Bronzoil Bushings installed... 2 days later slop is back!!

[MrMazda92]

Hey guys, I'm having yet another problem with my car.

I had about 2-3 inches of play in my shifter, so I checked the bushings and found they were pretty worn out... I bought a set of corksport bronzoil bushings, and replaced my stock ones.

I had 2 days of perfectly tight shifting... now I have over an inch of play again. Did I miss something...?

[Mooneggs]

did you go under and check to make sure everything is still tight? did you do both links or just the one on the shifter?

[Ryan]

You should have done both the shifter side, transmission side, and then the stabilizer bar.

did you lube it appropriately? did it fall apart on you?

[_-Night-Shade-_]

It's not a mystery, something must have come undone. You should check it out first and then post.

[tehbrookzorz]

Yup. Next time use blue thread locker. Hope you didn't lose your bushings.

[MrMazda92]

@Marc, I did tranny side and shifter side both. I checked it, they're still there and they aren't loose. I felt it a little better and oddly it feels like the shifter itself, at the pivot point(Terminology? :S)

@Ryan, What would you define as properly? Also, it was an EXTREMELY tight fit when I got the shifter side bushings in. The trans side ones were relatively easy.

@Nightshade, I'm new to this. Forgive me for being inexperienced.

@Brookzors, I still have them, and thanks for reminding me. I will remedy that when I jack it up later this week.

[Ryan]

I don't know exactly what Bronzoil recommends, hence my lack of specifics, but I would have used a silicon or synthetic lube (that doesn't swell or eat bushings) in with it all.


If you take off the boot and look down where the shifter goes, you'll see its just two plastic moulds that fit over the sphere of the shifter. Those usually never go bad. Might dry up and squeak, but not get loose. I wouldn't look there for the problem.

If you put it in gear, can you twist the shifter? That, technically, is the unwanted play. A little side to side is normal.

[MrMazda92]

I'll find a lube that works well with it, Thanks.

I'll check under the boot thursday when I jack it up, I'm pretty sure that's it... I hope the parts aren't expensive.

I can not twist it, even a little bit. I do however have side to side, as well as front to back play.

It's about 1/2 inch front to back, and 1.5 inches side to side.

I had less than 1/8" front to back after the install, and under 1/2" side to side.

I'm not imagining it, I swear

[Mooneggs]

Did you remove the shifter when you did the installation of the bushings? If so did you put it all back together correctly?

[wytbishop]

You don't lube them. They are self lubricating. That's the point of Sintered Bronze. It is impregnated with lubricant and when machined properly it sort of sweats oil.

What you're describing sounds to me like what I had when the rubber on the end of the stabilizer bar disintegrated. The bar that connects directly tot he tranny case has a rubber isolator on it. If that rubber has started to fall apart it will allow a lot of play int he shifter.

[Daninski]

Bronzoil bushings can be lubricated and in some instances may need to be. But yes as a rule they should maintain their ability to interpose a lubricating substance . So can you describe in which direction the excessive tolerance is most pronounced (uses big words for the sake of wytbishop).