Shift Lever

I’ve replaced both pens and the shifter is still sloppy, should I buy a new shift lever? I am
Thinking the current one has been wollered out from the old one and the tolerance is bad.
See the video below. Thanks in advance!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NiEQwZXr1j9ebNxs9

 

just asking
without the lever spring and cap . everything is going to be loose

 

Absolutely, but the two slots of the lever where it slides down over the two pins, my question is, do you think the gap has been wollered out over time. When the cap & spring is on, it’s still very loose. Would a new lever fix that problem?

 

Hard to say without a perfect condition shifter to compare it to. Certainly a new shifter will be tighter than a used one. Likely there was some space in there to prevent binding, but just how much would be hard to determine without the original engineering documents or all-new OEM parts to compare to.

These shift tops are aluminum, and the usual complaint is with the aluminum parts wearing out. Seems more likely the looseness comes from the aluminum socket in the shift top wearing out. Just looking at it, the pins prevent the shifter from rotating. The shifter action (and shifter location) is mostly between the ball and the socket. The shifter stalk is steel, and should wear at a much slower rate than the aluminum. Assuming you saved the old pins, you could look at how much wear the old pins have in this area, compared to new. This assumes that the new parts have the proper tip dimensions. Since that's steel on steel, wear on both surfaces should be similar.

If it were mine, I'd put it together and run it. I would not expect the shifter to work like a passenger car. As mentioned, when assembled, performance of the shifter might be fine. This is such an easily accessible area that a later replacement of the stalk or shift top casting would be an easy repair, if needed.

 

( J8134292 ) Shifter Cover for 1980-86 Jeep CJ & J Series with T176 or T177 4 Speed Transmission By Crown Automotive

Just an example - available many places.

 

Tim faster than me.
Replacement is an option, although don't know if that's OEM or China made.
Certainly as these units get older, you can expect less worn harder and harder to fine.