CleanAFCivic

Hey, whats up guys. I got a 5 speed 98 civic EX, and my tranny is acting up. 2nd and 3rd gear have a ton play (doesnt pop out of gear but still wobbles a ton side to side) and when I start my car in the morning, I have to basically force it into 1st, but after that, it shifts into 1st just fine all day long.

note: it still has original clutch with 167,000 miles on it.

What do you guys think? I know I should get the clutch replaced as soon as possible, but as far as the play I feel in gear, what do you guys think that could be?

tony_2018

shifter bushings. check all of it

sumdewd

Is this the original D series? Is it tough to put into first in the morning with the car off? Does your clutch actively slip while you drive? You most likely have worn shifter bushings. Best thing to do is to (properly) support and chalk the car while an assistant wiggles the shifter. Observe what moves while the other parts don't move as much.

Second thing to check in my experience is the actual U-joints on the shift linkage wear out over time. My 90 Si has incredible slop in every gear with new bushings and roll (AKA bitch) pin and it's slightly annoying. I even have a rebuilt Synchrotech 5 speed transmission. Too lazy to source a new linkage to fix a minor annoyance.

Energy Shifter Bushings

It's like 14 bucks. It's cheap enough to give it a shot.

CleanAFCivic

Everything in the car is original besides small parts. its never slipped out of gear before. Only problem is I live in a very strict apartment complex right now so I can't work on my car there (besides cosmetic stuff) and don't really have anywhere to work on it. I just started really noticing it maybe a month or so ago so I don't know if its gonna be a huge problem until I can get it in a shop. In your opinion, is this something I should get fixed right away or should I be good for a bit?

CleanAFCivic

While I got you guys here as well, my shifter has quite a bit of vibration when idle. I'm thinking it's just my tranny mounts unless you guys have any other ideas

sumdewd

In my experience when the rear trans mount went bad the shifter would sink into the floor whenever I let off the gas in gear. I unknowingly drove with a bad driver side mount which was a huge amount of vibration at idle for me. A bad front mount clunked when I let the clutch out.

Bad engine mounts and/or shifter bushings can definitely cause the vibration, though. If you're worried about vibration I would not get the Energy bushings but try for OEM rubber bushings. The energy ones are polyurethane and can vibrate or squeak more easily since the poly doesn't give as much.

Honestly at this point it just sounds like an annoyance. But you make sure you're comfortable with the way the car drives. I would definitely make sure you're not cutting left turns too short though.

Edit: I don't remember if a 6th gen has a front mount but you get the idea

CleanAFCivic

honestly, I'm fine with how it drives. I can still shift just fine. It feels solid besides those couple little things. As long as it's something that doesnt need to be addressed immediately, other than the original clutch that came with the car in 1998 (no idea why the previous owner decided not to replace it) I just wanted some more info on that stuff to see how serious it really was

sumdewd

Yeah man you're probably good unless you let a newbie drive your car. They might be confused. Clutches can last quite a long time if you're not stupid with the car, so it's not unheard of but just get ready to replace the damn thing. Just be aware there are other more expensive parts that can wear down and imitate that slop but are super unlikely compared to the others suggested.

Those shifter bushings don't take long to replace. If you know anybody with a floor jack, jack stands, and wheel chocks, you can replace them in a few minutes. It's basically three 10mm bolts, with two being above the exhaust and one at the trans. If the linkage or the bitch pin is the cause, they're much more involved.

And the 6th gen has a hydro clutch. Don't rule out a bad master/slave cylinder and/or needing to bleed them if you think you have clutch issues. I try to replace my brake type fluids every year or two but none of my on road vehicles currently have a hydro clutch.

CleanAFCivic

honestly, I don't think its anything too serious. I know I need to get my clutch replaced soon though. That's next on my list I think

TomCat39

If the clutch isn't slipping you don't have to replace it.

The simple check to see if a clutch is slipping is to try a take off from a stop in 3rd gear. If the engine dies or the car starts rolling slowly but rpm's don't just rise up to 3-4K with halfish gas, the clutch still has life.

If on the other hand the car doesn't really start to roll much but rpm begins rising to 3-4K the clutch life is gone and needs to be replaced.

I wouldn't push this test, only 1-2 seconds to see what the engine does.

Also, you will definitely smell burnt clutch once it begins slipping. It's not pleasant.