This morning I took the Z (1973 240) out for a Sunday drive and when shifting from reverse in the driveway the shifter "banged" as it went into neutral. Seemed strange because the car was stopped. I then cautiously drove around the neighborhood and noticed a lot of slop in the shifter but otherwise everything seemed fine. Anyways, back home I took the console out and removed the shifter to find that the driver side shifter pin bushing had disintegrated, the bushing on the passenger side of the pin was still intact. The bushing in there were Nissan OEM plastic bushing that I installed when I rebuilt the transmission quite a few years ago.

My question is for those who have replaced the plastic bushings with brass bushings, what has been your experience. I have read that it improve shifter feel but does it create noise or vibrations? Also, I see that both MSA and ZCar Depot offer brass replacements, your experience with bushings from either of these vendors would be appreciated.

thanks,

John

I did this cheap upgrade and am happy with the results in both my cars. 10 years or so and still hold firm and tight, no slope which I prefer.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002731/http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/shifterbushing/index.html

Let me add to this.

I don't daily drive these cars and once it's in gear I do not hold the shifter. My Dad broke me of that at an early age. A bunch of keys hanging on the ignition switch would send him into a fit. I miss that old man.

Edited July 12Jul 12 by siteunseen

I prefer the original Nissan type, probably because I worked at a Nissan dealership as a transmission, brake, and clutch mechanic.

The reason we didn't use brass bushings was that the original plastic bushings were designed as sacrificial parts. They are the softer component, so they wear instead of the surrounding parts. Replacing them was a routine maintenance job.

Brass bushings are much harder and won't wear out as quickly, but they can cause increased wear on the mating components instead.

Of course, it also depends on how much you drive the car.

If you do choose brass bushings, make sure to lubricate them regularly. The original plastic bushings don't require lubrication, but the brass ones do. Without proper lubrication, the brass bushings can wear prematurely and may also increase wear on the mating components.

Edited July 12Jul 12 by EuroDat

Siteunseen and EuroDat,

Thank you for your responses. I did a more thorough search through the archives and found several more threads regarding the shifter bushings and am now leaning toward going with the OEM plastic bushings. I read that the brass bushings can transmit vibration and noise into the cabin and I already had an issue with noise when I swapped out the stock shifter knob for an aftermarket knob a few years ago. Also, EuroDat you make a good point about the bushings being the sacrificial part.

So considering that the bushings which were in there lasted a good many years and I only drive the Z maybe 500 miles a year nowadays, the stock bushings are probably the way to go.

John

https://www.thezstore.com/product/6104/solid-shifter-pin-bushing-set-72-81-240z-260z-280z-280zx-non-turbo-w-manual-trans

For reference: A few things to consider if your shifter lever vibrates or has the familiar rattling noise:

1. If you've fitted an aftermarket gear knob, make sure it isn't much heavier than the original. Weight is important. The shifter lever moves with the drivetrain vibrations, while a heavier knob has more inertia and lags behind, which can amplify vibration and rattling. It's a similar principle to reducing unsprung weight in a suspension system.

2. Check the rear transmission mount for wear, cracks, or sagging. A worn mount allows more drivetrain movement, which is often transmitted to the shifter lever. Also make sure the crossmember bolts are the correct length and aren't bottoming out in the mount.

3. Inspect the propeller shaft for missing balance weights and check the universal joints (U-joints) for wear or play.

4. Finally, one of the biggest causes of premature bushing wear: don't rest your hand on the gearknob while driving. Many people do it without thinking, but it constantly applies pressure to the selector mechanism and can wear the bushings much faster than normal.

FYI, I ordered the stock bushings and am awaiting their delivery. They served me well for the past 53 years with only one replacement required before now so I really can't complain.

Eurodat, here are my responses to your very good comments above:

1. You are correct. The aftermarket shift knob is 4 grams heavier (54 grams) than the stock knob (50 grams). The problem only arose when the ambient temperature was below 40 degrees F (4.44 C). I switched back to the stock knob and the noise was gone. It is surprising that such a small difference matters but it must.

2. I replaced the engine and transmission mounts with new stock mounts in 2018 when I rebuilt the motor so I think they are still OK.

3. I have had no noise or vibration issues since changing the knob back to stock. I checked the entire driveline when I rebuilt the motor and it was OK then.

4. I agree, that is probably just as bad as resting your foot on the clutch pedal when not shifting. The only time I ever rested my hand on the shifter was when it was vibrating and then only to verify what was going on.

Thank you for your input,

John

Update: stock (OEM) bushings arrived and installed during yesterday's thunderstorms, drove it today and now it feels like I got a new transmission.