Haven't posted here in a long time, but I jumped outta the Honda game for awhile, and after owning a Ford and a couple GMs, I was reminded why I enjoyed my Acuras and Hondas so much. Awesome fact: Just bought back my very first car, a 95 civic EX coupe, I sold it a couple years back with a blown ISB and got it back from the guy I sold it to (for a higher price) all patched up. When I sold it my gear selector would wiggle maybe a half inch left-right in each gear, and maybe a full inch in neutral. I got the car back, and now the shifter will look like it is in 5th gear in 3rd because the shifter wobbles about. I can actually move my whole arm sliding the shifter left to right in each gear, that's how much play it has. The transmission was replaced with a used 1996 EX transmission, same gears and everything as the older 95 EX transmission. Should a set of new shifter bushings resolve this issue? I read somewhere that that may not help much and something else is needed to solve the problem, something about a linkage but it wasn't very clear what this linkage was and I need help knowing what to do. It stays in all gears and is quiet right now but I like the crisper feeling in the shifter and I need to know what to replace.

 

B&M Short shifter

ES Shift Linkage Bushings

Do it

 

bump

 

Someone probably removed the linkage at one point, and used a bolt to reattach it to the transmission, instead of the appropriate roll pin, causing the excessive slop.

Should cost no more than a couple dollars and a couple minutes to repair.

 

Very well could be the previous owner, they did a couple hack jobs on the car i already had to fix. Forgive my ignorance, ive never played with honda trannys other than fluid and VSSs, what bolt are you talking about and where should i look? I have jack stands and a mechanic floor jack, can i do this in my garage?

 

Check bushings directly under shifter. I swapped with a junkyard one on a build and brought it back to as good as new.

 

Yes, you can do it in your garage. Get the car on jackstands, then get underneath it and inspect. You can look at where the linkage connects, look at bushings, look at bolts, pull on the linkage from down there to try to determine where the play is.

You have to inspect.

 

^this

 

This has happened to me. Talked the guy down 800 bucks on the price of the car all because they put a bolt with a nut in place of the, "Bitch pin", shifting linkage pin. That pin cost me about 3.50 from Honda.

 

My 97 EK had a lot of play in the shifter. I bet your bushings are mashed potatoes. I just bought a tube of that polyurethane bushing sealant, took off the linkage and gobbed the sealant into the shift linkage at all the attachment points. Let it cure fully before reattaching. I believe its the equivalent of like 65 durometer. It made the car a lot more fun to drive, and shifter was a lot more enjoyable.

 

Check the bushings on the shifter. They may be shot. Here is a link that shows the bushings that are available: Honda Civic 1995 Suspension Parts

 

I wish OP would come back and tell us what the problem ended up being.

 

Do you need a press to install, or crimp the pin?

 

Why wont a bolt work?

 

 

Because the bitch pin is actually a 'spring' designed to eliminate all the slop between the linkage and the selector arm. It's designed with zero tolerance, and I don't think it is a 'normal' bolt size. Use the $2 pin.

 

Honda Automotive Parts
#22 "bitch pin" and any of the parts at the shift lever that is wore out will cause "slop" if all of it has a little ware or one part has a lot of ware you will have lots of "slop" 94

 

Yep, I've used the "bolt in the roll pin hole" trick before, and there is ALWAYS more slop than if you use the factory roll or "bitch" pin. It's not even that difficult to get out if you just use the correct tools, a drift pin and a hammer. Comes out in a couple minutes usually.