Noise from gear shift

[Brerabit]

My ’96 Chimaera 4.0 has recently started to make an intermittent ‘buzzing/fizzing’ noise which seems to be coming from the gear shift. I can alter the volume a bit by backing off or accelerating.
I’m suspecting/hoping it’s coming from the remote linkage - mainly because if it’s the T5 box I suspect it’s going to cost a packet.
Anyone got any ideas?

[latham91]

Can you alter/stop the noise by gripping the stick in your hand to try to stop the vibration?

[Brerabit]

It mutes it a bit but I can still feel it through the lever.

[ChilliWhizz]

Easy fix... pre-cats out, Clive F 'Y', and sleeve the exhaust...... You'll still feel the vibration through the gearstick but you won't hear it

[Challenger C4s]

Is the noise worse in 1st 2nd and 3rd but then a lot less in 4th?

[NZ fan]

my car has just started doing this [95 5litre t5 box] holding the gear stick or the handbrake makes little difference. i,m about to pull the console and investigate i,ll report my findings once I'm in there.

[Brerabit]

Look forward to hearing what you find NZ fan - or maybe I don't...
Although the frequency of the noise is fairly constant, It's onset seems more dependent on revs than either road speed or a particular gear, which is what makes me hope it's some sort of resonance in the linkage.

[NZ fan]

well I'm a little bit gob smacked but this is what i found. after removing the console and gearbox cover i went for a drive which was a bit like driving a tractor with all the gear noises and road noises etc. but i was able to hold various parts of the gear change mechanism to see if i could alter any of the noises, nothing seemed to be rattling or rubbing to make the noise so i put it back together after zip tying an unused plug out of the way and gluing a piece of felt over one of the hand brake boot rivets where it was rubbing on the hand brake mount. went for a drive thinking surely i had got it but no the noise persisted. i then realised that it did it in 3rd and 5th and if i wriggled the gearstick in these gears it made the noise, even while stationary.
my noise was coming from the leather gearstick boot rubbing on itself which is particularly bunched up in 3rd and 5th. sprayed a heap of armour all
over the boot and rubbed it around with a rag, went for a ride and noise gone. I feel a bit stupid for not realising it sooner but there you go. got a result so all good. I hope your noise turns out to be the same thing o/p?

[Brerabit]

Well that’s a first - rattles on a Chim fixed with leather conditioner…
Glad you’ve sorted it.
I’m pretty convinced mines a little further south in the hard stuff but becoming less concerned it’s actually in the box. Someone’s told me there’s some sort of anti-rattle washer/device in the remote linkage which falls apart but is an easy fix once you’ve opened up the tunnel.
It’s going for re-trimming in couple of weeks so i’m going to wait till then to have look in there.

[ChimpOnGas]

Brerabit said:

My ’96 Chimaera 4.0 has recently started to make an intermittent ‘buzzing/fizzing’ noise which seems to be coming from the gear shift. I can alter the volume a bit by backing off or accelerating.
I’m suspecting/hoping it’s coming from the remote linkage - mainly because if it’s the T5 box I suspect it’s going to cost a packet.
Anyone got any ideas?

An intermittent ‘buzzing/fizzing’ noise sounds like the TVR linkage to me, if you study it there are a host of potential wear points in this arrangement used by TVR on T5 equipped Chimeras & Griffs.



The TVR T5 linkage has the following joints, one or all could be contributing to your vibration issue:

1. The rose joint with locking nut fixed to the bell housing

2. The sliding telescoping joint (sliding rod that moves inside the gun drilled main linkage)

3. The linkage pivot at the original T5 shift lever point

4. The linkage pivot at the revised TVR shift point

5: The nylon cup - ball joint (TVR adapter plate)

6. The nylon cup - ball joint (original T5 shift lever point)

Joints 3 & 4 many may be subject to wear on the outer hole, the inner hole, the clevis pin, or all three at once.

So if you add it all up there are 10 points of potential play, even if everything is unworn the whole lot could also potentially vibrate if the locking nut for the rose joint on the bell housing has come loose, so that's actually 11 points of potential play & vibration in what is only about 20" of TVR linkage. And I haven't even got onto the spacer washers used as crude bushes on joints 3 & 4, these washers are often loose fitting creating a tinkling sound as they rattle & rotate on their clevis pins.

All this is why I deleted the entire Heath Robinson multi-jointed arrangement that TVR designed just to solve the simple engineering challenge of positioning the gear stick correctly. There are better ways to solve this problem these days, the best being to use a later tail housing from the Chevrolet S10 pickup which solves things in a properly engineered fashion and removes all bar one (the shifter cup) of the 11 points of play, slop & potential vibration. To address this last element I replaced the nylon shifter cup with a brass one when the TVR linkage was deleted in favour of the S10 tail housing, so everything is absolutely as good as it can be.

