Hey all;
So I was having a lot of transmission problems, and this has fixed 85% of them, and it was a stupidly simple mod. I actually did this in 2 shots. The first time, I didn't have the right size washers, so I just flipped the OEM aluminum sleeves upside down, took the rubber bushings out, and went for a drive.
Results:
-Much more solid shifts
- No more reaching for 5th
- No more getting locked out of 1st
- No more cringing when shifting into 2nd
Happy with the results, I went to get some actual washers to ensure that I didn't crack the plastic housing with poorly distributed loads. Unfortunately the hardware store had almost no selection, so I wasn't able to make it as fancy as I wanted, but it does the job perfectly. Since this mod is so easy and there aren't any how-tos left with all the info in one spot AND working pictures, I did a write-up myself. (Note that when I took the pics, I had already removed the OEM rubber bushings and just had the sleeves installed but I'll explain everything anyhow.)
Tools Required
- 2 Hands
- 10 mm Socket + extension + wrench
- Flathead screwdriver
- Washers (or just flip the OEM aluminum sleeve and remove rubber bushings.. this was what I had done initially but I figured that I should probably put some spacers in there and do it right)
What I used: Eight 1"; OD 3/8 (or 1/4) ID + 4 thin rubber ones to prevent scratching of paint.
I actually had a very hard time finding a size that was right at my hardware store so I just found things that were approximately the right size. From the pictures, you can see that there is room for improvement on the IDs and ODs.
If you want to do an even better job than me, this is some info I pulled from another thread:
Note: These dims are in mm
Step 1.
Put ebrake on, and car in Neutral.
Remove all of the center console trim. Do this by opening the armrest and wrapping your fingers around underneath and lift gently. You will need to have your ebrake up so you can get the piece off.
Unscrew the shift knob, and remove the shifter trim by gently lifting up from the back.
Step 2:
Use your flathead screwdriver to pop the shifter linkages off their ball joints (1 for selector, 1 for shift)
Step 3:
Remove the 4 bolts holding the shifter assy down
Step 4:
I don't have a picture for this step because I had done it previously, but you need to remove the OEM rubber bushings and aluminum sleeves as shown below. The one on the right is installed, the one of the left is what it looks like removed. You will need to use a flathead screwdriver and some patience to pry the sleeves out of the bushings.
Once the sleeves have been removed, lift the shifter assy up a bit, and press the rubber bushings out the bottom. This takes a bit of force, so dont be afraid to push.
Step 4:
Once all OEM hardware has been removed, lay one set of washers down on top, and then match the other set up with the rubber for use on the bottom. Be careful not to drop any!
Here is a picture to visualize the actual stackup of hardware:
Step 5:
Tighten the bolts down (don't go crazy, the shifter assy is plastic), and you're done!
At this point, pop your shift levers back onto their ball joints and put your shit knob back on to give it a try. If you have ANY issues getting into any gears, I recommend JBRs howto for adjusting the selector rod. It takes all of 2 seconds to play around with it, and all you need is a marker to mark where you started.
Link: MAZDASPEED 3 How to Fine Tune Your Shifter JBARONE Short Throw Shift Plate
Done!
Step 6:
Reassemble all the trim in the reverse order.
Hope this helps someone! Note, that this will be a bit different for the Gen2s, but the concept should be the same. Corksport has a good how-to that can be used. Just instead of buying their fancy hardware, you could always DIY
So I was having a lot of transmission problems, and this has fixed 85% of them, and it was a stupidly simple mod. I actually did this in 2 shots. The first time, I didn't have the right size washers, so I just flipped the OEM aluminum sleeves upside down, took the rubber bushings out, and went for a drive.
Results:
-Much more solid shifts
- No more reaching for 5th
- No more getting locked out of 1st
- No more cringing when shifting into 2nd
Happy with the results, I went to get some actual washers to ensure that I didn't crack the plastic housing with poorly distributed loads. Unfortunately the hardware store had almost no selection, so I wasn't able to make it as fancy as I wanted, but it does the job perfectly. Since this mod is so easy and there aren't any how-tos left with all the info in one spot AND working pictures, I did a write-up myself. (Note that when I took the pics, I had already removed the OEM rubber bushings and just had the sleeves installed but I'll explain everything anyhow.)
Tools Required
- 2 Hands
- 10 mm Socket + extension + wrench
- Flathead screwdriver
- Washers (or just flip the OEM aluminum sleeve and remove rubber bushings.. this was what I had done initially but I figured that I should probably put some spacers in there and do it right)
What I used: Eight 1"; OD 3/8 (or 1/4) ID + 4 thin rubber ones to prevent scratching of paint.
I actually had a very hard time finding a size that was right at my hardware store so I just found things that were approximately the right size. From the pictures, you can see that there is room for improvement on the IDs and ODs.
If you want to do an even better job than me, this is some info I pulled from another thread:
Note: These dims are in mm
Step 1.
Put ebrake on, and car in Neutral.
Remove all of the center console trim. Do this by opening the armrest and wrapping your fingers around underneath and lift gently. You will need to have your ebrake up so you can get the piece off.
Unscrew the shift knob, and remove the shifter trim by gently lifting up from the back.
Step 2:
Use your flathead screwdriver to pop the shifter linkages off their ball joints (1 for selector, 1 for shift)
Step 3:
Remove the 4 bolts holding the shifter assy down
Step 4:
I don't have a picture for this step because I had done it previously, but you need to remove the OEM rubber bushings and aluminum sleeves as shown below. The one on the right is installed, the one of the left is what it looks like removed. You will need to use a flathead screwdriver and some patience to pry the sleeves out of the bushings.
Once the sleeves have been removed, lift the shifter assy up a bit, and press the rubber bushings out the bottom. This takes a bit of force, so dont be afraid to push.
Step 4:
Once all OEM hardware has been removed, lay one set of washers down on top, and then match the other set up with the rubber for use on the bottom. Be careful not to drop any!
Here is a picture to visualize the actual stackup of hardware:
Step 5:
Tighten the bolts down (don't go crazy, the shifter assy is plastic), and you're done!
At this point, pop your shift levers back onto their ball joints and put your shit knob back on to give it a try. If you have ANY issues getting into any gears, I recommend JBRs howto for adjusting the selector rod. It takes all of 2 seconds to play around with it, and all you need is a marker to mark where you started.
Link: MAZDASPEED 3 How to Fine Tune Your Shifter JBARONE Short Throw Shift Plate
Done!
Step 6:
Reassemble all the trim in the reverse order.
Hope this helps someone! Note, that this will be a bit different for the Gen2s, but the concept should be the same. Corksport has a good how-to that can be used. Just instead of buying their fancy hardware, you could always DIY