I just bought and installed the OEM bushing for the shifter but whenever i shift it seems like it's a little rough trying to get into gear. Granted it shifts alot better than when it didn't have it. Could it be that the tranny needs new lube or is there some mechanical failure?

for instance: when shifting from 1st to 2nd the stick seems like metal on metal on the left side as i pull it in (not grinding gears) and when i put it in 5th i can put it, what seems like, farther than it should and after driving a little while it will fall back where it should be.

Any ideas on what I should be looking at to refine the shifting?

 

you say you installed the OEM bushing in your post, but there are two bushings.

Are you sure both are in good condition??

 

try putting some tranny fluid in, mines the same way some times it gets stuck in first or doesnt wanan go in.

 

When I talked to Mazda they told me I was buying a bushing set for 10 bucks so I thought I was getting a good deal on that. I get there and they only give me the lower bushing. I asked them about it and they showed me the schematic of the post and transmission assembly and Mazda told me that what I got was the only bushing . The only other parts they showed on the stick was a pair of washers By some name.

You think Mazda may have reworked the bushings?

It fixed alot of the problems I was having with the transmission (the old having to hold it a certain way to get it into gear) but it just doesn't feel exactly right.

I'll try the transmission fluid change to see if that helps any. I'll probably take it into jiffy lube to get it done so I don't have a mess to deal with. But that all depends on the money.

Is there anything else I should do before I shell out the $70 or so bones (i imagine) for that change?

 

No, there is a top bushing set and a bottom bushing set. I typically use two bottom sets (using one for the top and one for the bottom).

You must use a top and bottom bushing or it will not shift correctly.

And $70 is insane for a gear lube change. Even if you went with Redline MT90 synthetic gear lube (which I recommend for tough shifting manual transmissions) it wouldn't cost half of that.

 

Then this Mazda Parts dealership is well... not very good. I guess I'll have to order another lower bushing then. (yeah i was rough guessing it from my last transmission flush and fill and what not. it was an automatic.) I'm just wondering about my shift pole then... I'll have to figure it out tomorrow... rather today, just later (and when I get money in... paying for school sucks). Thanks IceMark and dizflyaznboi. I'll post back and let you know what turns up.

 

That's what all the places I went to wanted to charge me.

"I have my own oil, I just want you to change it"

"$65"

"To hell with that"

 

when i replaced mine which was completely gone, it seems the previous owner drove it very hard, the top plate that bolts down had a nice lip on it protruding down, when i first reinstalled it, it would stick badly and not smoothly, so i sanded that lip off and it's smooth as butter now. no problems since, it looks like that little lip was adding extra pressure to the bushings and made it tighter than necessary

 

have a q...i have the same prob wid ma shifter....do i get another bushing kit (from mazda same as they gave me the first one...a blue plastic bush and two seals) and where does the top one goes didnt see ne place where it might go ????hehehe a noob q .....sowee guys!!!

 

There is a white lower bushing and blue or black upper bushing.

Again if you only got one bushing, it is one too few.

White bushing on the bottom of the middle large shifter ball, blue or black bushing on the top (or two whites).

 

i dont need bushliings but since this thread is similar to mine... any input on this "NEO" oil?


http://www.neosyntheticoil.com/

 

thanks icemark

 

I think i'm just going to have to order some bushings from mazdatrix. Mazda only gave me one bushing in that set and it's the only bushing they have for the shifter... I'm tired of it being so sticky (but good news is I finally found some employ so I can actually start repairs on a better schedule)

 

hmmm yeah same prob here.....i went to maz dealer and he could only come up with the one he had already sold me...neways just wondering if the lower one can also be used as the upper one .....if soo ill just order the lower one again and sub it for the upper one????

 

Yeah I'm thinking the same way

 

have them look for the Miata set

 

Update: Drained old tranny lube... It was black and frothy... some how that doesn't seem like a good thing. So I put in some new 75w90... (I couldn't find any royal purple or redline ) but it shifts so much nicer. I still need to pick up the upper bushings for the shifter, but I have to wait for el dinero. I also have a steel braided clutch line coming in, so.... Until then.