ok i have a 91 NA FC and the damn shift **** is impossible to remove. i've tried holding the shifter with pliers while twisting the **** counter clockwise but to no avail. i've tried with out the pliers but then the whole shifter shaft twists and i really dont want to damage anything. is there something holding it in place i have to remove first? i've read some posts that say good ol' fashioned elbow grease will do but in my case it isn't working. if anyone might want to ask why i want to remove the perfectly good stock **** i bought a custom acrylic **** from rx7club member LANDON303 to spruce up the 7

here are some pics if they help



yes the boot is ripped but thats a whole other story LOL

 

It is common practice to put aftermarket shift ***** on with blue loc tight. I suggest getting a monkey wrench or something on the **** and hitting it sharply with a hammer. That will break the loc tight.

 

hmm ill have try that. would pb blaster be of any use as well?

 

Strap wrench or leather belt

 

i dont have a strap wrench but the leather belt worked to an extent. it turns out my shift **** is a three piece. i am able to take it apart but there is a main threaded piece the three other pieces screw on to that is screwed on to the actual shifter shaft. the main threaded piece is the piece that is damn near impossible to remove

 

I'd say take the whole shifter out and put it In a vice before somthing else breaks.

 

Im thinking there is either a set screw or it was just forced on there the first time it was installed

 

ill check again but i didnt notice one.

i was thinking to do just that if there isnt a screw, also nothing is broken.

 

Worse case scenario is just yank the whole assembly with the shifter shaft,**** etc on it,From the trans..
then buy another shifter assembly.

Parts are cheap..
By the way Do NOT try to twist that **** off Excessively while the Shifter assembly is IN The trans as there is a guide pin that will break.
Better safe then sorry to remove the shifter assembly with the **** On it to work on taking it off.

 

I had an aftermarket **** and the bottom trim ring unscrewed to get the set screw. Looks like the metal part on the bottom is the same.

 

yeah the gear numbers part screws off, the leather middle screws off, and the bottom screws down but cant come off with the main threaded part still on. with the **** apart there is no set screw or anything holding it in place besides the magic that has it in a damn vicegrip holding down on the shifter shaft LOL.

yeah my thoughts exactly i just left it alone for now till i have some free time to do it. ill wait till i get my bushings and boots from mazdatrix in the mail and my shift **** so i can redo the whole thing anyway all at once. i mean everything on the car is original, so maybe that could be a factor since it didn't seem like it had been removed ever before. if the worst happens and i need a new shifter shaft then it would give me the little extra push i need to get the short shifter

 

That clearly being an aftermarket shift ****, it probably does have a set screw in it. Also, I have never heard of using any kind of loctite on a shift ****. It's always possible the PO cranked it down on there real good and you are just gonna have to grow a set or think about it to get it to come loose.

 

So you dropped the chrome ring and there were no set screws underneath? Odd.

On a personal note, that is a good looking shift know. But we all have personal taste, so have at it.

 

yeah i like the **** a lot. its a three piece steel **** and fits great in the hands, but just wanted something different for a while. im just gonna take the shifter out and take it off when its out of the tranny. i'm worried about try force it off in the trans and breaking some internal shifter part in the trans

 

Smart. You don't want to break the guide pin in the shifter housing.

If for only the curiosity of it, could you post a picture of what's underneath the chrome ring?

 

The same thing happened to my friend on his Cressida (W58 tranny) The shifter was stuck, we took it apart to about 3-4 pieces still couldn't find anything. Gave up and he bought a different shifter lol.

 

was just gonna do that LOL. was trying to email them to myself from my phone but it was taking forever. heres whats underneath.

the leather part looks like there was some sort of thread locker on it but it was easy removing it


here is the main threaded piece with the bottom screwed on


here it is bare and this is what i can't take off

 

well.no worries about it coming loose!..lol!

 

HAHA no kidding

 

There's no hole from the side with a set screw? Hmm... As above, take the sifter out to put in a vise. What a bitch.

 

yeah no screw anywhere and yes it will be a pain, but i have to change the bushings and inner boots anyhow so i took the opportunity to order the boots and bushings, and i'm waiting for the parts to come in the mail then ill pry the little bastard off with better leverage when its out of the trans. if all else fails ill get another shifter from mazdatrix.

 

throw some heat at it while its out

 

it's either loc-tite, or someone rammed a 10x1.5 pitch **** on. if it's loc-tite, you could even try a heat gun on it. i usually use oxy-acetylene, but being in the interior, this may be a safer alternative.

 

was considering it. my parts should be here later to day so ill try it out later

 

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i finally pried that bastard off and red loctite was the culprit. i didn't have a blow torch or a heat gun so i got caveman on this little son of a bitch and put it over an open fire for 2 minutes and voila. it unscrewed with ease after taking some love marks of using pliers and wrenches to try and free it, fire is what set it free LOL







installed new bushings and new boots and all is well. i lost the leather boot in the process but i need a new one anyhow seeing as it is ripped