Annoying Vibration in T4 Gear Stick

[Gold Coaster]

Wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what could be causing the gearstick in my 1996 T4 to vibrate noisily.
I tried to upload a short video but had no success!



It started a few weeks ago and only happens in 1st, 3rd and 5th gears when the engine is under load. If you put your finger on the gearstick the noise will stop but then starts again when released.
I did a bit of googling and all I was able to come up with was that maybe a worn engine mount(s) might be the cause.
Does this seem probable or should I be looking elsewhere?

[Sunny43.5]

Get the car up on some ramps and crawl underneath where the gear stick goes through the floor , you will find a housing with some metal parts check to see if they are loose and maybe apply some grease around the area . One of our old T4 used to be a bit hard to select gears and after applying some grease it made an amazing difference . There are several linkages there which could be rattling .

[Gold Coaster]

Thanks sunny, as always you're an inspiration ... being mechanically inept, I always find your advice helpful!

I had a look underneath as you advised and noticed that there was a part (see purple) that seemed very loose but I'm not sure if this is the problem.



I'm thinking maybe the problem might be something else that is loose ... I'd like to check under the rubber gear gaitor but I'm not sure how to remove it?

[Sunny43.5]

As it has been quite a few years since our last T4 I do now remember a metal shaft of sorts that fitted into a place in that housing , from memory my sons one was very loose and was hard to select gears properly . I have a memory of cutting a section of a hard plastic / nylon tube which I was able to fit around the shaft which then kept it from moving around , it was in the very top rh side of the photo as there is an elongated rubber grommet part there . When this wears the shaft can move more than it is supposed to that's the part I put the plastic sleeve over . Not sure we had an issue with the part you highlighted but as there are a few linkages in that area anyone could be the problem . I can only suggest to check any moving parts and try and eliminate the troublemaker one at a time .

[Seano]

Gaiter comes off by removing screws from underneath, around the linkage box. But I wouldn't bother unless you are in the act of replacing linkage components. The linkage setup should be relatively tight as a unit with little up and down or side to side movement. If you grab the main link and give it a shake and it sounds like something off a horse drawn cart then you have something to fix.

A stuffed engine/gearbox mount is possible but hard to check for without room to move. It is unlikely to manifest itself as a vibration though.

[Gold Coaster]

Thanks for the advice Seano, I'll have another look.