Well i bought the Mazda OEM shifter boot. My car was automatic and i converted it to stick shift. I had all the exhaust gases coming into the car, so i def need a boot, wifey hates smelling like exhaust. Im fine , i drive with the windows down anyway!.

So i go to put it in and i cant quite jiggle it in, didnt want to remove the center portion. ALso the metal plate i didnt have on my 87 gxl but i got it off the donor 89 gtu i had before. I know the metal plates goes ontop of the shifter boot to hold it down.

Do i need to remove the center console/shifter area to install

Here are some pics








Thanks

Jason NYC

 

This is what i had before to keep the exhaust gases out. Duct Tape you mah friend!

 

Temp. Thread Hijack: You should really grab some black spray paint and spray the yellowed Ash tray cover...it sticks out like a sore thumb!

As for the shifter boot.. Just an observation: That metal plate *looks* upside-down in the photo. And if it goes on TOP of the boot to hold it down, I wouldn't think removing the center console or the center-stack would be at all necessary. I could be wrong, though.

$0.02

 

You've gotta take off the whole assembly, Jay. Center console, radio surround, etc.

Then slide the boot over, and bolt down that plate.

After that you should be all set.

James

 

On my '89 vert , I replaced all the boots and installed a short shifter in the summer and didn't have to remove the console to get the new rubber under the metal plate . Got the plate out without any damage to the console but I think I had removed the shifter first. Maybe you just have to get the shifter out of the way ?

 

Its not like removing the center console facia is that hard.... Its like 4 screws.... pull that biatch off.

 

^^^^ hahhah iight ^^^^^

Was just wondering, cuz i went out last night to speed and i tried to throw it on in the dark at 3am. Couldnt get it on just like that. That metal plate came off another car, didnt know how it went. But after looking at it figures out that the metal plate must hold the rubber boot down. And since it didnt fit flush, and the plate was as big as the thing that goes aroudn the shifter i figured i had to remove that console area. But wanting to go out at 3am and really needing a rotary fix,i just put everything back and went for a spin.

Nice cold air + RX-7 + 3-5am in NYC - Traffic = Lots of 100-122mph runs =)

Jason NYC

 

HI, can we get this old message going ???

I am thrying to install a new shifter into my Series 4 (cos the rubber in the old one is shot and the shifter flexes in the middle quite badly) but..... how do I get the old inner boot off the old lever and onto the new one ? The bit I mean is when you undo the 3 bolts in the shots above and remove the shifter assembly - I need to transfer the plate with 3 holds in it and its seals from the old lever to the new one ? but the size of the spiggot and the fat part of the lever just seem too fat.

Any guidance apprecicated.

Thanks
Paul
New Zealand

 

Have worked it out, via the Mazdatrix site - my car is missing the top blue bush - obviously destroyed sometime int he past. So I'll buy one of thiose, plus the inner book kit and will all be fixed.

Yay.

 

Yeah I just changed my bushings thursday. Oh did I say changed? I mean added bushings to it. Mine were completely disinigrated lol.

 

I did this job yesterday morning. With the center console radio/ac surround removed I was able to get the boot installed and get the metal bracket on. I did have a hell of a time getting the metal frame to bolt down with the new boot but it can be done. Takes some time.

 

Looks like you have it in backwards, ever think of that. The wide end should be on the ashtray side. MY 2 cents!!

Chris

 

 

Im bringing this back. I tried to do this on my own without reading anything first. I have a tendency of breaking things because I end up forcing things to budge when they don't want to. So I removed the ashtray, undid 2 screws, popped out the vents, removed 2 screws, and now the stereo surround center piece was able to come out. I popped out the shifter boot console also and removed the ****, but now the center console thats connected to the whole dash is obstructing two of the bolts on the bottom of the plate. You can see this in the first picture posted at the very top of this page. How am I supposed to get those out?