I need help, i have a 1987 N/A. The shifter gets extremely hot after driving for about 10 min, my mechanic said it could be a gaskit leak but after reading some posts on the forum i also think it could have something to do with the shifter boots which are ******* shot. Anyway what could be the problem?? I also got a new cat hopeing that might fix it

 

It might have to do with the fact that your shifter is attached to your transmission which is attached to your engine. And metal is a good conductor of heat. How is a new cat going to help?? Is you old one clogged up or something. Just get some Drano, sorry well why not just gut out your cats. This will add HP and fix your problem.

 

try some thermotec heat shielding down there if you want, check out the jegs catalogue (the don't seem to list the stuff on their website). It's supposed to work pretty well!

 

Uhmm... guys.... I think the real problem is that this is happening to his car, and not ours.... and he wants to know why,
('cause I dunno about you, but my shifter stays nice and cool.....)
('cept when I'm shifting mad quick yo ....thekage02, that wouldn't happen to be your problem, would it?)
(Do you ever look like this guy: ?)

 

Does the shifter itself get hot? or is it hot air coming up through the shift boot?

 

My car didnt come with a shifter boot, i dont know why. My shifter gets warm after driving too. I never considered it a problem and still dont. But if heat is coming out like its a heater vent then you have a problem.

 

I've got a hot shifter. Since I'll have the tranny off tomorrow any way, I'm gonna change the oil in it. If the old stuff isn't doing its job, you've got friction, which means heat. I don't know if this is the problem, but might as well start simple, right? I suggest you top off the gear oil (SAE 90 is FSM spec., but 80W 90 is ok too).

 

I've got an '87 na as well, and the very hot shifter too. somewhere I read that actually there are 3 boots, the leather one you see, plus 2 other rubber ones under that. The rubber ones crack and leak over time, allowing exhaust heat to enter the area under the leather boot. In my case my cat gaskets are leaking, which just compounds the problem.

Good Luck.

 

Yeah I would get new middle shifter boots, you can get them from mazdatrix.com, I had the exact same problem when i first got my car, it wasnt that bad in the winter but when it started getting hot it pissed me off, so i replaced them and now no more heat

 

Ok, so maybe it is a normal thing then... lol....

 

Same proble and fixed it. First, there are 3 rubber inner boots beneath your leather/vinal shift cover. Yes the rubber boots rot out.. but why? When the shifter is leaking it splatters over the rubber boots and rots them out. Simply replacing the three inner boots will not solve the problem and expect it to re-occur. Thus, get both the boots and shifter seals.

Second, there is a felt cushion around the bottom of the outer shift boot. It helps deaden sound and prevent drafts. If the inner boots are badly rotted you can bet the stuffing is mush as well. Thus, to get it perfect you need one of them as well.

 

Good to know ^^^

(mine doesn't get hot, but hey, someday it might...)

 

I had the same problem on my 86.. so i just got some left over heats fabric and made a inch or so thick blanket to pur around the boot and 'POOF' the probelem went away..

 

Yeah, and sometimes when a shop does a clutch job they are lazy. It takes some grunting to get that outer rubber boot set into the tunnel. It is a pain in the ****. Sometimes they will just cut it to make it go easy. It won't seat right and wont be a perfect seal.

Before I changed my shift boots the door closed easy. Now with the boots fixed the door takes a little more umph to close Make it seal up nice

James