SOLVED! problem downshifting to 2nd under hard braking

for the past month or two i have been having trouble downshifting to 2nd under hard braking. shifter just wouldn't engage 2nd under hard braking. let off the brakes, let the car settle down, and it will shift.
took the car in to mazda, even took a tech for a ride - he said i shouldn't be driving like that, there is nothing wrong with the car. well, it didn't do that the first 9 months / 6000 miles, so something must have changed. i sort of figured it was the rear trans mount, so i ordered one with a poly bushing, and finally had a chance to put it in. problem solved.
so, if you are having trouble downshifting while braking, trans mount could be the problem.

i just don't get it - with the short shifter & bushings, mt90 in the trans, and stiffer rear trans mount the car now shifts like it should have from the factory.... is this mazda supporting the aftermarket vendors?

Which mount did you go with?

i went with the street unit mount, mostly because of the bushing, and it looks like it would be stronger that the awr and stock mounts.

i think if i had waited another week i would have went with the trz dog bone. i looked at the different mounts for like 2 months trying to decide which one to get, naturally after i get one a new one comes out that would have been my first choice!

Darn i have that problem too at the track... The dealer checked and didnt had the problem. I have to stay stock Are there any other way to correct it?

mcb said:

Darn i have that problem too at the track... The dealer checked and didnt had the problem. I have to stay stock Are there any other way to correct it?

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You can take the mount out and fill the gap with epoxy. http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123654918. I think that would keep you stock.

Or you can just replace the mount and not tell anyone. (drive2)

mcb said:

Darn i have that problem too at the track... The dealer checked and didnt had the problem. I have to stay stock Are there any other way to correct it?

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i think i see dirt on your car in your sig....riiight there....see it?

some crazy guys here made a big story about someone that changed his battery for a red top(wich is heavyer than stock battery but not same size) so i dont want to push my luck...

mcb said:

some crazy guys here made a big story about someone that changed his battery for a red top(wich is heavier than stock battery but not same size) so i dont want to push my luck...

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...From the stories I've heard, the people that make a big stink like that have the usual mindset: "There's no way anyone else could've driven better than me, so they must be cheating!"
Some people just can't get it through their thick skulls that there will always be someone that is better (even if only by a little bit) than them.

just an idea - either epoxy the stock bushing, or get the inserts that go into the holes in the stock bushing, and get a new mount from mazda. take the new mount and tools to change it with you when you race, and if anyone complains, just swap out the new stock mount. just take the new stock mount out again as soon as you are done racing, if you have to swap it back in you should be able to get quite a number of runs in before it degrades and causes the problem again. but still, i don;t see how anyone will be able to tell you epoxied it. i think the key is not necessarily getting a harder bushing than stock, but compensating for the degradation of the stock mount. my problem didn;t start until after i had the motor mount recall bolt replaced, part of me wonders if the bushing was stressed / stretched at that time... or it could have just been normal wear and tear / break in of the bushing. either way, i got almost 6000 hard miles on the stock bushing before the problem started. the problem also progressed. at first, it was only an issue under hard braking and turning, then it was an issue just with hard braking, easy to duplicate on the street. then right before i put in the new mount, i could reproduce the problem with only moderate braking.

Ill epoxy it when i get some time on my hand in the off season. Thanks guys!