. When I was just getting into Fiats in the dark pre-internet days the shifter on my 124 Coupe felt like a bowl of porridge, but as a high school student I didn't have the funds to bring it to the dealer and lived with it for years (and even then I just figured it was somewhat normal, as it was my first car, and the only other manual transmission I had driven for comparison was a Volkswagon van!)

heh

Not quite apples to apples here, but I had that same bit break on a Saab 900 Turbo back when I was in college. It was about midnight and I was halfway home between South Carolina and Maine for Christmas. Wound up disassembling the gearshift on the side of the freeway - no real task, as it had already pretty well disassembled itself - and got going again using a pair of pliers to reach in and twist / push / pull the rod. 1-2-5-R were too hard to manage, so I basically just wound up using 3-4 the rest of the way home.

... and then 30 minutes later the hydraulic line between my clutch master and slave blew out, and I was getting close to NJ - which is where tollbooth country starts. For the rest of the trip I wound up braking to a stop, stalling out, then put the car in 3rd and hope the car started rolling before the starter burned out, then powershifting to 4th - still using the pair of pliers.

That was not a fun trip.

The gearshift part cost about 8 bucks to fix, and the hydraulic line took only about 5 bucks in parts. I think the trip took at least ten years off my life, though.

[Boris61]

+1 on johnje6's comment. Shifter on my 78 came off in my hand in downtown Austin TX circa 1984. Coasted to the curb and walked to a parts store and bought a nut. Put it on with my bare hands and was on my way. Check this because it can indeed leave you stranded!