Short shifter rattles!?

Murdastylez15 · Post by **Murdastylez15** » October 5th, 2008, 8:39 pm

I recently installed my short shifter, it's one of the cheap ones from EEEEEEBAAAAAAY...when it's in gear and I release the gas to coast, my car gets louder and starts to vibrate causing my shifter to start rattling loud. Now....is it something I've done wrong, I made sure it was snug fit and everything.

Help!

SmoothMX3 · Post by **SmoothMX3** » October 5th, 2008, 9:08 pm

Mine done the same with my first mx3... It's because they are cheap. Other then that, It's because your bushings might be worn in the shifter or either the shifter screw is loose. (im talkin about the screw and bushings on the bottom of the shifter.

neli_nael · Post by **neli_nael** » October 5th, 2008, 9:37 pm

mine doesnt vibrate any more then the stock shifter. i dont think it has anything to do with the shifter itself, maybe bushings but i really dont know.

projectzemx3 · Post by **projectzemx3** » October 6th, 2008, 12:33 am

when you are in gear and release the clutch it puts a load on the engine, the way it moves and exhaust pressure can make the exhaust piping bounce around on its rubber hangers. is your exhaust bigger? could your shifter be hitting it possibly?

Murdastylez15 · Post by **Murdastylez15** » October 6th, 2008, 10:28 am

projectzemx3 wrote:when you are in gear and release the clutch it puts a load on the engine, the way it moves and exhaust pressure can make the exhaust piping bounce around on its rubber hangers. is your exhaust bigger? could your shifter be hitting it possibly?

I did have an aftermarket muffler put in before I did the short shifter...that could be the problem.

You guys have been very helpful, I will let you know what I find out. THANKS!

Murdastylez15 · Post by **Murdastylez15** » August 18th, 2009, 2:35 pm

The problem is that the round bottom of the short shifter is smaller than the fitment that it connects to. So when I drive and the vibrations causes the shifter to rattle in the connection. Have no idea how to fix it though. Maybe one day.

umcamara · Post by **umcamara** » August 18th, 2009, 7:16 pm

Murdastylez15 wrote:The problem is that the round bottom of the short shifter is smaller than the fitment that it connects to. So when I drive and the vibrations causes the shifter to rattle in the connection. Have no idea how to fix it though. Maybe one day.

There should be two bushings inside the hole in the shifter at the round part at the bottom. The shift linkage should fit over these bushings very tightly, then the bolt run through the hole. You are definitely missing those bushings, or the fork where the linkage meets the shifter is spread too far apart.

One of those two scenarious...

Murdastylez15 · Post by **Murdastylez15** » August 19th, 2009, 2:52 pm

Haha! you are very right. I think your scenario is very correct. I seriously doubt if I lost the bushings. So I will find my old shifter because I put all of those things together. Thanks for the help.

umcamara · Post by **umcamara** » August 19th, 2009, 3:08 pm

You may as well go to the Mazda dealership and order new ones. There are 4, and they are only $4 each. Came out to about $16 for me. They do wear out after time.

Or you can buy the bronze-oil ones from Corksport. They are about $30 for a set, and make the shifting sharper and more precise, but allow more vibration.

SuperK · Post by **SuperK** » August 22nd, 2009, 11:50 pm

Correction, because I love correcting you, umcamara. I hound the forums just to find your posts... and correct them.

The mazda dealership's price just went up to SIX dollars a bushing... and some spare change.

jkbreazeale · Post by **jkbreazeale** » September 24th, 2009, 6:47 pm

How does one eliminate the play in the shifter on the part of the arm that swivels. You have the part where the two bushings connect to the transmission cable housing, and then theres the swivel spot where in the middle the arm goes back to the short shift. That swivel spot where the arm has play in it but there is no bolt to remove. Is there a way to remove this play without the use of the dremmel? I think it is also the source of my rattle in the short shift. Any suggestions?

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » September 24th, 2009, 7:46 pm

YOu have to drill that rivet out and replace it with a bolt.

jkbreazeale · Post by **jkbreazeale** » September 24th, 2009, 8:38 pm

Sounds like fun, also sounds like you've had experience with this problem. Do I need to get another set of bushings or washers or anything like that or just get a bolt? If I dremmel out that and put a bolt in, it's still gonna slide back and forth. Is there supposed to be some play on that piece?

SuperK · Post by **SuperK** » September 24th, 2009, 9:36 pm

go to your mazda dealership. Order a shifter linkage bolt for the TRANSMISSION SIDE (not the shifter side, gotta be the longer of the two)
Get a lock washer and a nut, as well as two standard shift linkage bushings (or three sets of two if you didn't replace the other ones)

Dremel out one side of the permanent bushing thing, then slide the new one in with new bushings.

I just did this on two MX-3's and it makes a world of difference. You have to have a dremel so go to wal mart and get a cheap one, but make sure to use the reinforced dremel pads. the other ones are crap

ManNinco15 · Post by **ManNinco15** » October 8th, 2009, 3:14 pm

Right on!

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