If the stalk isn't rubber-isolated like the OEM one, they tend to transmit a little gear noise in the first couple gears. If someone has a quiet exhaust and is really focused on keeping the car's OEM feel, I can see it. That said, I'm not in that group and like my old-school Pettit. Which also makes it almost impossible to miss 3rd gear for 5th.

 

I really want to get a STS, but I'm worry I won't like them. I have a real B&M in my daily for 10 years using GM synchromesh fluid and I love it, it is not notchy at all. On the other hand I've tried a B&M on someone's FD and it is very notchy, I was shifting it with the car not running so I don't know if that makes a different.

 

I hated my B&M one when I first fitted it, not least cos I had to use a grinder to clearance the housing from the trans tunnel! It was notchy and stiff and downright bloody irritating. But I was damned if I was going to spend over a hundred quid on something and not at least give it a go. As time went on it loosened up now and if I drive a car with a stock shifter it feels like a truck gearlever throw, vague and imprecise and ponderous. Never go back.

...only real drawback was that I stuck the logo decal on the car and my wife said "Why do you have a sticker saying BUM on your car?". It's a common mistake...

 

In my previous FD, I can't remember exactly what brand it was but the shifter was black and extremely short/notchy. The shifts were like clicks.

I currently have an RE-Amemiya shifter in my car, I agree that it feels basically like stock.

My complaint is with second gear, it's hard to get in to especially when the car is cold. Does anyone else have this problem? Is this specifically due to the shifter or the transmission in general? I'm using Amsoil gear fluid. I also noticed that the shifter has some play even when in gear, and more so in second gear if I'm not mistaken (odd).

 

The 2nd gear thing might just be the tran and gear fluid, my daily does the same thing with stock gear fluid and B&M STS, it went away after switching to GM synchromesh.

 

I had an RE-Amemiya short-shifter and loooooooooooooooooooooved it.

So smooth. Helped tremendously in reducing mis-shifts as well.

 

I have a stock shifter in one car and like it.
Have a B&M (not sure if original or replica) in another and as people have mentioned it is very notchy. It will get replaced.
Also have brand new in the box C's shifter I bought several years ago that fortunately i did not sell.

 

I also noticed that the shifter has some play even when in gear, and more so in second gear if I'm not mistaken (odd).

If it has play in gear I would first check the plastic bushing on the very bottom ball of the shifter and replace it if it has any play.

Mazda part# 398-17-462A

I tried the Mazdaspeed aluminum replacement bushing for this one from Mazda Motorsports but it wore noticeably in a couple of months and developed slop as well as transmitted noticeable transmission noise into the cabin. I went back to plastic and it has been slop free and quiet. This is with a Mazdatrix short shifter.