Hello all..hope everyone had a safe and fun weekend!

I have a question for anybody that has a GSR and has put the Energy Suspension Shifter Stabilizer bushings on.
I put my set on this weekend and everything went as planned (except getting the donut shaped one on was a holy terror!!) Anyway...afterwards, everything felt super rock-solid and I was happy....until last night when I was getting on it for the 1st time since the switch....when I hit ~7700 RPM, my shifter started vibrating like crazy!!! Loud and very nasty sounding!

Well..I remembered that when I was putting the bushings on, I had noticed that the ES bushing closest to the shifter (rectangle with a hump), didn't quite match up to the OEM bushing's metal cover bracket. (the metal bracket that "covers" the bushing.) There was about a 1/4" gap between the top of the ES bushing's hump and the top of the hump on the OEM bracket. I Know that this is my problem.

My part number was 16-1101R and I'm wondering if I may have been sent the wrong part!! I checked ES' main site and found that this is the right part number, except for the "r" designation at the end of it. Yet at this site--> http://www.excessiveautosports.com/s...urer=ENERGY%20 they give a part number of 16-1101r for 1990-2000 integras. (BTW-I ordered my parts from Overboost.com and they don't have the part numbers listed on their site.) Could this possibly mean that they sent me bushings that fit a Type-R?
Does anybody have any suggestions or similar experience with this? I'm real confused and need some help.
As always, any help is appreciated.
Thanks

 

The R is for the color I think, you have the red ones I assume? I had no problems installing mine, but then again I can't remember if I got ES or Prothane.

 

Thanks Patrick... Nice car BTW...mine is the same color!
Yeah, they're red...so I guess that's what the R stands for.
Anybody else run into my problem?

 

yea R is for the color, the metal thing that goes over the red bushing shouldnt matter because the rod is going inside the red bushing, the metal bracket is only really there to bolt onto the car, try bending it. and the vibration/rattle should be normal because of the stiffer bushings it transfers more vibrations. Do you have a B&M shifter? i do and it rattles like a ****

 

If this rattle is normal...then I'm taking the sumbish off! I mean at 7700 rpm and above, it sounds like my frickin transmission is falling apart at the seams!
It has to be that bracket because the old bushing fit perfectly into it and the new one doesn't. I'll try bending it, but I'm not sure how that's going to help.
Thanks for the reply though!
Anybody else???

 

anybody have any suggestions?

 

Since we are on the topic of shifter bushings. How did you all manage to install the rear one [bar with hump]?

I was able to install the front one [round one]. But couldn't figure out how to do the rear one. I thought of the following:

-Remove the exhaust hangers so that the b-pipe is plyable?

-Just get some long extensions and/or a swivel socket

TIA

 

That's exactly how I did it. Somebody said once that you have to remove the exhaust, but I don't see why you would do that! You can reach the bolts you need just fine with it still on. Just undo the rubber hangers and you'll be fine.
Let me know if your metal bracket fits over top of your new bushing (rectangle w/ hump)....that's what I'm looking for here.
Thanks

 

Just get some long extensions and/or a swivel socket to install the rear one.
I believe it is normal for the ES bushings to transfer more vibration therefore at 7700+ rpm you get a hell of a lot more shaking.

My car does the same thing. But damn there no way I'm swaping out for stock rubber bushings.

 

Ok, cool.

Since I was unable to install the rear bushing, and just have the front one installed. It feels great, nice and firm, big difference.

I am gonna give the rear bushing a shot this weekend

 

C'Mon...you're telling me that horrible, horrible shaking is normal after 7700?! If it is, that peice of chit is coming out! Solid shifts or not...I'm not going to put up with that crap! I hope I can fix this because I do like the way the car shifts now.......but I won't put up with that vibration. hell...Its hard to hold onto and shift at the same time once it starts doing that! What's the point of even having a GSR if I can't rev it up?!
Thanks for the reply though...ttt


[Modified by GSR-REX, 2:38 PM 7/8/2002]

 

wow sounds like your vibrations are a little more severe than mine, but really how often do you take it to 7700.

 

you did remember to take the 2 metal sleeves out of the old ruber and put them into the new 1 right?

 

Yeah...the vibrations are so bad I can't keep my hand on it to shift!! It Sux!

I Hit 7700 about 3-4 times a day. I'd say that's pretty average

 

Yeah, I remembered the metal sleeves. Did you notice a size difference in the old bushing and new one? I hope somebody else has run into this issue....I could sure use the help.

 

So...everybody who has put in energy suspension shifter bushings have had ZERO problems with very bad vibrations at 7700RPM?? I must've gotten some reject bushings or soemthing I guess????


[Modified by GSR-REX, 3:57 PM 7/8/2002]

 

My shifter vibrates alot at high rpm of course, but it's not audible, it's just something I can feel when my hand is on the shifter.

 

i have a B&M shifter and it rattles like a **** at 6k+ rpms it screeeeeeeeems, and im sure the bushings help contribute to that rattle. but usually when im hitting 7k+ im to busy concentrating on the road to care about the screaming rattle

 

Well logically the rattle has to be two hard surfaces hitting each other.

Bushings are not going to make a noise.

I would look under your car, and make sure you have both of the bushing tight enough, then make sure there is nothing in the way of the shift linkage. Heat sheild, exhaust, make sure nothing was pushed in the way while you were working on it. Make sure everything is tight, and nothing can collide even if you pull on it slightly.

 

Thanks....I replaced the ES rear bushing last night with the original rubber one. I didn't get a chance to test it out yet, but as soon as I can, I'm going to see if that rattle is still there.
I checked all of my connections last night while I was replacing the old one, and as far as I can see, everything was solid. I'll let you guys know the outcome of my "experiment".
Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance

 

The vibration is normal. The tranny bushing translates more vibration. The bushing at the shifter end doesnt do anything. My OEM bracket didnt fit as well, I just jammed it in there and screwed it down. My shifter wasnt sloppy to begin with. I dont feel shifter bushings did much of anything except translate more vibration. But I left them in because im used to it now...

 

Thanks for the reply Muckman...but I refuse to believe that the awful vibration I am experiencing at 7700+ rpms is normal. If you all could see/hear this vibration I'm talking about, I'm sure you would agree. Its so bad that I cant keep my hand on the shifter!
I'm just hoping that its not something else that messed up!!

 

That's definitely NOT normal. I have a "crappy" (as some like to call it) B&M Edge shifter and I've never experienced any violent rattles. Check to see that everything's tightened and that all the shifter's other misc. bushings are in place (very important). Not to insult your intelligence, but did you install the round bushing the correct way?

Off the topic, I just recently installed the round bushing and it made a world of difference. I found that shifter bushings only "work" when your car is old and tired.

 

OT: do these bushings have a break in period? i mean after time will they get softer/cushiony. i wouldnt mind if they did, it make reduce my B&M rattle

 

No they don't. That's what's so good about polyurethane...they maintain their properties a lot longer than rubber bushings.