Over the years, I've heard several complaints about the recirculating ball steering setup Mazda used in the Rx-7. I don't ever remember seeing anything about replacing the upper steering bushing however. If you've ever had a steering wheel that wobbles with play or seems excessively loose, you may want to look at this small plastic bushing that goes into the upper steering tube and clamps around the shaft to take up the slop and gives the wheel a firm, solid feel again.

As a prerequisite, remove the wheel and 2 piece, plastic column surround. This exposes the combination switch which also must be removed. To do this, you must disconnect the 4 connectors under the column. Remove a single screw from underneath, which releases a clamp and don't forget there is also an external snap ring on the OD of the shaft itself.





From here, the combination switch just pulls straight off the shaft. The bushing in question goes into the tube right where the shaft comes out from. In this case, the bushing has disintegrated. There were a few chunks in the ID of the combo switch, but the majority had to be dug out from between the steering shaft in inside of the tube. (where the arrow is pointing)



Here's a pic of a new bushing, next to what came out of the the tube.



From here, insert the new bushing, O-ring first until it fully seats against the end of the tube. It's made like a collet and will tighten down around the shaft when completely seated. A little pre-assembly grease before installation is recommended too.




From here, just re-assemble and you're done! While you have it apart, you might also want to clean, inspect and lube the combination switch and contacts as preventative maintenance. The bushing is P/N 8871-49-101.

 

This car is an S model, and as such only has a High and Low wiper setting. No intermittent function. I was thinking that the combination switch might be different, but when I compared the one that came off, to another from a GS car, they appear exactly the same configuration. In fact both do have the same 3 positions, one above the off position and two below.

The only discernible difference is the 2 speed switch has Low / Hi labeling on the stalk itself, while the 3 speed switch has none? Can anyone tell me how the intermittent function is actuated? Is there a relay somewhere which facilitates the delay?

 

Yes, there is a missing relay under the dash, drivers side that should be plugged in plug D-03. (D section of the wiring diagram)
I sourced one from a GS car and simply plugged it in and the intermittent features works.
The intermittent switch position is one click past the off position. I assume even the s models wiper switch has this position, mine did.

 

Thanks for that Robert! I will investigate that further. Yes, the wiper control on the combination switch has the same 3 position settings.

 

I found the connector, along with the blind plug to use when you don't have the D-03 relay installed. Looks like a previous owner already had some other box plugged into that connector. What it's function is, I'm not sure.

I think he was some kind of Wile E. Coyote "super electrical genius". I've removed about a pound of rats nest wires and electrical doo dads previously installed for this and that. Once the car is back together again, enough to start it, I'll remove the current box and see what happens. I'll have to search for an appropriate relay to swap in and hopefully gain an intermittent wiper function.

 

I will take a pic of the relay I put in mine to help identify what you need.

 

Interesting to see the differences over the model years.
That part number shows up for 79-80 cars. I've taken apart 2 columns from a series 2 and 3 and the bushings were smooth with a needle bearing inside.

 

Along the subject of weird differences through the years,

I have, over the years collected a handful of different steering wheels. I have the two spoke that came on my S model 79, A few of the leather covered versions from the Leather
Sports and a handful of the regular four spoke wheels. I assumed that all the four spoke wheels would fit any first gen. I discovered I was wrong when I went to switch one into my latest S model 79.
It does not quite fit, and would not seat fully. I'm thinking there must be some difference in the steering shaft. I was surprised and wonder if anyone has noticed this.

 

MY bad, should have specified at the begining that this was an SA. I've been mis led several times when reading posts that pertained to FB''s there are several small differences between them. Heck, there are differences between my early build 79's and my later built ones. It is interesting.

 

I compared both the 2 spoke wheel that came on this car, to a 4 spoke GS wheel. They both seem to fit the same. They both contact the spring loaded ground on the back, seem to be spaced from the combination switch about the same and the threaded end of the shaft sticks through the base of the wheel within .020 of one another.

Maybe the 4 spoke wheel you tried had a burr or deformation that prevented it from seating correctly?

The 2 spoke, S model wheel:





The 4 spoke GS wheel:

 

So, just to close the loop on the intermittent wiper question. Here is the electronic timer that plugs into an SA dash harness, just under the steering column, ahead of the pedals. This will give you the intermittent wiper function. The parts fisch identifies it as P/N 1011-67-820A.