vibration from gear shift lever - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

doug · 04-08-2013

My 90 ZR1 with only 9000 miles has a vibration or buzzing noise caused by the reverse lock out, a light touch with finger stops the noise. Does anyone have an idea to keep this from happening. It is the only rattle or noise the car has and when on a long drive becomes very disturbing.

Thanks,

scottfab · 04-08-2013

See this thread. Mark has a good write-up in it.
http://zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?...shifter+rattle

Here is the text of what he wrote:
Some reverse lift rings fit loose on the shifter shaft. Sometimes the ring vibrates on the shaft. In this situation the driver will notice that if the lift ring is just touched with one finger the noise will stop.

The solution is to bend the reverse lockout rod so that it is not centered and floating on the shifter shaft. To do this, remove the reverse lockout lift ring. Look down the shifter shaft and view the reverse lockout rod. Use a screw driver to bend the rod slightly so that is it no longer centered in the shifter shaft. Reassemble the reverse lockout lift ring. The slight misalignment of the reverse lockout rod will cause a slight thrust against the side of the lift ring so that it can't move to the side and rattle.

Interestingly after I doing this for years I recently found the procedure listed in the '94 GM service manual. It's on page 10-1A-26. GM say's if tightening the hex screw does not help, bend the rod. You know your going to have problems with noise and rattles when the car manufacturer has a chapter in the service manual named Noise Reduction. They list 97 common '90 to '95 Corvette noises and how to fix them. Most of the fixes were incorporated into the '94 and '95 cars. That's why I think that the '95 has the most solid feeling when driven on a rough road.

If you find that the 1.5 mm drive hex screw in the lift ring is stripped, GM still supplies the lift ring.

Schrade · 04-08-2013

Welcome onto the boards there!

Some snappics of your Z are allowed here yUP...

Kevin · 04-08-2013

there's a very small allen bolt that holds the lock out ring in place, tighten it up very gingerly as not to snap it.

chriskinzel · 04-08-2013

I had the same vibration. I did the rod bend with a screw driver and it went away! Great and Easy fix.

doug · 04-12-2013

Sorry to be so long in posting a reply to all who were so quick to offer help to my request. I haven't had the chance to try the fix, but it certainly sounds like it will solve the problem.

I have just returned from my first road trip, putting 3800 miles on the ZR1, leaving Seal Beach, California and traveling much of Route 66 back to Tulsa, Oklahoma and return to California via Pine Top, Globe and Apache Junction, Az. The car ran beautifully and there were no problems except trying to get away from motels each morning with someone always wanting to look at the car and ask questions. I have to say I enjoyed every minute of the time spent.

Thanks again to all who responded

Doug B.http://www.zr1.net/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

1990 Red ZR1

Kevin · 04-12-2013

in the short term you can get a hair band, like a woman would use to hold her hair in a pony tail, and wrap that around the reverse lock out ring. previous owner did that with my car

ZZZZZR1 · 04-12-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by doug

Sorry to be so long in posting a reply to all who were so quick to offer help to my request. I haven't had the chance to try the fix, but it certainly sounds like it will solve the problem.

I have just returned from my first road trip, putting 3800 miles on the ZR1, leaving Seal Beach, California and traveling much of Route 66 back to Tulsa, Oklahoma and return to California via Pine Top, Globe and Apache Junction, Az. The car ran beautifully and there were no problems except trying to get away from motels each morning with someone always wanting to look at the car and ask questions. I have to say I enjoyed every minute of the time spent.

Thanks again to all who responded

Doug B.http://www.zr1.net/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

1990 Red ZR1

Doug

Wow!!! Your car had 9k miles and you just put 3,800 miles on it? You have to tell us about your trip!!!! Pictures please!!!!!!

Welcome to the forum!

