I had a friend's shop install new shift linkage bushings and a blox dual bend short shifter on my 99 DC2 about three days ago. Now after three days I'm noticing that during engine braking there is a metallic "ring" coming from below the shifter. It's pretty faint but if your listening for it you can hear it. Am I just OCD or is this normal or what? I could and should have done the work myself but I had him mounting and balancing new tires and putting coilovers on the car at the time and figured while he had the car on a lift it wouldn't hurt to get him to throw the shifter and bushings on as well. I'm pretty new to modding hondas so if this is something normal and expected after this kind of install someone let me know. thanks!

 

Anyone at all who's had experience with the blox short shifter or similar setup that can tell me if theirs had a metallic ring or rattle after installation? I just don't feel like that would be normal. I'm hoping it's not loose and that I'm hearing a washer vibrating. If the bolt backs out on me in the middle of the road it just might ruin my weekend. But just the same it might not be something worth dragging myself under the car just yet. Any input at all would be great.

 

It could be as simple as a few loose bolts causing the rattling. Jack up your car and take a look for yourself. Make sure all the linkage is secure and that any bolts on the assembly that hold the shifter in place are tight.

If you look and everything looks tight but the noise continues, take it back to your friends shop and have them take a look at it.

 

My guess would be the shifter is now really close to the heat shield on the exhaust. And with the movement coming from the motor the exhaust is now vibrating against the bottom of the shifter.

 

I've installed a few short shifters on different honda's and I know that on some (DA teg's come to mind) the heat shielding for the exhaust sits really close to the end of the shifter and can vibrate under engine braking. You should be able to see it without jacking the car up. And if you actually think that your mechanic "friend" left a bolt loose on the shifter install maybe you should consider checking the suspension he installed at the same time. You wouldn't want any of those bolts backing out on you while your driving down the road

And I'm not takin cracks at your buddy either, I've just seen some terrible installs done by "friends"...

 

shifter hitting the heat shield. jack up the car and remove the heat shield where the shifter is problem solved.

 

No worries about the "friend" mechanic thing. I once had a VERY bad experience with a "friend's" shop and the job they did installing motor mount inserts on a previous car. The place I went to isn't shade tree though, they do suspension work on Hondas pretty regularly considering that 5 of the 7 guys their have owned numerous models. I actually did take it back about the ringing because it was getting louder and it turned out to be a crack in the heat shield. Thanks to everyone for the advice.


Modified by thesamesound at 3:32 PM 7/11/2008