So with the advice from this forum members, I'm a proud new owner of an '07 RX-8 with a new engine

I've tried searching, but couldn't find anything relevant. Is there any other mechanism in addition to pushing the shifter down that prevents you from engaging reverse when moving forward?

Coming from a 23 year old Miata, gears are SO easy to engage, and 3&4 are so close to 5&6 that I have a hard time adapting. And since I'll be switching between the two for the next few months, a thought of accidentally engaging reverse while getting on a highway particularly bothers me. My neutral position on the gear lever is such that it is depressed, allowing to go all the way to the right as if engaging reverse. If I go there, would I be able to engage reverse, or is there something that would not allow me to get into that gear? (except extreme speed mismatch and grinding)

 

Enertia??

 

The push-down works rather well. I am in a MSM now, and I've been poking around for a long while for a way to implement the RX-8's reverse guard on the shifter turret since I have done that exact problem. It isn't a problem on the RX-8.

Or convert to a series2 transmission where reverse is to the left of 1st.

 

You won't be able to engage reverse. At worst you'll get a quick grind.

 

+1

All you get is a discusting "your an idiot!" grinding noise. It won't engage. I've done it a few times over the years. Don't worry about it unless your just grinding the gears all the time.

 

Ok, thanks. I'll just be extra careful then

 

if you're hitting reverse instead of 6th, you're doing something very wrong.

my best suggestion is to just stop thinking about it, because it's likely you will never have it happen. even if you do it's unlikely you will do much harm besides a nice 'buzz' in your wrist and some looks from other nearby drivers.

 

Is there any way to stiffen the "push-down" to prevent unwanted engagement? What does that mechanism look like - is it spring loaded?

 

I think most of us just keep the motion lateral, and not vertical. I don't recall any threads of anyone disassembling the shifter to get to the spring.

 

Ya, just googled some transmission pictures, and that mechanism looks to be contained within the transmission itself, so probably not worth any preventative measures...

 

Red line in third is 90 mph. Red line in fourth is 120 mph. The shift into 6th on a highway is going to be made leisurely, well after you're on and settling into cruise. It won't be in a rush while accelerating and aiming for a slim opening in traffic. Not the kind of situation where you'd expect to blow a shift.

Ken