Here's 2 pics. 1 with a circle 1 w/o.
What is that piece of metal?

Clutch Thingy
Clutch Thingy Circled

 

The reason I ask is because it was in the path of my clutch pedal and it actually knicked the plunger. I wonder if it was causing the rubbing I experienced that mazda couldnt identify. I moved it out of the way because it's a REALLY flimsy piece of metal. You can bend it with just one finger.

 

I couldn't really tell from your picture, so I went out and looked at mine. It looks like it is just a piece of that bracket against the firewall. No idea what its purpose is, though. It doesn't really look like it does anything...

Edit: I'll take a look in the service manual in a bit.

 

I looked in my service manual.. couldnt find jack.

 

is that the plunger so you dont start it in gear?

 

No. The white pushbutton is the plunger so you dont start in gear. The silver plunger is the master cylinder plunger.

 

I didn't find anything either (in the FSM). At first I was thinking maybe it is a stop, but if it is that flimsy, it wouldn't stop anything. All I can think of is maybe it is a guide for installing the master cylinder to keep the rod from falling out before connecting it to the back of the pedal? I'm really reaching here...

 

That's actually what i was thinking.. It's a guide for installing the cylinder to hold it up while they screw it in place so they can screw it in straight. No idea if that's right, but it really is a flimsy piece of metal.

 

Looks like an incomplete metal knock out in the firewall.