1996 STI loose gear selector - not springs
 

When I got the STI the gears were the best I had ever used, lovely and precise and great to select with the close ratio box. Now, although there are no problems with the actual selection, when its in gear the stick has massive movement to either side. It used to feel like a Ferrari H-gate but now its just a spoon in custard. Checked everything up to the gearbox, no probs there. the return springs are fine and it does spring back to where its supposed to be, but its not like it used to be. What could I look for next?

The selector rod had a fork that bolts tight to it inside the box on the 752 box. If this is loose then it may be the problem.

The above is a long shot btw.

Are the springs you have checked the ones at the end of the box near the prop?

What about the mechanism that bolts into the side of the box? This is the part that makes the lever feel firm when moving from side to side.

Thanks for the reply, I have had the whole thing apart at the gearstick end, re greased it and given it the once over, all seems fine there. Last time I got the car on a ramp the selector rod just seemed to disappear into the gearbox, I will have another look tomorrow at the gearbox end. Cheers for the pointers I'll let u know how it goes!

Thats the problem with the selector rod, you need the gearbox out on the earlier cars to see where the rod goes through the centralising mechanism.

i got 96 sti import had exactly same problem with gearstick wrattling around everywhere , i work at a company that makes gearbox components and was reasured that if something was that loose inside the gearbox the car would not be going at all , the problem was a missing spring across the universal joint in the gear lever linkage, unable to get one from subaru ended up down the scrap yard, bonnet catches have tension springs fitted in them one of them should fit.