play in shifter, sloppy side to side movement

[ebrakespin]

what would make the shifter be loose side to side even when in gear? When the trans is in gear it still feels like neutral. The pivot bolt is not broke, and the car doesn't run and hasn't been drove in like 8 years. There is really no way to know what gear its in now

[DMCMW Dave]

Does it actually shift through all the gears? Sounds like a broken or disconnected cable.

[David T]

It can also be the adjuster nuts on the outer cable are loose. The way to attack this problem is to get under the car and have someone move the shifter while you look for where you are losing motion. Follow it right up to the transmission. If everything external is tight then the problem is inside. You can drop the end cover and maybe find the problem inside without dropping the transmission if you have to. It is possible you have a bent/broken shifter fork or the pin holding a shifter fork but that is not very common.
David Teitelbaum

[GS450-Junkie]

Mine seems kinda funky at times too....

[ramblinmike]

Mine has a ton of slop between the shifter stalk and the 'yoke' it sits in. I had a thread on the old forum about it. Never really found a solution. If you remove the shifter cover plate and look on the right side if the shifter you'll see the cam for the shifter cable. On my car there is some additional play between the pin that attaches the cable and the cam.