Richard I intend to do just that today actually. I am going to see if moving the plate just enough will solve my problem.

 

Ah yes, I didn't remember the dowel pins. trophymaker, this will make things a little more difficult. Before filing anything, check to see if you are riding the retainer on the 4-5-6 shifts. Then report back if you are. I think you will be better off filing the lockout tab, than removing the dowel(s). That way, the car can be returned to stock at a later point if required.

I think it's probably just stiff because of the revised geometry. Takes a while to get used too?? It will all become clearer with the two rubber shift boots off.

Gomez.

 

ill try and move the plate on mine and see if i have any luck, get back to you guys monday evening (no 8 until then )

 

I broke the damn rear R/H tab. Hehe.

I tried to move the plate... no luck. As stated earlier, the dowel pins locate it firmly. I am 'riding the wall' on the 4-5 and 5-6 shifts... It seems just enough to get it into 5th from 4th without drama. Its just that the space in between 3-4 and 5-6 is a good deal less than the space between 1-2 and 3-4. Maybe its because there isnt another retainer on the left side of the gates that keeps the stick from moving further left than necessary to engage first. I guess the flex in the ball joint adds as well. As a little test, while in 5th I can push down (longitudinally as if to engage reverse) on the stick and move a little to the right. I feel the tab going under the retainer, and if I let the stick go it kind of pops up and clears the tab. Is this normal? Maybe I could have done this with the stock stick as well.

I dont know if its a tolerance problem or if its a problem at all really. But 3 and 5, 4 and 6 feel awfully close. I will probably just get used to it. Any thoughts?

 

I'll vote for filing the tab a small amount, very small amount. It takes very little at the tab to make a difference on the stick. Try just a few strokes on the tab, see if you can feel it. Look and see if there is then some clearance when in 5/6.
Don't forget t9o use a fine file almost like a needle file.
In fact if you had a small enough needle file you could slot the dowel holes. These are very small holes though.

 

Hey Richard please refresh me, how much clearance should I be looking for when in 5/6? Like Gomez said, I think my best bet would be to file the tab a bit, and not mess with the stock plate.

 

RP, here's a question. The reverse rattle on my 8 is the tab riding against the the plate. After going into reverse it's able to come back up (unlike the stock shifter) and rest to the side of the plate. Filing or otherwise moving the plate to the right would seem to make this problem worse. I would think moving to the left would make the 5-6 gate tight. Is there a solution to keep easy 1-6 and not have reverse rattle?

 

you should have none to maybe .015. meaning you cannot go over the gate but get into it easy. having none like you do now isn't really none because there is pressure on it.

trial and error is how you're going to do it best. If the damn dowels were bigger I would make up some offset ones for cases like this. If I was more confident in not getting chips into the works I would re-dowel them on the car. Or remove the dowels set the plate where you want it and drill and tap some 6-32 button head allen screws to hold the alignment.

This could work for guys that miss being able to ride the wall. We could use the existing dowel holes for the screws. They will be offset from each other during the first drilling operation but with the three bolts holding it down it will not move. Therefore it will be fine. We just take the top plate off andtap the bottom. Then drill the top plate to clearance. Or you could tap them both together. That works.
Maybe even better with thin plates.

 

I think we are all fighting the same thing, factory tolorences. I seem to have found the middle ground as most of these are ok. It is just those on the outer ends of the range. We can't complain to Mazda so we have to work it out. My best solution is for guys with cars on the outer edge of the tolorence, keep the shifter and get a new Rx8. Test it before you buy it to see if the shifter works ok.

Not a good idea? I said it was my best thought. My best, get it? me me me.

Ok got that out. :D

Only time will tell if there is a way to solve this for all cars. With all these minds working on it, we will prevail.
As to what the stock shifter does after reverse has to be the same as what mine does. There the operation is the same. The tab is under the plate while in reverse then pops up to form the lockout. It has to hit the plate to keep you out of the reverse gate. I think the tab is in the same place as the stock one as far as up and down goes. I will look at the print tomorrow and check it against the stock one. But even if it is off............... what am thinking if it was off it wouldn't work.
you can see it is right because it is even with the plate when poped up. In fact I remember we had to adjust this to find just the right hight.

Dosdog I don't think you have a problem. Your just going back to the clutch chatter when in revese. Let the clutch out and go faster, it will stop rattling.

 

I would agree except my OEM shifter stays under the plate in reverse. It does not come up beside the plate while still in reverse.

 

If you could provide a pic, that would help....

 

I left my camera at work but imagine the shifter in 6th. The tab is against the plate riding even with it. To get into reverse, I push down and over and get into the reverse gate. When I take my hand off the shifter, the shifter comes up and the tab is able to go to the same position as sixth, even height with the plate while still in reverse. It does not stay under the plate in reverse as the OEM does.

 

Something sounds fishy. I need to pull mine apart and check again what happens with reverse selected. Going to work soon, so it'll have to be tomorrow....

 

I agree, that doesn't sound right. It's in the r gate but the shifter is in the 5/6 position? Seems your plate needs to come left a bunch. or maybe it just takes a little.
I'd like to see this picture also. Gomez has a unit from the same run as dosdog does. It will be good to see what he says.

 

I filed a bit off the tab on mine. It would barely shift into 5/6...it was really tight. After a small reduction, it is much smoother...it slips in if you are "riding the wall". Do you have the old style cup? Thats what mine was doing when the cup slipped below the spring....the tab would slide under the gate , and the lockout didn't work

 

dosdog does have the first cup but i don't think it is the same thing. i'll get him a new cup monday anyhow. his is just way over on the other side of the tolorence.

 

just an odd note to mess things up about tolorences, i have never really had to push down on the stock shifter to get into reverse. my rp shifter is zesty x 2.

beers

 

Dannobre, what kind of file did you use specifically? Did you just file little by little and keep re-trying the action?

 

Just used a "mill bastard" :D

Damn...got to say it and it's not a swear word :D

Be patient....SS is hard to file

 

I would use a crosscut file. A bastard is course.

If you were an Aussie you can use the word in every sentence if you like. It must have something to do with the out of wedlock rate.

I also gather that use in a written statement you leave out all the spaces. Like this: Mymategomezisafunnybastard. :D

 

Actually Richard, now I'm a shiftybastard.....

Gunna have lunch and then take a few shifty pics....

 

I just wanted to use the word "Bastard" in a sentence the PC police couldn't take offense to. I used the "bastard" for the first bit...and then cleaned it up with a fine crosscut file :D

 

dAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU TOOK A BIT OFF THEN. i WOULDN'T THINK THAT NESSASARY.
Gomez are you taking pictures of the tab in reverse? Notice it didn't take me more then a line to notice the caps lock was on.

 

Bastard is not an obscenity in Australia, it's a term of endearment.

Owyagoinyacrankyolbastard?

 

Standby ya old bastard, all good things come to those that wait.