skunks

do you know hwo to fix the problem where the shifter does not recenter itself?

SOIA

There is a spring that centers it you might be able to get at it if you remove the shifter

VietFC

I have that same problem. I took the shifter off another 7 to try to steal the spring, but couldn't figure out how to remove it. O wellz.

SureShot

The springs & plungers usually don't go bad (Unless ther are missing).

You may have the pivot ball bushings shimmed too tight.

totallimmortal

They don't go usually go bad?!?!? Maybe its just bad luck around here but every person with a rx7 i've talked to around here had the same problem I did, everything in the shifter went, bushings spring and all, I'd heard it was very common

torean

ditto

sunshine

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, the plunger for the 5th/R is a fairly durable setup.

However, the sping that recenters from the 1/2 position is known to snap at the point where is curves from the shaft up over the shifter cup.

To remove that spring, you need to remove the tranny, unbolt the side access panel at the shifter, and somehow remove the dowel pin that holds the shifter cup to the shaft. Once that is out, you can take the old spring out, and replace it with the new spring. And reassemble.

Its a real pita to do. good luck.
-a

SureShot

The spring over the selector rod cup is mostly to control vibration.

Here are the two springs that center the selector.
The one with the plunger centers from 5-R.
The one with the ball centers from 1-2.

rx-7s rock

Wow. THAT SUCKS. Well from the sounds of it, my spring has been broken for a long time cuz my shifter vibrates like crazy. It could always center itself when I had the stock worn out bushings and shifter, but when I put the short shifter in there it would not center itself. It isn't so bad, you just have to press forward and you're already in 1st!

totallimmortal

i don't think its worth the hassle to have it recenter if i want it in the center i'll put it there

JKM

Mine does that too.

To recenter you have to drop the tranny as somene above said. In my opnion, if your transmission is otherwise fine, it's not worth the effort to fix it, just live with it.

However, if you haven't done it yet, go ahead and replace your shifter bushings, you can pick them up at mazdatrix for a song. It won't correct the recenter issue, but it makes it much tighter and you probably won't care about it not returning to center anymore.

I actually kinda like it that way...

JGard18

damn, I was hoping that the bushing kits would fix this My springs are totally gone right now. The shifter just basically falls from side to side.

I think I'll get the bushings, though, because my shifter is sloppy as all hell.

Josepi

Out of curiousity, what condition are your engine/transmission mounts in?

SureShot

Without the 5-R spring, you wil be accidentally hitting 5th on the way to 3rd, which will eat up the little 5th gear synchro.
The 3rd gen guys sometimes have that problem.

JGard18

as it is now, depending on how I hold the stick, I often go back into 1, instead of going to 3. sucks

skunks

i use a gianmorous rubber band and wrapped it around the shifter and put the other end around the shift boot area and mines recenters again, sure it is kinda ghetto fixed but...

1: it works wonders
2: i didnt need to drop tranny
3: it took like 1 min to fix
4: it fken works, enuf said

P.S. you cant see it under then shift boot

Note: only 1 of my springs is gone