The GSX uses a cable operated manual transmission. A set of levers and pivots just under the shifter boot changes the length of two steel cables connecting it to the transmission under the hood. At the ends of each of these pivot points, there are soft polymer bushings that keep things in place. These bushings degrade, and the ones in this car haven’t existed for quite some time, meaning there was a TON of play in the shifter.
This felt like some low hanging fruit and a satisfying way to spend an afternoon and get something done that could be immediately appreciated. I jumped online, ordered a full set of bushings, and a few extras, and waited impatiently for their arrival.
The job was an easy one and over in 30 minutes. The assembly came apart with ease while the remains of the original bushings crumbled out. I cleaned up the area with a shop vac and wiped all the parts clean before applying a new coat of assembly grease. A total of 4 soft bushings, 2 hard bushings, and a little plastic cup that accommodates the left-right motion of the shifter went into the assembly and brought it back to like new condition. The play is gone and the shift is crisp as can be!
Although the car still likes to grind going into reverse…
My 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX Project 