So how did you fix it? Or were you lucky enough never to have the vibration?

Installed this just now and wow it is noisy! Tried every fix mentioned in this thread and still noisy.

The shifts are nice, but come at a price.

Makes me not wanna invest in this...sucks

Strange how some are noisy and some aren't. Mine is just fine and not noisy at all and no vibration........strange. :scratchhe I even left in the green supposed sound dampening material that some have taken out.

Element, did you try moving the upper boot to a lower position on the white piece? I think that's what I read was a cure for some people. So far I'm real happy with mine...............just getting used to it.

I have tried absolutely everything. Removed the insulation, moved the boot, added more insulation and in every change the sound got louder. Its the quietest with the insulation in, and the shift boot at the highest point. I do not rest my hand on the shifter either. I really like the shifts, and I'm not shooting down the workmanship on the shifter, just the sound is a negative side effect for me.

Some may not mind, but I find it a bit excessive. Too bad really as it is a nice feeling piece.

Curious.........can you decribe the sound in more detail? If I listen very, very closely I can hear sort of a very faint whirling type sound in certain gears. Would you describe it as that? How about when you shift? Try and describe it for me so I can go check out mine closer. There was another thread on here about reducing noise and I'll see if I can find it and post the link here, but it seems as if you may have already found/read it.
The only other thing I can think of is that I did tie wrap the insulation above the white piece and around the actual shaft, but it's not real tight against the shaft, it was just to keep it from slipping down. oh............I have the aftermarket illuminated shift knob, so my leather boot is a little bit different, but that can't be it at all.
And I know it sounds stupid, but have you made sure that the bracket with the three bolts(and is keyed) is sitting down properly? I know on the other thread someone didn't get it seated right(all the way down with the alignment holes) and ended up cracking the bracket which I sure lead to some noise on his setup.

The wiring noise I had with the stock shifter and only when down shifting to 1st or second, and it was very faint. Now that same noise is amplified about 10 times more, and occurs all the time. If I rest my hand on the shifter it gets a lot louder. If I am correct, I believe it is syncro noise. However I could be wrong.

The shifts themselves are also more audible. Also when driving the whirring noise gets louder as I go faster. I have a CAI and Intake and the whirring noise is heard quite clearly. I should almost make a recording to show people what I mean.

I am certain that the bracket is sitting down firmly. I tightened it down real well. However I plan on going back in there and rechecking everything tomorrow. Despite the side effect of the noise, the car is much more fun to drive.

Let me know what you find if anything.......I'd be interested.
On the bracket....while you are in there....take a look, it has small guides holes and posts, I saw on another thread where someone didn't notice that, cranked it down, and actually broke the bracket. I doubt that is your issue, but worth a look anyway.

Took it all apart again, and made sure to be careful when putting it back together and it still sounds the same. Moving the inner shift boot made some difference, but nothing major. I guess its something I have to live with.

My shifter used to be really loud too. I had all the same sounds as you. Changing the motor mounts and switching from Redline to Royal Purple has brought the noise level back to nearly stock levels.

Redline was always REALLY loud compared to Subaru oil in my STi, which I installed a short shifter in, so sounds plausible to me.

My motor mounts were JUST done under warranty, but I will be switching tranny fluid very soon. Hopefully that will cure it.

Please don't forget to write back after tranny fluid change and let us know! That will be very interesting indeed!
:dunno:

I just installed mine today after I picked it up at SSX (I'm lazy). I only get extra noise when i'm touching the shifter, then i hear a still fairly quiet "hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh".

I got the wire clips by inserting a pair of tweezers into the clip along the sides of the screw, then jiggling it off with pliers gripping the outside. That made it easy.

One thing I did do that I don't think anyone else did was break a freaking bolt on the metal plate that holds the shifter in. I was screwing the last one in and it never got as tight as the other two, eventually it started to get easier. I pulled it out and the shaft of the bolt was twisting apart and separating from itself. Thankfully nothing got stuck down there in the hole. I'm driving around with 2 bolts now till I get a third. Had to order it from Mazda since the dealers don't stock this piece.

Great shifter. Thanks Richard

Wow...................lucky on that bolt, could've been a bitch! Think you just were just apply too much torque?

I don't think so. I really wasn't pushing that hard, and definitely not straining or anything. I am very thankful it came out in one piece. I checked the others and they were fine.

yep,

a few bolts have broken.. rare, but has happened..

did you that the green felt out??? that is in the begining. it does help the noise.

beers :beer:

I know it's not supposed to help, but I think there are cases where it actually helps to have the felt in there. Mine makes less noise with the felt in there. Wonder why there is such a difference between cars? Think it is the model years or something......there must be a difference in spacing or something??????? I am of course assuming that all model years have the upper and lower boots and those boots are the same size and thickness? I haven'r read everything, everywhere, but from what I've read, it seems as if more 04's have noise than 05's.........that's not scientific, just an observation. I actually tie wrapped my felt sort of loosely around the shaft above the white spacer.

i think it depends on the shift knob. i like the zip tie idea. did you cut down the green felt???

beers :beer:

Didn't cut it at all, and didn't crank down on the zip tie either. Just made it kind of tight with about 1 to 1/2 inch of green felt above the tie and therefore above the white plastic spacer. Of course the felt then covers the spacer and some of the upper rubber shift boot.

UPDATE:

I changed the fluid as some suggested and I still have the noise. I rode in a buddies car that has the same shifter and his is much quieter than mine. We ended up swapping shifters and all of a sudden mine became a lot more quiet and his became more loud. I cannot visibly see a difference between shifters so I am not sure. I will contact Axial Flow sometime this week and perhaps something can be worked out.

Sounds good...finally an A-B comparison...keep us posted!

alright, tonight I installed the shifter. Instructions were fantastic, snapped the damn clip but I'll go and get another clip that's no big deal. Mainly, I'm FURIOUS right now.

























I could NOT have picked a worse time to ship off my ecu to racing beat! This thing feels night and day compared to stock, and I won't be able to test it out until tuesday after work when my ECU is back. I can't take it!!!!!!!!!

A note on the noise issue. mine was making excessive noise, so i took the boot off and examined it. the white ring had separated from the body of the shifter. a dab of super glue to remedy the situation. its much quiter now. something for you guys to check.

Mine is a 04' GT and I just finished the install on the shifter..

100% beautiful except I finally ended up breaking off the weakest clip on the console... Is there a DIY for fixing the little clip??

Performance:

I started the car and tested before I put the whole console back together and I just had the shifter in and the metal secure plate shaped like the rotary symbol on. Of course it was pretty noisy.

Put both boots back on and made special notice as to where I slid the rubber boot down on the white ring.. I moved it down about half way... ` Put everything on and back together and I can't tell any major noise difference.

However, i do notice now the sound the tranny makes if you put the stick all the way up against the shift "blocks" or whatever and it makes a grinding noise.. I think now that is why people have recommended not to keep you hand on the shifter.. You are just grinding away on the side of the shifting mechanisms in the tranny..

Shifter is awesome and very smooth... I'm totally satisfied.. I'll need a little more time to get used to it because I'm used to throwing the shifter farther with speed if I want to shift fast. The short shifter is quicker but you need to know a little better where 3rd to 4th to 5th shifting is when your throwing the shifter around..

A+ to Axial