David

04-08-2013	#1
doug Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: california Posts: 2	vibration from gear shift lever My 90 ZR1 with only 9000 miles has a vibration or buzzing noise caused by the reverse lock out, a light touch with finger stops the noise. Does anyone have an idea to keep this from happening. It is the only rattle or noise the car has and when on a long drive becomes very disturbing. Thanks,

04-08-2013	#2
scottfab Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Portland Oregon metro area (Washington side) Posts: 3,207	Re: vibration from gear shift lever See this thread. Mark has a good write-up in it. http://zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?...shifter+rattle Here is the text of what he wrote: Some reverse lift rings fit loose on the shifter shaft. Sometimes the ring vibrates on the shaft. In this situation the driver will notice that if the lift ring is just touched with one finger the noise will stop. The solution is to bend the reverse lockout rod so that it is not centered and floating on the shifter shaft. To do this, remove the reverse lockout lift ring. Look down the shifter shaft and view the reverse lockout rod. Use a screw driver to bend the rod slightly so that is it no longer centered in the shifter shaft. Reassemble the reverse lockout lift ring. The slight misalignment of the reverse lockout rod will cause a slight thrust against the side of the lift ring so that it can't move to the side and rattle. Interestingly after I doing this for years I recently found the procedure listed in the '94 GM service manual. It's on page 10-1A-26. GM say's if tightening the hex screw does not help, bend the rod. You know your going to have problems with noise and rattles when the car manufacturer has a chapter in the service manual named Noise Reduction. They list 97 common '90 to '95 Corvette noises and how to fix them. Most of the fixes were incorporated into the '94 and '95 cars. That's why I think that the '95 has the most solid feeling when driven on a rough road. If you find that the 1.5 mm drive hex screw in the lift ring is stripped, GM still supplies the lift ring. __________________ Scott Vett owner since 1979._It's about the car and the people Last edited by scottfab; 04-08-2013 at 09:28 PM.

04-08-2013	#3
Schrade Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: NC Posts: 1,786	Re: vibration from gear shift lever Welcome onto the boards there! Some snappics of your Z are allowed here yUP... __________________ I'm getting my snappics / threads removed blindly as fast as I can, to get in compliance with copyright / license TOS on the boards here (lots of FSM pages and other copyright / license violations on my part; sorry guys). And thanks to all the guys who didn't whine when I posted those FSM copyrighted / licensed stuff in my threads... ( :thumbsup: [b]and to think I complied with a mod's request to delete a pic of him in a Challenge Car in NCM Museum, so he wouldn't get in hot water)[/b] Thanks to several guys here for sending parts FREE; BearlyFlying, WeGone, Geezer, GoldCylon, and more there, TonyD, mike100, fletchusmc... 1990 #2794; 4L60e Stage V by RPM Transmission, TCI Dedicated TCM, OBX Stainless, Power Effects 3" [IMG]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GHpfzty7DVU/UQn-0Ru2xAI/AAAAAAAAA14/08mz1p4QLD4/s445/Screenshot-5.png[/IMG]

04-08-2013	#4
Kevin Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: pittsburgh Posts: 4,633	Re: vibration from gear shift lever there's a very small allen bolt that holds the lock out ring in place, tighten it up very gingerly as not to snap it. __________________ It's not the car, it's the people - Doug Johnson 90 r/r "KEYS ON" nick named "T.L.B"

04-08-2013	#5
chriskinzel Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 169	Re: vibration from gear shift lever I had the same vibration. I did the rod bend with a screw driver and it went away! Great and Easy fix. __________________ 91 ZR-1 Red on Red #922

04-12-2013	#6
doug Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: california Posts: 2	Re: vibration from gear shift lever Sorry to be so long in posting a reply to all who were so quick to offer help to my request. I haven't had the chance to try the fix, but it certainly sounds like it will solve the problem. I have just returned from my first road trip, putting 3800 miles on the ZR1, leaving Seal Beach, California and traveling much of Route 66 back to Tulsa, Oklahoma and return to California via Pine Top, Globe and Apache Junction, Az. The car ran beautifully and there were no problems except trying to get away from motels each morning with someone always wanting to look at the car and ask questions. I have to say I enjoyed every minute of the time spent. Thanks again to all who responded Doug B.http://www.zr1.net/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif 1990 Red ZR1