Shift knob loose and turning easily

[goh2man]

Recently had the clutch replaced on my daily driver car a 2002 Honda Accord Coupe(WRX is garaged during the week) by a local mechanic and when I got it back I realized the shifter knob easily turns left and right and has become very loose. Clutch feels fine and everything else seems ok, was there anything wrong with the install, any guesses of how I could fix this? Maybe if I can figure out how to take the boot off I have to just turn the knob to tighten the threads I'm guessing, just want other opinions since I have never done this. I know I can just go back to the mechanic but it’s a Sunday and trying to avoid a trip there if it’s something I can easily fix. Yes I know this is a Subaru thread but it’s a mechanical question having to do with MT and since my search came out empty for this type of situation and there are a lot of knowledgeable people on here I thought I'd give it a shot.

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[tom@kartboy]

righty tighty, lefty loosey. give it a shot. you dont have anything to loose.

[goh2man]

Originally Posted by tom@kartboy

righty tighty, lefty loosey. give it a shot. you dont have anything to loose.

Thanks Tom i tried doing that and the whole leather boot twists with it, guessing i have to pull the boot down or off so it doesn't twist. No luck yet though

[nitroinsane]

my stock wrx shifter does this.It is ****ing annoying.

[tom@kartboy]

most factory based knobs have a plastic insert that screws onto the shifter shaft. if they get overtightened they can strip out.

T

[AndrewtechAutomotive]

I'd try holding the boot, then twisting the shift knob clockwise. The knob should spin in the boot, and tighten up.

If it's stripped, then you are out of luck.

Phil
Andrewtech Automotive

[Ike83]

Originally Posted by tom@kartboy

most factory based knobs have a plastic insert that screws onto the shifter shaft. if they get overtightened they can strip out.

T

I was just getting ready to start a thread about this exact same issue that I am having. Recently, my buddy and I put a new OEM clutch in my 2004 WRX. Everything went fine (except for a little trouble re-installing the shift fork pivot bar), and the car was put back together rather easily.

However, after it's now all said and done, I'm noticing that my shift knob will not fully tighten down onto the plastic threads? What are my options here?

Somebody suggested that I try to use some epoxy on it, but if I know that if I go that route, the shift knob will probably never come off again in the future, and I don't want that.

The only other option that I can think of, would be to order a new shifter altogether. Is there anything else that I could try before ordering an entirely new shift lever?

[tom@kartboy]

Originally Posted by Ike83

I was just getting ready to start a thread about this exact same issue that I am having. Recently, my buddy and I put a new OEM clutch in my 2004 WRX. Everything went fine (except for a little trouble re-installing the shift fork pivot bar), and the car was put back together rather easily.

However, after it's now all said and done, I'm noticing that my shift knob will not fully tighten down onto the plastic threads? What are my options here?

Somebody suggested that I try to use some epoxy on it, but if I know that if I go that route, the shift knob will probably never come off again in the future, and I don't want that.

The only other option that I can think of, would be to order a new shifter altogether. Is there anything else that I could try before ordering an entirely new shift lever?

the shifter threads are prob fine. its the knob thats jacked up. i say order up a kartboy knob or check around and see if anyone has a stocker on the cheap.

T

[Ike83]

Originally Posted by tom@kartboy

the shifter threads are prob fine. its the knob thats jacked up. i say order up a kartboy knob or check around and see if anyone has a stocker on the cheap.

T

So you're saying that the threads on the plastic knob which sits on the metal lever are probably okay? Because I've looked at the threads inside the shift knob, and they appear to be fine, whereas the threads on the plastic knob seem to be groovy on one side, and smoother on the other.

Is this a common problem? And if it is indeed the threads that are on the plastic knob that are jacked, what are my options at that point?

P.S. I have the silver shift knob that says STI on top of it. It came with the car whenever I bought it.

[tom@kartboy]

I'm saying the knob is jacked. the shifter itself is most likely fine. a quick test to see if the shifter threads are OK is to try screwing a lugnut on there by hand. if it goes on fine then the shifter is OK.

T

[Ike83]

Originally Posted by tom@kartboy

I'm saying the knob is jacked. the shifter itself is most likely fine. a quick test to see if the shifter threads are OK is to try screwing a lugnut on there by hand. if it goes on fine then the shifter is OK.

T

Cool. That's a good idea. But just in case. If the plastic threads on the lever are jacked, will I have to order an entirely new shifter to fix the problem?