My shifter actually fell apart while shifting... it's not the ***...looks like the "stick"was attached to another shaft to the box, It lifts off, and it doesn't seem like it screws back in.

 

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Do you mean the shaft of the shifter itself is broken or what it attaches to inside the tranny is broken? It could be one of the plastic bushings...take off the ****, the boot, the plate and all the associated rubber shields. Then unscrew the little plate the holds the shifter in (there's three screws and you can see the ground at this point). The look in there and see if you see some broken bits of greasy white/blue plastic...if you do, you need new bushings. They cost about $6.

 

No, its the shaft. The **** is screwed onto this piece...Its almost like a sleeve that was somehow glued to the rest of the shifter. Yet it doesn't look like it screws on, it looks like the rubber that held it deteriorated.

 

Hmm...I guess get a shifter used from someone parting their car out, or you can go ahead and get a short shifter from www.mazdatrix.com

 

I have the exact same problem. It looks like the shaft is hollow and the connector coming from the base is surrounded by broken up rubber. I keep glueing it back with pit-crew glue, but it keeps coming off again. When it comes off I have to keep hitting the damn thing back down so it doesn't pop right off.

 

I think this is only on the 89+. My 87TII never did this. I used a vice to glue it back together. But everytime i need to remove the shifter it does this. Although this is motivation for me to get a short shifter. I wonder if the 87 shifters could work on an 89+ model. It shold be the same i would think. Originaly i thought this was screwed together. but come to find out it's just glued. Poorly at that.

 

yes it does work