Shifter Play

[_-Night-Shade-_]

Anyone know if it's a pain in the a-- to replace the change control rod bushings and/or shift lever ball spring and/or shift lever ball bushings? I wanna eliminate the shifter play that I have but I have no tranny experience whatsoever. I'm all for DIYs tho

[Mad Cow]

It's not the spring that goes bad, it's the shifter stabilizer bar, which holds the shifter in place that wears out. There's a big rubber bushing around the cylinder the shifter slides into, that gets worn out. The shifter bushings are really easy. If it has side-to-side play it's most likely the stabilizer.

[neli_nael]

if the bolts are rusty then its a pita.

[Mad Cow]

if the bolts are rusty then its a pita.

Well that's true with anything.

But unbolting the stabilizer bar from the tranny is a royal PITA because the exhaust is really in the way, and if the flex joint on your downpipe isn't in too great condition then you'll surely cut up your hands a bit.

[neli_nael]

Well that's true with anything.

But unbolting the stabilizer bar from the tranny is a royal PITA because the exhaust is really in the way, and if the flex joint on your downpipe isn't in too great condition then you'll surely cut up your hands a bit.

exactly what happened to me

[_-Night-Shade-_]

It's not the spring that goes bad, it's the shifter stabilizer bar, which holds the shifter in place that wears out. There's a big rubber bushing around the cylinder the shifter slides into, that gets worn out. The shifter bushings are really easy. If it has side-to-side play it's most likely the stabilizer.

Hold on a sec, you lost me. I don't have to change the bar, right? Just the bushing? It does have side-to-side play when it's in gear.

[Mad Cow]

I really doubt you could find the bushing somewhere separately. Yea you would need to get the whole bar, or do what some people do and drill 2 or 3 holes through the whole assembly and essentailly bolt the bar to the floor, that would be solid and cheap but the shifter would vibrate alot.

[_-Night-Shade-_]

Hmmm... you know what's weird? I was looking in the transmission section of the online manuals and there they suggest to change either the bushings or the spring to fix the play, nothing about the bar. Also if I understand this right, I think they refer to the stabilizer bar as the 'change control rod' :S

[Mad Cow]

It's actually labelled as the extension bar. And where did you see that you need to replace the spring?

[_-Night-Shade-_]

Go to 1992 Workshop Manual --> J2 - Manual Transaxle (G5M-R) --> 92_J2-006 and then look at what it says for 'Too much play in shift lever'.

[Mad Cow]

I don't think mazda counted on the stabilizer bar wearing out because I've never seen anything about the shifter falling through the floor, which is somewhat of a common problem. The bushings don't really do anything for side to side play, although the spring maybe have an effect, it won't be anything big. Believe me, I changed all my bushings, now it goes into gear really solidly but when it's in gear it flops all over the place.

[projectzemx3]

its the big bushing right in the tranny where the shifter bar goes.

order it from Mazda.

also that bolt that you guys are all talking about being a pain in the a--...... if you pull back that rubber boot right at the trans. theres a ten MM bolt there that is usually in MINT condition. kind of a pain in the a-- to get at but hey, better then that rusty 12MM one.


as for the shifter falling down through the floor. if you take all the plastic for the dash that goes up around the radio out you can get to it. and you can drill a hole through the floor and the bar underneath and actually bolt the shifter back up to its proper position.

[_-Night-Shade-_]

its the big bushing right in the tranny where the shifter bar goes.

Can you tell me which one it is on here: http://mx-3.com/manuals/showimg.php?fil ... J2-054.gif" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Daninski]

Look under trans not shifter linkage for that.

[Mad Cow]

its the big bushing right in the tranny where the shifter bar goes.

order it from Mazda.

also that bolt that you guys are all talking about being a pain in the a--...... if you pull back that rubber boot right at the trans. theres a ten MM bolt there that is usually in MINT condition. kind of a pain in the a-- to get at but hey, better then that rusty 12MM one.


as for the shifter falling down through the floor. if you take all the plastic for the dash that goes up around the radio out you can get to it. and you can drill a hole through the floor and the bar underneath and actually bolt the shifter back up to its proper position.

I'm talking about unbolting the stabilizer bar from the tranny, you can't get it out unless you unbolt the other end first because the exhaust gets in the way.

Also, you need more than 1 bolt, mine's held on by 1 and it's wobbly as hell in gear.