Just installed my AFE shifter and let me share some impressions:

1. Total time for install took 15 mins. This isn't counting all the time I took reading every post from people who took the time to share their working knowledge.

2. I went with the trimmed green (yes, mine was green) felt liner option and set the seem at the 5 oclock position.

3. Took it for a spin right after install and was blown away by the feel. I "knew" what to expect but that does not prepare you for the difference in feel. Shifting is quick, precise, comfortable, and smoooooooooth. I really do have to agree with the majority on this one: if you're having problems it's either sometihng wrong with your clutch, something wrong with your install, or you really need to work on your shifting.

4. I've done a bunch of cosmetic swaps on my 8 and love them all but if I could do it all over again I would have done this first.


to Richard Paul

 

it's posts like these that make me want to spend money.

 

Bumping this thread 'cause I want everyone to check out my new Master cld brace. It's in the brakes and wheel section. Here's a link.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension-55/axialflow-brake-master-cylinder-brace-137321/

 

I have a question. My parents are very paranoid when it comes to aftermarket parts. I tried to tell them this won't affect my warranty. Can I just get verification this shifter won't affect the warranty on my car?

 

It hasn't yet and we have sold over 800 units. At least one guy had some trans problem and they replaced the trans and put back the AFE shifter for him.
There is a law that I can't remember the name of making it illegal for dealers to deny warrentee because of unrelated afternarket parts.
If you change the gears to aftermarket they will refuse to give you new gears.
For that matter they will not replace my shifter for you if it fails. You need not worry about that as it is warrenteed for the life of the car.

 

Thankyou. That is exactly what I needed.

 

It is very easy to reinstall the stock shifter if you were worried about it.

The Axial Flow shifter is much easier to install and uninstall than the Mazdaspeed short shifter due to the the spacers that are used with the MS.

The only thing I need to mention to the service department in is not to tighten the **** down so hard.

 

So my only problem with the stock shifter is the sticking points between gears. Mostly between 1st and 2nd and even more so between 3rd and 4th. I hear miracle stories about changing to synthetic tranny and diff fluids, which only slightly helped this issue. Am I right to assume that this problem is completely solved with the short shifter or is it only approved. If I could go from gear to gear with NO sticking points or resistance than I would be a very happy man!

 

i still love mine after a couple years now

 

Any resistance whatsoever between gears??

 

Mike.....I would recomend that you go find somebody to let you try it out. Somebody at Furman's got to have one! That's the only way you will know if it's an improvement to you or not. Sticking points....I never noticed it with my stock or SS, so that's why I say find one and try it.

 

had a valet the other day tell me it was the shortest throw shifter he's ever driven. coming from a guy who probably parks a few hundred cars a day i took it as high praise indeed.

 

has there been any confirmation on the trimming of the green fuzz? sounds like itd be good to do but i wanna make sure theres confirmation. Also where do i need to lube the shifter?

 

The place to lube is around the lower plastic piece and the kevlar cup that goes into the transmission.

Cutting the green fuzz is a placebo. The main issue is if a person tightens the shift **** down tight. If you have a lot of noise coming from the shifter loosen the **** and the noise will be cut down considerably.

 

thanks i havent actually put in the ss yet just wanna clarify things and get what im gona do straight before i start it saturday

 

I actually tie wrapped the green fuzz around the shifter right above the white plastic piece(You will see when you get it). I didn't pull it extremely tight against the metal shaft, just tight enough so that it would hold and no chance it would go over the white plastic and slip down. Not sure it was needed, but mine makes no noise!

Oh.................and keep your hand off of it except to shift!


Dave

 

I had a little leftover MT-90 gear oil, maybe a couple tablespoons full, so i poured it down the shifter cavity of the transmission.
Im guessing that this would be ok as the oem shifter had gear oil on the bottom of it anyways.

My question is this... If I add gear oil down the cavity, is it the same as adding it thru the filler plug?
If yes, why would they instruct you to fill thru the plug, as its much easier to fill thru the cavity.

 

i fell in love with my short shifter!!! everytime people talk about mods i ALWAYS tell em first thing to get is the RP short shifter!!!

 

Yes it is the same as filling through the hole in the transmission... it is a hole in the transmission.

The reason they say to do that is the potential to spill inside the car. I personally fill from the shifter and leave the top fill hole open on the transmission to get the correct amount in the transmission.

 

At first I packed them with grease, then I just said for the user to put some grease on it themselves. Then some customers didn't bother to put anything on them and had no problems. Somewhere in between should be OK. So the latest I do is squirt a little oil on the pivot ball and the lower bushing.
The factory doesn't use anything when they put them in the stock one.
If anything we are better off with high tech materials on ours. It takes a spin around the block and oil will get up there from the gearcase. Also there is only the pressure of your arm on anything your shifting. That is until you get to the forks but we don't supply those and they are lubed by now.

 

That is a good point about the gear lube getting up there Richard.

I noticed in the shop manual the pivot ball and the cup are grease points.

 

My Short Shifter has a terrible rattle above 8k rpm. I read where someone else had the same problem said it was fixed with a "black boot". I would apreciate any information on aquiring a black boot, which I assume goes on the end of the ball on the shifter in the tranny. I sent a msg to the manufacture, and am awaiting response from Richard Paul's website.

Thanks

 

I want one of these but can't find out where to buy one! I've searched everywhere. Can anyone direct me to a vendor.

 

You didn't look very hard. The link is at the bottom of each one of Richard Pauls posts. http://www.axialflow.com/

 

Just installed mine yesterday.

I Love it!