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Hey so I just brought a S4 FC RX7 turbo and everything is amazing but one thing the shifter sits really odd. It feels almost like the whole transmission is leaning to the right. In the photos you can see neutral is really far right, pushing the shifter as far to the left as possible puts it where neutral should be but it won’t move any more to the left. It still shifts fine and feels great but hard to drive because to go into 3rd and 4th I have to move shifter to the left then up or down. Any help would be really good. Photos are neutral full left and full right throw. Thanks again
-Cam Neutral Full right throw Full left throw
The first thing to check and replace are the shifter bushings. The bushings center the shifter and allow smooth and precise movement of the shifter. There should be two bushings and a wave washer. The shifter is removed from the top of the tailshaft housing and is secured with three 10mm bolts. The bolts are 6x1.0. Access to the shifter is gained by removing the shift boot and bezel and then the insulators on top of the shifter. A new upper and lower insulator may be needed and they are items you should consider replacing while you have everything apart.
The first thing to check and replace are the shifter bushings. The bushings center the shifter and allow smooth and precise movement of the shifter. There should be two bushings and a wave washer. The shifter is removed from the top of the tailshaft housing and is secured with three 10mm bolts. The bolts are 6x1.0. Access to the shifter is gained by removing the shift boot and bezel and then the insulators on top of the shifter. A new upper and lower insulator may be needed and they are items you should consider replacing while you have everything apart.
Ok thanks I might tomorrow have a bit of a tear down of it and see if there’s anything out of the ordinary someone said on reddit the previous owner may have heated the shifter and bent it so it sat closer to the driver as he was a old man so won’t rule anything out. Thanks
Do you feel heat coming from the shifter? if so it's definitely the shifter bushings. Relatively cheap, pretty easy to replace and it made a huge difference in my FC. This is a common issue, no need to trip. Congrats on the RX-7! It's pretty cool to see the stock stereo.
Thanks. So i removed the shifter and it appears that the shifter is bent(see photo) is this normal as I have a spare S5 trans and took that out to use that and it also is slightly bent. only weird thing is that if i pull the shifter straight down from neutral it wont go into 4th it misses it and i have to push the shifter to the left a bit then it will go in. also would that bushing fix the issue that the shifter wont actually go very far to the left full left barely goes past where neutral should be. Also i stuck S4 out of the car into the S5 trans and it doesn’t seem to lean though i didn't tighten it down. One thing i found was that the S5 had a bushing in the part that the end of the shifter ball goes into where the S4 doesn’t which apparently no S4 had that nylon bushing in the bit the shifter actually goes into. Not sure if im over looking something jus
t seems really odd that straight down from neutral isn’t 4th and straight up isn’t 3rd. Thanksss
I was one of the guys talking to you on reddit. That shifter is definitely bent. From the factory they're completely straight.
The S5 shifter is also slightly different from the S4. The pivot ball is smaller and includes a bushing, which you already noticed. Also the thread pitch on the **** is M10x1.25 instead of M12x1.5 like the S4. There is no functional difference other than that.
About the shifter direction, are you saying that when you leave it in the "neutral" position, straight up isn't third? And when I say "neutral", I mean wherever it rests without your hand on it naturally. How far left or right do you have to push it to get to third?
EDIT: I see now you described that it has to be pushed " a bit left" to enter third or fourth. Maybe the weight of the shift **** is holding the shift block just slightly right of the 3rd/4th gate? I'd be surprised since the spring on the shift block is fairly strong, but based on what you're describing that sounds like what's happening
Last edited by WondrousBread; May 21, 2022 at 05:55 AM.
I was one of the guys talking to you on reddit. That shifter is definitely bent. From the factory they're completely straight.
The S5 shifter is also slightly different from the S4. The pivot ball is smaller and includes a bushing, which you already noticed. Also the thread pitch on the **** is M10x1.25 instead of M12x1.5 like the S4. There is no functional difference other than that.
About the shifter direction, are you saying that when you leave it in the "neutral" position, straight up isn't third? And when I say "neutral", I mean wherever it rests without your hand on it naturally. How far left or right do you have to push it to get to third?
EDIT: I see now you described that it has to be pushed " a bit left" to enter third or fourth. Maybe the weight of the shift **** is holding the shift block just slightly right of the 3rd/4th gate? I'd be surprised since the spring on the shift block is fairly strong, but based on what you're describing that sounds like what's happening
Thank you so much man for all the reply’s I think your right I reckon I buy another shifter off mazdatrix which are genuine Mazda apparently and I think it would fox it or at least hugely help it. It seems like the only logical thing that would make it happen and just the angle of which it’s bent causing it to not sit in the 3-4 gate correctly. The only odd thing is that the S4 shifter seemed to sit alright in the S5 trans and not be leaning but i reckon it could be just because it’s not tightened down. I think I’ll invest in a new shifter and go from there
Thanks. One thing i found was that the S5 had a bushing in the part that the end of the shifter ball goes into where the S4 doesn’t which apparently no S4 had that nylon bushing in the bit the shifter actually goes into. Thanksss
S4 is supposed to have the bushing as well. 86-92 Shifter Bushings | Mazdatrix
It's not much more money if you are going to buy a shifter to get the short throw shifter Mazdatrix sells.
S4 is supposed to have the bushing as well. 86-92 Shifter Bushings | Mazdatrix
It's not much more money if you are going to buy a shifter to get the short throw shifter Mazdatrix sells.
I think OP is referring to the bushing on the little ball at the bottom of the shifter, not the one on the upper ball that rotates. The very bottom bushing is cup shaped and pops onto the ball, then fits into the shift block. This bushing is S5 only.
The Mazdatrix article is referring to the white bushing that fits on the larger ball, along with the blue one. Those are good to replace too, but AFAIK there is no nylon bushing for the ball/shift block on the S4 shifter.
As for a replacement shifter, why not post a want to buy ad in the marketplace section here on the forum? I'm sure someone has a spare they would sell for a reasonable price.
I think OP is referring to the bushing on the little ball at the bottom of the shifter, not the one on the upper ball that rotates. The very bottom bushing is cup shaped and pops onto the ball, then fits into the shift block. This bushing is S5 only.
The Mazdatrix article is referring to the white bushing that fits on the larger ball, along with the blue one. Those are good to replace too, but AFAIK there is no nylon bushing for the ball/shift block on the S4 shifter.
Yep that’s what I meant , it does have that bushing on the bigger ball of the shifter just not the cup bushing that S4 doesn't have. Here’s hoping a straight shifter fixes it all
I think OP is referring to the bushing on the little ball at the bottom of the shifter, not the one on the upper ball that rotates. The very bottom bushing is cup shaped and pops onto the ball, then fits into the shift block. This bushing is S5 only.
The Mazdatrix article is referring to the white bushing that fits on the larger ball, along with the blue one. Those are good to replace too, but AFAIK there is no nylon bushing for the ball/shift block on the S4 shifter.
