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i noticed there is a lot of gear play in my FC. Ya kno when you can jiggle the shifter around. Why is my shifter so loose? How could i fix it so it's nice and tight. I dont want any play, its starting to bug me. could it be just a worn bushing or something? i plan on gettin a short shifter kit, maybe that will help out a little? i have this problem in my toyota too. can you guys help me out on this
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Hello yea check out your bushing.
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On fc's there's two main causes to shifter play 1. is the bushing that support the shifter ( you can buy the kit from mazda but you have to peice together what you need since mazda only sells a universal kit that comes with like 12 bushings " you only need 4 pieces from the kit") #2 is the actual shifter ball cup inside the transmission gets worn to about twice its normal size (easy to repair! sounds hard but its very simple) read this page to fix almost all of your fc's problems Fc3s fixes
the fix for #1 is this.
Replacing worn out shift lever bushings (David Disney and Jamey Moss)
The following info is for 86-88 Sevens, but the process is almost identical for the 1st gens, but some of the part numbers/bushings are different.
First, obtain some new shifter bushings. I'd suggest getting them from MazdaTrix, as your local dealer will charge you 2-3 times more, depending on the day of the week... and they won't have them in stock either. Anyway, the MazdaTrix part numbers are as follows:
99-1780-M505 ~$6.50
17-4810-8AF1 ~$6.50
1-800-426-TRIX
Next, you have to get to the old bushings:
1) There is a locknut just below the shifter knob. Take an adjustable wrench and turn it clockwise. The knob should now be lose and you can remove it and the locknut.
2) CAREFULLY pop off the shifter cover panel. It contains the leather boot and pops straight up as one piece. If you are not careful you will break the tabs off the panel. Also, do not pull on the leather boot... bad idea.
3) Now you can take a 10mm socket and a short extension and remove the 3 bolts that hold the shifter to the transmission. You may have to fish around in the myriad of rubber boots to get at them, but have patience and you'll be ok. After removing the 3 bolts, apply moderate upward pressure to the shifter lever. It is held in to its socket by a spring, so you may have to wiggle it a bit while you pull up on it.
4) So, now you should see the plastic bushings (or what's left of them). I would suggest fishing any chunks of old bushing out of the shifter housing.
5) Now you can look at the old bushing setup and get a good idea how the new ones should go. Its something like this: On the bottom of the shifter 'ball' there should be (going from bottom up) a spring washer, possibly another thin washer, and finally the plastic cup that the 'ball' sits it. On the top of the 'ball' they go in the opposite order. The tricky part is the top. You'll have to _carefully_ remove the rubber boot so that you can slide the bushing down over the shifter lever. I find that some Windex helps grease things up.
6) Assembly is the reverse of installation (duh, where have I heard that before?). When you put the shifter back in, be sure that the little notches in the 'ball' cups (no laughing!) line up with the slot in the shifter ball and the little knob in the shifter housing.
7) Put everything back together and you're done!
NOTE! You won't use all of the stuff that comes in the previously listed parts kits. Mazda apparently decided not to make a single 86-88 bushing kit, so you have to 'make your own' from these two kits. The parts to use are as follows:
Keep the blue bushing, the white bushing, one spring (the round metal piece with clips), and one gasket. Next, put the blue bushing on over the shifter with the rounded side of the bushing next to the large ball part of the shifter. Clip the spring to the white bushing (it only goes on one way), then put the white bushing, spring-side down, into the hole where the shifter goes, aligning the grooved part of the bushing with the aligning pin in the hole.
2. i'll find the tech write up and post in a few.Comment
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damn dude, much appreciated! thanks for the write up, it will help me out tremendously. I wonder why they dont have that in the haynes manual. thanks again! i'll let you know how it goes - TokyoComment
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No problem bro, glad i could help you out. I had the same problems when i first got my fc's so i've learned a bit through the years. I'm no expert but i know enough to be of some help lol. MattComment
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