Loose shifter / bushings needed? (Video)

[katapaltes]

Hello everyone, I was hoping to get advice from anyone who's replaced their shifter bushings or who can remember what Proteges shifted like when they were new. I'm wondering if you guys think there is significant slop in my shift pattern and whether I'd see noticeable improvement by replacing the four small easy bushings and possibly the one big one - but not the two small ones for which I'd have to grind out a rivet to replace. I'd normally use stock parts or comparable third-party ones instead of something like CorkSport. I called a Kia dealership since they sell the same bushing and they were something like $4 apiece for the small ones. I haven't called the Mazda dealer yet.



I got under the car and wiggled the two shift rods (extension/stabilizer rod and shifter rod) and there is a little play in them but not much. It's really the behavior of the shifter shown in the video where the looseness is most noticeable to me. The gear shifts shown are 4-3-2-1. From what I could see below the vehicle, the bushings are not torn or missing any parts as I've seen depicted on some BG bushing replacement threads.

I just bought these four-ton jack stands and I like them. They go on sale frequently and are back on sale now.
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-professional-4-ton-jack-stands-one/p-00950163000P

 

[NaturalFlavored]

That video really sucks and won't play.
But I can tell you that with a b&m shifter and some aftermarket bushings for the stabilizer bar mines stiff, feels great.

 

[katapaltes]

Dang.. I went straight to Photobucket this time. I can see the video in two browsers on my PC and even remoted into my work desktop and can see if from there.

 

[mazdadude]

The video worked for me...

Your rubber bushings look to be toast...

There was no slop when new, normal movement for a FWD car with linkage setup, maybe 3 or 4mm in each direction when new...

 

[NaturalFlavored]

Now it worked. Yeah the bushings aren't keeping your stabilizer bar stiff. Or it came loose somehow.

 

[pcb]

You need these... The bronze oil bushings.
They are around $40.




It's the connection at the bottom of your shift rod that causes 90% of the sloppiness.

The original bushings are plastic. I made my own metal bushings.

 

[katapaltes]

Now it worked. Yeah the bushings aren't keeping your stabilizer bar stiff. Or it came loose somehow.

I didn't check the torque or try tightening the bolts while I was under the car. Have any of you guys heard of anyone seeing improvement from simply doing that? I'll try it when I have time to put the car back on the stands and report back.

 

[pcb]

That probably won't help...the plastic bushings disintegrate and create all kinds of slack.

 

[pb4ugotobed]

Bushings are shot. Replace them.

When i bought mine, the shifter had so much play i could barely find the gears at all, was really hard to drive like that. All 3 sets were completely disintegrated. All 3 sets are the same, i drilled out the rivet on the "non-replaceable" ones and replaced it with a same-size grade 8 bolt, i think 1/2" but don't recall off the top of my head. Shifts great now, zero play. Cost me all of about $20 to fix it.

 

[katapaltes]

Thanks for all your responses, guys. I just now got under my car in the 97-degree heat (hey, at least it's shady under the car). I checked to see if the nuts/bolts were loose and they were not, so bushings will need to be replaced per your advices. I'll replace the four small (easy) ones and see if that helps. I don't need to replace/fix/adjust anything from inside the vehicle, do I? The sloppiness is all addressed from below on these vehicles, right?

 

[NaturalFlavored]

Yes. There is the big bushing by the shifter that I have no clue how to replace so I didn't. I feel like it needs to replace the whole metal piece but im unsure, and the front two by the transmission. The old one needs to be cut off and aftermarket ones will come in two pieces and the little metal piece that sits in the middle for the bolt will be a little hard to get in.

 

[Jackie chan]

The shifter pivot sits in a nylon cup type bushing in the center console. It is held in with a big snap ring. I wouldn't worry about it though. And I wouldn't worry about the 3rd link yet either. Just replace the 4 bushings and decide where to go from there.

 

[katapaltes]

Evening, guys. I replaced the four easy bushings today courtesy of my new RhinoRamps. Not as much room under the car as with jack stands, but quicker setup and I felt completely safe. The two replaceable bushings near the front of the car were still in good shape. The ones above the exhaust were starting to deteriorate as you can see. I can't say that replacing these four made a lot of difference in shifting, but it did help a little. ( I didn't replace the ones where I'd need to grind the rivet out.)

Not sure why the ones under the shifter were green and the others gray.

Also not sure why there was slack in the pic below. With the bushings and bolt installed, I could move the "C-shaped" part in the center of the photo up and down about 2mm with respect to the "tube-shaped" part. (I.e. Felt like I should over-tighten the bolt to make the C-shaped part tighter; I didn't.)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Jackie chan]

Yeah, that bracket should be fairly snug.