Gear shift/Linkage Volvo 1800 (M41)

Play in the gear lever and a lever that wanders sideways can point to dry or worn rubber bushings down at the bearing. On the 1800 with the manual M41 gearbox, shifting often becomes spongy once the bushings have aged, and then it rarely helps to just tighten things up – it's the entire bearing that should be freshened up.