Miata Short Shifter installation.
 

Ok guys,

Many of you might have seen the thread on using Miata short shifters. I decided to try it and have run into a problem. It seems like this isn't going together right, so if anyone can help out it would be appreciated. I have taken pictures to help out with the process.

Picture #1: I am thinking that this lower shifter bushing needs to come out of the transmission. In the next few pics you will see how it makes the whole thing too tall to work. I don't know if I need to pull this lower ball socket thing out of the shifter or not....

Picture #2: This adapter with the slot in it is supposed to go next. THis is what makes me think that something isn't right, and that the lower bushing needs to come out. Shouldn't the top of this be sitting flush? You can see how the lower bushing is holding this adapter from fitting all the way down over the pin like you'd think it is supposed to.

Picture #3: This plastic bushing goes on next to act as the "socket" for the new shifter. No big deal here except that the whole assembly is still too tall from the previous screwup on picture 2.

Picture #4: The new housing for the short shifter goes on. And it is pretty apparent to me that it is too tall. It looks good except for the fact that it is about 1 inch off of the transmission housing.

Picture #5: This picture is from the side to show everyone how high this thing is.

So what is the deal here? Can I pull out the lower bushing for the shifter so that my spacer/adapter with the slot in it (pic 2) can fit all the way down into the tranny like it is supposed to? If that is the case, how on EARTH do you get that thing out of there?

Jamie

YES, take the lower bushing out. Problem solved :) I just reached in and pulled it out.

The lower bushing, if it's in good shape, can be used as the upper bushing for your short-shifter kit. Saves having to extract the upper bushing from the stock assembly.

It helps, too, to smear the upper and lower parts of the shifter ball with chassis lube grease. That allowed me to tighten down the top plate without the washers others mention, and still have smooth shifting.

Mazdatrix says that the lower bushing is machined into the transmission??? YOU"VE GOTTA BE KIDDING!!??

It's machined onto the tranny in certain years, they say. Mine was just a plastic ring. If yours is in fact machined on, not sure what you can do short of swapping out the shifter box from another tranny :(

Mazdatrix lists the 81-83 spacer as being thinner.... I wonder if they would sell me just the spacer and then I could use the rest of my kit?

I lookz as if the bottom piece you are referring is a dark blue color. That is the color of the stock bottom bushing. Just put your index finger down in there and pull up the back side of it (opposite side of medal finger) and it should come out.

Let us know how it comes out.
cheerz

So let me clear this thread up. To install a miata SS, all you need to do is remove the plastic bushing/spacer that surrounds the ball on the bottom of your stock shifter, than a 35$ miata SS will work in our cars?

Yup - you might need to sand down the lower nylon bushing that clips to the lower SS ball, but other than that it's a drop-in conversion. You'll need a Miata or RX-8 shift knob though.

Any Short shift company reccomendations?

I am looking at a fidanza one right now on EBAY. The picture is showing all spacers and mounting hardware that GlazedHam42 has. Price is 70 including shipping. There are others that cost half that though which one did you use Mantis?

I used the cheap $32 one and follow the archive directions.

I wonder if these would work in an early '79 or '80 transmission...

Bought one off ebay. No label, but it was good quality. Too bad the packaging was piss-poor and I had to replace some hardware when it arrived.

It wouldn't surprise me - you know how mazda loves to carry over parts and part configurations. I was in Pat's miata a few days ago and was surprized at the number of parts that were similar or the same as those on my '85.

Heck, I've gotta put that new nylon bushing in the lower end of mine. When I pull it, you could test-fit it in yours and see.

Got mine installed the other day finally and it works GREAT now. I haven't had a chance to drive it yet since I'm finishing up the engine install, but I took her through the gears sitting in the garage. The throw is very short and the shifter snaps nicely into all the gears.

A word of warning for anyone that has an 81-83 FB or is going to be using a transmission from an 81-83: The shifter spacer that comes with the kit will be too tall for these transmissions. The lower shifter bushing is NOT removable in these transmissions. You have a couple of options for fixing this additional problem on the 81-83's.

1) Take the spacer and shave its height down to 1/4". You can either do it on your own with a bench grinder and a file, or take it to a machine shop and have them do it.

2) You can buy just the spacer from the Mazdatrix short shifter on the Mazdatrix website. It sells for $22.

I opted to just shave down the spacer that I already had because if I start blowing money on fancy Mazdatrix parts, then this cheap shifter mod loses some of its glory. I used by bench grinder to take off most of the extra material at the beginning. After I started to get close to the height I wanted I switched over to my steel file. Lay the file on your work bench and just take the spacer across it, over and over again. This will flatten the bottom surface that you probably just ruined with the bench grinder.

After you have used the file to get a nice flat edge you should have a finished height of about 1/4" I put it back into my 83 tranny and it worked great. Follow the rest of the directions in the archive. :D

Jamie

Great information! All be warned about the machined in bushing in these years.

in answer to your question, yes and no.... i bought one hoping to find a way to use it... cost me about 30 including shipping...(GOD I LOVE EBAY) and went through the whole rigamarole of installing it... it is pretty close to the same directions in the other thread, just a few minor modifications.... HERE LIES THE PROBLEM. because the 79/80 shifter sits a little closer to the front of the car. Hence the bend in the OEM shifter. well when u install the SS it actually hits the radio bezel in third gear and its a little close in first. im putting a custom bezel on anyways so it wont bother me.... i will post pix of my install and if u have questions of the minor modifications, send me a pm

yea miata short shifter FTW.
mine works great.