so this is really pissing me off. a couple months ago my clutch blew out, and i had to get a new one. now, this problem has suddenly arisen: the left part of the shifter track is loose. normally, the stick should spring back to the center when it is in neutral so it is between gears 3 and 4. now suddenly, it is only springing back when its pushed right. when it is left (i.e. between gears 1 and 2) it doesn't spring back. sorry if this is a bad explanation, but if anyone could help, i'd appreciate it greatly.

the shifter return spring on the tranny side of your shift linkage is broken or missing. Look under the car, on the tranny side of the shift linkage (rear part of the tranny). there is supposed to be a spring there. I would bet that there isn't.

Gnuman nailed that one! The spring should run between two small holes one on the stabilizer and the other on the shifter rod. Spring is about 1.5" long and .5" in diameter.

Check these photos for a good view of the spring:

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showgallery.php?mcats=all&si=&what=allfields&name=bigmattyd&when=0&whenterm=&condition=and

 

Matt

This is the best one of the lot. the three parts are that you may need are that outside plate, the nut that holds it on, and the spring. One of three things likely happened:

1) the nut came loose (fell off) and the spring, nut and outer plate are all gone.

 

2) The hole on the outer plate got damaged and the spring no longer holds to it (likely, the spring is gone too)

 

3) The spring itself broke, leaving the other two bits intact.

So, how would I go about getting this fixed, and how much do you guys think it would cost?

Also, how urgent is it that i get this fixed?

If you are minimaly handy with tools, you can do it yourself, for the cost of parts (and the parts themselves should be cheap).

 

As for how critical it is. . . how much does it annoy you? That is really the deciding factor in this. The centering spring makes the shifting a little bit easier, and the shift lever goes to the same spot each time it is released in neutral. Nothing more than that really. The way it makes shifting easier is that we get used to the action of the return spring when we drive. When the return spring is not there, we have to pay more attention to the location of the shift lever to get the car into the gear we want. No more and no less than that.

If you are minimaly handy with tools, you can do it yourself, for the cost of parts (and the parts themselves should be cheap).

 

As for how critical it is. . . how much does it annoy you? That is really the deciding factor in this. The centering spring makes the shifting a little bit easier, and the shift lever goes to the same spot each time it is released in neutral. Nothing more than that really. The way it makes shifting easier is that we get used to the action of the return spring when we drive. When the return spring is not there, we have to pay more attention to the location of the shift lever to get the car into the gear we want. No more and no less than that.

 

well, if theres no danger of anything really bad happening, im alright with leaving it for a while. on the other hand, i wouldnt mind repairing it. i've never really done any car repairs before, but i've done some stuff with bikes and i guess i'm fairly handy with tools. if i were to attempt this, though, what tools would i need and where would i be able to order the parts?

well, if theres no danger of anything really bad happening, im alright with leaving it for a while. on the other hand, i wouldnt mind repairing it. i've never really done any car repairs before, but i've done some stuff with bikes and i guess i'm fairly handy with tools. if i were to attempt this, though, what tools would i need and where would i be able to order the parts?

 

By bikes do you mean bicycles, or motorcycles? the tools you need are a pair of ramps or jackstands, and a 12mm box wrench. The parts can be gotten online (allsubaruparts.com) or from the local dealer (that will cost more, but the difference may be less than the cost of shipping).

 

Elevate the car and crawl under (be sure it is on jackstands, or ramps. Do not get under the car with just a jack!!) to see exactly what the problem is. Replace the broken/missing part(s) so they look like the pictures above. It is that simple. 15mins max. That is if you fumble with the wrench.