I just got a chance to take a spirited drive and I, as everyone else, am very impressed with the AFE short shifter. It really does have a 'bolt action' feel that is way cool. :)

wow huey! 2 years to get an AFE, it was the very first mod i did on my car like 2 months in..

Yeah, I don't know why I didn't put the grabbus on this outstanding mod long ago.

Hey man, thanks a lot for this guide! The pictures were a big help.

No one else has grinding with this shifter? I can't do a fast 1-2 shift, because if I do, it feels and sounds like I'm destroying the synchros on my 14k mile car...

I can wiggle the knob around without moving the bottom of the shifter, which seems loose and incorrect.. Do I have a faulty shifter or am I just not placing my 2nd gear shifts correctly? The other gears feel pretty good, but definitely not "Rifle Bolt"

How is the three bolt retainer plate looking?

And if you want really fast changes - put a dog-box in. :p

Cheers,
Hymee.

Is that a new unit you bought from me?

@Hymee: I have no idea, what should I look for? I'll pass on the dog box - whirring gears aren't what I'm looking for, even if ANYTHING sounds better with straight cuts...

@Richard: No, the previous owner installed it at an unknown time. Can't have been too long ago since the car's an '07, but I couldn't say when, or how he treated the tranny or shifter... If I remove it, anything I should look for?

Pull it out and check the lower bushing for wear or cracks. That is the only part that could be giving you problems. Although I don't know why it would grind even then. I got a feeling the first owner may have been hard on the syncros.

Lower Bushing Wear?
 

First off, thanks to Gomez for a very well-written DIY. I was able to swap shifters quickly with this guide.

Anyway, Richard, I'm not entirely sure how the bottom bushing should originally look, but it looks worn to me. I can't tell from your website's or Gomez' pictures if the metal in the bushing (black in those pictures, but mine is/was white?) should be more recessed (like on the stock shifter), or if it is indeed nearer to the tip. Attached is a picture of my RP shifter, just removed at 14.4k miles, and the stock shifter, which was replaced at an unknown time by the previous owner.

I haven't yet driven the car with the stock shifter, but I'll post how that goes later.

Send it back. I don't think it will change things but we will put the latest style bushing on it for you.
My bet is still on the abused syncros.

Sounds great, thanks for the offer!

It probably is the synchro, so I'll be taking the car to the dealer tomorrow anyway in an attempt to put the warranty to work. Just didn't want to take it in with an aftermarket piece they might try to blame it on. Assuming they fix it, will be great to have the short shifts back with new bushing. Just sitting in the car, rowing through gears feels sooooo far with the stock piece in!

Well, it wasn't the shifter...
 

I just got back from driving the car with the stock shifter installed, and noticed some weird things.

At first, it seemed that my problems were solved because I was able to shift smoothly past 7k rpm, and did this multiple times.
The next few attempts resulted in a slight vibration while shiting to 2nd, but no grinding.
Finally, the final times, the grinding had returned. Whether shifting slowly past 7k rpm, or pulling quickly, with clutch fully engaged either way, it grinds. I don't know why it took a while to start acting up, but at least I know it wasn't the shifter... To the dealer I go.....

All I want to know now is how someone mangles a synchro in under 12k miles, even after switching to synthetic tranny oil....

Glad you ID'd the culprit and my money was on the syncho's. The previous owner must have really manhandled the shifter. There is an aftermarket part to preclude 'over shifting' and thereby help protect the syncho's, but I doubt you'll need it once you get the tranny sorted under warranty.

http://www.fluidmotorsports.com/p-18...cessories.aspx (see Syncro Saver Kit)

My RX-8 was always "notchy" on the first-to-second shift.

Changing to Redline didn't help either. It's a characteristic of the box, mine was like it from new.

My 2001 RX-7 is the same.

f*ck I broke the tab
lol

great DIY tho!

i installed mine this morning n is so freackin awsome i love it...

Is automatic also fit on that short shifter....

Just to let you know for the noise subject...

I pretty much tested all suggestions to reduce noise today... Pretty much removing the green felt did nothing for the noise in my case, but loosening the shift knob did... Although it still makes noise, not as much when I had it tightened down a lot.

Oh, and the boot ring is snug on the white part of the shifter, it's isn't moving or rattling on anything.

Update!!

In case anyone was wondering this will not work on your 09. The transmission was change slightly and as such looks like Mazda changed the shifter. I'll have pics up tomorrow when I have a USB cable for my camera.

RP, any plans to make one work for the 09? I bet every new 09 owner on here would like a new shifter since they get such great reviews and is generally referred to as the best mod.

I'll have one for sale here soon, assuming the guy I bought it off doesn't mind since I can't re-use it.

seriously??

you didn't know they changed the transmissions on the 09's?
of course it wouldn't work....should have done some research.

not really a big deal though I guess, you will sell that shifter in no time!

I knew they changed the transmission but never found exactly what they did. Like I said, worth a shot that the shifter didn't change. I know the ratios changed but not sure what else.

Having a bit of an issue installing mine.

It's not completely put back together, just mostly....but I can't seem to go "DOWN" to get into reverse...? Anybody have any idea on that?

Can you not get it at all? Mine was a little tough at first but it seemed to be much better after a day or 2.

no, after I screw in the reverse lockout plate, the shifter cannot go down 1 mm. It's stuck there. It's as if there should be something there to prevent it from getting screwed down so far...but I dunno...