5 speed shift knob rattling

Post by **luketrash** » 18 Apr 2008, 23:23

I just picked up this '93 245 and it's a 5 speed.

I noticed that the speed indicator insert rattles and buzzes at certain speeds.

Does it need to be loose in order to pull out from the gearshift knob? My old 240s had a electrical switch for overdrive, but this car does not, obviously. I was thinking of putting super glue on a toothpick and tacking it to the shift knob semi-permenantly.

Do I need to leave it free? Are there better ways to silence it?

Post by **jonesg** » 19 Apr 2008, 09:19

I know when my volvo is running well,
the little things start to bother me.!

superglue or cyanoacrylate is brittle, I prefer rubber cement or goop.

Post by **luketrash** » 19 Apr 2008, 12:54

Indeed! This is the quietest Volvo I've owned, including my 855 and the 965 I had before it.

It's an amazing vehicle. The previous owner never modified it or broke anything.

I love the high-up trucklike feel of it too compared to my 850.

Looking at some replacement shift knobs, it looks like there's nothing under there to worry about, so I'll use some rubber marine glue or something to secure it.

The car has 130k miles on it, so I'll be the one doing all the fun stuff like replacing motor mounts, trailing arm bushings, etc... It's been several years since I've had a 240, so I have to locate all my custom tools I made back in the day.

Post by **jonesg** » 19 Apr 2008, 20:07

130K miles is just breaking in.
The guys on the brickboard would kill for that tranny, there ain't a lot of 5 speeds around.

LaRy · Post by **LaRy** » 20 Apr 2008, 13:58

Hi, I had the same problem. Yes, it is the speed indicator (top of the gear shift knop) rattling against the stick. The reason is that the knop has slided down a little, try to pull it upwards. The rather soft rubber knob is just pressed down to the stick and it seems like it is leaving it's correct position when some people, like my son, press the knob down while changing gear. I took the speed indicator top away and added a little thin rubber between the stick and the top. you just bend the top off by a small screwdriver or knife. It helped.

Post by **luketrash** » 20 Apr 2008, 20:53

Thanks Lary.

My fix literally took a minute.

I used a small flathead screwdriver and easily pried the top part out of the shifter. I wadded up a small piece of paper towel to make everything tight and reinstalled it.

No more shake.