Because I selected a special Hurst quick shift kit with its stronger self centering spring action the overall end result still requires a firm hand to shift gear compared with your everyday manual gearbox shopping car, but I feel this beefy and engaging action is very much in keeping with the true character of a TVR. By removing all the slop in the play prone TVR linkage I have definitely created a faster & far more direct shift feel which unquestionably enhances driving pleasure and eliminates miss-shifts while also removing any vibration in one properly engineered package.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=149...

In effect all I've actually done is what TVR did themselves with the Tuscan, Tamora, T350 & Segaris models... all of which benefited from a proper tail housing casting that worked in harmony with the required gear stick position.

Saying all that if the linkage is in good fettle it shouldn't vibrate so before you go spending on the S10 tail housing mod I'd pull your centre console out and go for a drive. Put your hand on the linkage in various places to see if you can isolate the vibration, if this is inconclusive check your gearbox & engine mounts as ultimately these are what locate all elements of the drive train forward on the differential.

Hope this helps?

[NZ fan]

Brerabit said:

Well that’s a first - rattles on a Chim fixed with leather conditioner…
Glad you’ve sorted it.
I’m pretty convinced mines a little further south

for the effort involved i urge you to give it a go. both me and the missus can't believe that leather could make a rattling/buzzing noise. [and i diagnose vehicle faults for a living] maybe its time i retired?

[Brerabit]

Thanks ChimpOnGas - I’m hoping a bit of spannering and a washer or two will solve it as a quick fix - but you have got me seriously thinking about an S10 conversion. Even if I get rid of the rattle, knowing that it could be so much slicker under there will just keep niggling away at me. I love the car but can’t resist the temptation to keep swapping stuff out for something that works better. Hopefully, as result of your inspiring posts on the subject, I’m not going to find that all the surplus units have either been bought up by the TVR crowd and/or the price has doubled…

Just wish it was as easy as a squirt of Autoglym Leather Conditioner NZ Fan, but this ones definitely metal on metal - but don’t retire just yet - funding a Chimp ain’t cheap.

[ChimpOnGas]

Brerabit said:

Thanks ChimpOnGas - I’m hoping a bit of spannering and a washer or two will solve it as a quick fix - but you have got me seriously thinking about an S10 conversion. Even if I get rid of the rattle, knowing that it could be so much slicker under there will just keep niggling away at me. I love the car but can’t resist the temptation to keep swapping stuff out for something that works better. Hopefully, as result of your inspiring posts on the subject, I’m not going to find that all the surplus units have either been bought up by the TVR crowd and/or the price has doubled…

Just wish it was as easy as a squirt of Autoglym Leather Conditioner NZ Fan, but this ones definitely metal on metal - but don’t retire just yet - funding a Chimp ain’t cheap.

I bet it's just one of the washers TVR used as crude bushing, also check the four bolts securing the TVR linkage plate/bracket are secure. Do drive the car with the centre console off and put your hand on various points on the linkage to see if you can isolate the vibration.

I would put money on it being something easy & cheap to resolve so you really dont need to shell out on the S-10 tail housing mod. But if you do want to go in this direction I'd encourage you to try my gear shift first to make sure it's to your liking, this is the only way to decide yourself if it's worth the investment.

Personally I feel the mod was a great success and is definitely a significant improvement, but lets be clear it's a significant improvement over something that does work just as it is, at the end of the day it's up to you what value you put on having a more direct and slightly shorter throw gearbox?

If I were you I'd just find the rattle before you embark on the S-10 tail housing mod, saying that if you do choose to do it you'll not be disappointed with the result.

Dave

[sheel]

Dave,little hijack...another chimera owner toolbox 200 has a 2000 4.5 I also have a 2000 4.5 mine has all the plethora of linkage,his does not and his gear lever is in a different position to mine,was this a later box fitted or has his been modified?
Rich

[Brerabit]

Dave - Too late for rational thought and economic reasoning - I’m doing it. Not yet though, it’s been off the road to long and I’ve still got a few jobs queued up including a retrim, brake upgrade, new fuel tank but with baffles firmly attached and an alloy rad before she clocks up some serious miles, here and in France. But next winter when she goes up to 4.6 with a warmer cam etc.. I should have all the bits lined up to do the job.
I think I’ve got my head round most of the issues with the S10 conversion. Doesn’t seem to be a problem locating a tail housing but not sure whether it makes any difference whether it’s configured for mechanical or electronic speedo if it’s going to be blanked anyway. Think I’ve found a source for the mounting which just leaves the offset for the gear lever and unless I’m missing something that doesn’t need much more than a chunk of aluminium, some basic metalwork and “a bit of wire and a wingnut”.
Have I missed anything?