Shifter rattle at 3000rpms'ish

[CivicSiRacer]

Hey guys this has been bugging me but before I jack up the car and see what's going on I thought I would ask you all 1st. I have a B&M short shifter, stock knob on my 93 Civic Si with about 235,000 miles. The short shifter was installed in 2006 with some ES bushings. I had this same problem on my 91 Civic Si and never really got around to seeing what was causing the rattle either. What do you think it is? Only happens when I'm cruising along around 2500-3000rpms Or when I accelerate through that rpm range. Sounds like 2 washers hitting each other. You can hear it here about 10 seconds and throughout the clip: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=127233431355 <object width="320" height="240" ><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/127233431355" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/127233431355" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="240"></embed></object>

Registered and logged-in users don't see this ad! Register your free account today.

[Shameinator]

when my friends civic made a similar noise it turned out to be that he needed flex pipe added to his exhaust. It fixed the problem for him.

[CivicSiRacer]

Originally Posted by Shameinator

when my friends civic made a similar noise it turned out to be that he needed flex pipe added to his exhaust. It fixed the problem for him.

My noise comes up through the shifter and knob. So it cannot be the exhaust.

[fathergoat]

as I recall there is a heat shield that some short shifters hit or come really close to. if it is then 2-3k might be the magic rpm range to cause the vibration to make a little contact. heat shields are the only thing around the shifter and linkage that I can think of that would cause the noise you described.

[IanB]

I have the same problem, B&M dual bend shifter on my old '98 1.6EL, and the problem carried over to my '99 1.6EL when I swapped all the parts over to the new car. My shifter is no where near the exhaust when I jack the car up, I wondered if jacking it up affected how the exhaust hung or something, cause the sound is still there.

I recently came up with an idea about this: I read somewhere that an Integra shifter assembly has a wider shifter bracket than a civic, if the B&M dual bend shifter is designed for the Integra, then there could be some play where the shifter attaches to the shift linkage as my EL is based on a civic platform. I haven't been back under the car to check, but if you're looking, start there. I have checked to make sure the shifter/shift linkage bolt was tight in the past, but never if there was any play in that joint.

[themonsteraria]

Originally Posted by IanB

I recently came up with an idea about this: I read somewhere that an Integra shifter assembly has a wider shifter bracket than a civic, if the B&M dual bend shifter is designed for the Integra, then there could be some play where the shifter attaches to the shift linkage as my EL is based on a civic platform. I haven't been back under the car to check, but if you're looking, start there. I have checked to make sure the shifter/shift linkage bolt was tight in the past, but never if there was any play in that joint.

The dual bend shifter is a little wider then the Civic linkage, so you have to cut it down to fit(it's something like 5mm on one side, and 2mm on the other.) So unless you cut it wrong, I doubt that's the issue.

[IanB]

Originally Posted by themonsteraria

The dual bend shifter is a little wider then the Civic linkage, so you have to cut it down to fit(it's something like 5mm on one side, and 2mm on the other.) So unless you cut it wrong, I doubt that's the issue.

I didn't cut mine at all, and it fit, and it rattles. I guess I need to keep looking then.

[themonsteraria]

Uh, are you sure it's a dual bend from a GTR? Because the GTR dual bend is for a B series linkage, and the D series linkage is slightly different (narrower) then the B series.


P.S. Thanks Civic2scooby for informing me about shifters.

[IanB]

Originally Posted by themonsteraria

Uh, are you sure it's a dual bend from a GTR? Because the GTR dual bend is for a B series linkage, and the D series linkage is slightly different (narrower) then the B series.


P.S. Thanks Civic2scooby for informing me about shifters.

What are you talking about "GTR" for?

[themonsteraria]

Because the GTR is where people usually get a dual bend shifter from.

[IanB]

Originally Posted by themonsteraria

because the gtr is where people usually get a dual bend shifter from.

Gsr?

[HatchVX]

most likely it will be that the 12mm bolt and nut are loose. Snug it up, but dont crank it down, make sure after you tighten it up that the shifter move freely. that was the problem with mine.

[themonsteraria]

Originally Posted by IanB

Gsr?

CRAP! gSr. That whole GTR thing was from back in my Skyline days.

[white_n_slow]

Originally Posted by themonsteraria

Uh, are you sure it's a dual bend from a GTR? Because the GTR dual bend is for a B series linkage, and the D series linkage is slightly different (narrower) then the B series.


P.S. Thanks Civic2scooby for informing me about shifters.

B&M = aftermarket, not the OEM gs-r dual bend.

[themonsteraria]

Originally Posted by white_n_slow

B&M = aftermarket, not the OEM gs-r dual bend.

I figured as much.

[themonsteraria]

So is B&M a good brand of shifter? I've always understood (from personal experience) that aftermarket shifters were generally crap. I've
had two break on me in the past.

[white_n_slow]

Originally Posted by themonsteraria

So is B&M a good brand of shifter? I've always understood (from personal experience) that aftermarket shifters were generally crap. I've
had two break on me in the past.

I've never used one, but they've been making shifters for domestics for decades. On the same token, I put a no-name generic ebay shifter in my civic for a while and it worked great

I think if you're breaking shifters, you might want to lay off the wheaties

[IanB]

Originally Posted by white_n_slow

I've never used one, but they've been making shifters for domestics for decades. On the same token, I put a no-name generic ebay shifter in my civic for a while and it worked great

I think if you're breaking shifters, you might want to lay off the wheaties

It is not uncommon to hear reports of cheap honda shifters breaking, they are cheap for a reason.

The B&M is a good shifter, I'm really happy with mine. I have the dual bend, I've never used a single bend to know what they are like though.

[Thrule01]

i had the same shifter on my del sol and it did the same thing....went to a stock gsr shifter and it fixed it...i heard of others having the same issue with that shifter...

so id stick with stock gsr or a skunk2 short throw (thats what i have waiting to be installed on my gsr now)

[CivicSiRacer]

Originally Posted by Thrule01

i had the same shifter on my del sol and it did the same thing....went to a stock gsr shifter and it fixed it...i heard of others having the same issue with that shifter...

so id stick with stock gsr or a skunk2 short throw (thats what i have waiting to be installed on my gsr now)

I had a Skunk2 dual bend on my 91 Civic Si with the same rattle.

[Thrule01]

hrm thats odd...i have rode in 3 tegs and 2 civics that had this one and no rattles...