Stiffen your Mazda 3, Speed 3 shifter - for $4

flyrevs

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2013 MS3 Silver
Stiffen your Mazda 3, Speed 3 shifter - for $4
I noticed on my Mazdaspeed 3 and there is some sloppiness in the shifter. I read a post on how to change the "sponge bob" rubber bushings with TWM solid aluminum ones. It will cost you something like $26 bucks for the solid aluminum mounts and $12 shipping (what a joke).

I took the cover off the shifter and played with the shifter to see what I could find out about the cause of the slop. The sponginess is caused by soft rubber bushings.

It appears that the whole assembly can be stiffened up easily by filling the air gap around the soft rubber bushings with epoxy.

I had an extra tube of 6 min. epoxy left over from the "Stiffen your Mazda 3, Speed 3 rear engine mount - for $4" project so I decided to give it a go.

Here are the bushings (circled in red):

shift2.jpg


Time required: The whole project takes about 25 min.

What you will need: 2 part 6 Min epoxy - Lowes $4 and an applicator:

shift1.jpg


I used 6 min epoxy, but you have to work too fast, so use the 20 min stuff.
Note: Don't use 6 min. epoxy for this - you will be sorry (sets too fast) - use the 20 min stuff and life will be good.
I got the applicator from an ink fill re-fill kit.

If you take the shifter assembly out of the car you wont need the applicator, but I was too lazy to take it out. Use the applicator and you can do the whole project without taking anything out of your car.

I mixed the 2/3 of the tube of epoxy and poured it into the applicator. Take the applicator and fill the air gap around each of the 4 mounts. Only fill up to the top of the washer - don't get any on the nut.
The epoxy gel flows just right and entirely fills the gaps.

Where to fill:
shift3.jpg


Fill like this:
shift5.jpg


Finished (all gaps filled with epoxy):

shift4.jpg


Now put the cover back on the shifter and you are all done!!!

In about 3 hours it will be rock hard (let it setup in a heated area) so wait at least this long before you test it out.

I think this solution is actually better than the solid shift mounts because the solid mounts will offer no isolation and therfore will probably transmit some vibrations to the shifter. This mod makes it stiffer, however you still have rubber for isolation of vibration.
For $4 this is a great mod. You can do this on the Mazda 3 as well.

This also saved a bunch of time not having to take the console out and remove the entire shifter assembly, ( if you are going to use the solid mounts you will have to take everything out).

Just took her out for a spin - wow she shifts a lot "crisper" now. The entire shifter feels more "solid" now. Definitely less sponginess. Sponge Bob is now gone! Awsome. :):):)

Sorry for the multiple posts on this, everytime I hit submit I got an hour glass, so I kept trying ended up with like 5 posts.
 
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Great... another thing on the list of stuff to do tomorrow.. at least I got my TT working..

How I just need to find the RPM wire and speed sensor wire..
 
dread said:
Can you get the shifter assembly out after you do this.

Yes - definitely. The rubber grommet is smashed between the top of the plastic shift assembly and the metal insert. The epoxy will only be able to fill the air gap not leak down under the assembly.

Caution: If you get epoxy on the nut on top of the bushing you will have a real hard time getting the nut off (because you wont be able to get a wrench over it.)
 
What happens when the short throw shifter comes out for it. Can you get the shifter out with no problems.
 
He says yes according to his last post, but if you are getting the shifter it comes with aluminum bushings anyway, so you will be taking out the rubber ones.
 
i will definatly give it a try... i dont feel my shifter is that bad but there is plenty of room for improvement.
 
I took apart the console and was looking at the base while shifting and I didnt see much movement. Does this really make a difference?
 
mazda3mods said:
I took apart the console and was looking at the base while shifting and I didnt see much movement. Does this really make a difference?
The movement that you see, will be 90% gone. The shifting will be stiffer, as there is less room for shifter movement on the rubber bushings.
It's hard to describe but it will feel firmer - less vague.

The nice thing is you can do the mod in like 20 min. and you don't have to take anything apart (besides removing the boot).
 
So the goal is NOT to get the epoxy on the metal washer and bolt, right?

If I then get the TWM down the line, will I still be able to take all it this out for the other bushings.
 
mazda3mods said:
So the goal is NOT to get the epoxy on the metal washer and bolt, right?

If I then get the TWM down the line, will I still be able to take all it this out for the other bushings.
Don't get any on the bolt, if you do it will be a beoutch to get a socket over it when you do want to take the shifter assembly out. As far as the metal washer, I tried to keep it off also but this is not as important, once you take the assembly out in the future, a dremmel will easy remove any epoxy that is in the way if you are going with the solid inserts.
 
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flyrevs said:
Don't get any on the bolt, if you do it will be a beoutch to get a socket over it when you do want to take the shifter assembly out. As far as the metal washer, I tried to keep it off also but this is not as important, once you take the assembly out in the future, a dremmel will easy remove any epoxy that is in the way if you are going with the solid inserts.

So the job of the epoxy is to toughen the rubber to the plastic base?
 
mazda3mods said:
So the job of the epoxy is to toughen the rubber to the plastic base?
It keeps the rubber on top from being able to move which stiffens up the whole assembly. The bottom part of the rubber is not effected so there is still some movement (very little) and you still have isolation against vibration.
The yellow in this pic is the epoxy:
The top part of the black rubber bushing can no longer move.
epoxyshifter.jpg
 
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I think the problem is the bottom part of the bushing, I really don't see how this will make a difference with the rubbery shifter, I recommend some aluminum bushings to anyone thinking of doing this. Its like cutting your airbox instead of getting a CAI. It may make a little difference but you can do better.
 
Has anyone tried this on other models? Seems that the epoxy might breakdown after a while resulting in cracks and pieces of epoxy bouncing around under your console. Probably just messy. btw, seems like the fix may be the best of both worlds keeping the vibration out but maintaining the crips shifting.

nice
 
If you get the heavy duty kind of epoxy with a rating in the thousand pounds area, I really dont think it is going to crack or breakdown. But strange things happen.
 
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