Synchro Saver Install Issue(s)
 

I didn't really know where to put this, so I'll call it a new thread for the moment. Let me say that I'm really really happy with the final result. Not only is there the possibility of a reduction in transmission problems, but there is the certainty that this gizmo totally upgrades the joy of shifting. As I said before in another thread, it's the difference between the "tink" of closing the door on a Yugo and and the "thunk" of door closing on an Audi. Getting to the result took a while though.

The minor issue has to do with the inner boot. I tried running without the boot for a bit. It was entertaining for about 5 miles in that you could hear every noise coming from the tranny and clutch! It reminded me of my Triumph GT-6, but was also insuferable after 10 miles. An airtight seal provided by the inner boot is very important in keeping the noise level down, and the top of that boot provides it in stock form by being closedly molded to fit around the base of the shifter where it bolts into the tranny housing. Since the SS is much larger, there is no way to fit the boot snugly around the SS itself. Several have pointed out that after installing the SS one can muscle the boot over and past it. (Leaving the boot off entirely is not an option IMHO). I intitially tried installing the SS on top of the boot (hence the 3 extra holes in the pic below), but that didn't work as it put the SS too high. Instead, I cut the "nubs" on the top inner side of the boot away and put some slices in the rubber on the top face. That allows one to roll the extra rubber inward and install the boot *before* installing the SS, and results in a tight seal around the tranny housing. It's clearer in the pics below than in words.

(continued in the next post)

The next problem is more serious. The stock mazda shifter has a (too-) long cone around the shaft which provides a seal for the top of the outer boot. The bottom of this cone extends downward far enough that it "stops" the shift into 2nd gear by hitting the 8mmx1.25 shoulder bolt provided with the kit. The cone is formed in steel, so cutting that bottom edge away would be a real chore. I tried the obvious suggestion from another thread to replace that bolt with a normal hex bolt. That was better, but, I may case at least, with the SS adjusting plate setup for 4th & 6th gear, 2nd was still stopping on the bolt head, and not the SS plate. I was fortunate to find at an old-timey Ace Hardware store a round-head allen bolt that worked (although it's a little too long). I'm not sure it's part of a standard modern Ace Hardware inventory however. The pictures are given below, with the area of interference with the 'stock' SS indicated by a red ellipse.

IMHO, I think a bolt like that should be included in the kit; it cost me $0.80 but quite a bit of time in diagnosing the problem.

Now it's possible that my shift forks are already somewhat bent, though my tranny (14k miles) is not displaying any obvious problems, and my in-gear positions are not entirely normal. The bolt may also not be an issue with after-market shifters. I drove the car around with the shoulder bolt in place, only noticing that the "snick" of the other gear shifts was not there for 2nd gear. The danger is, that the bolt was not allowing 2nd to engage fully, because the shift stopped against it well before where I have it adjusted now. I could only really see what was happening by using an inspection mirror to look at the contact points.

Thanks for the post.


I don't believe in the saver anyhow. Just don't slam the gears.

Yeah, 109,000 miles on my tranny without issue on or off the track. I think most people just don't know how to drive stick properly.

Could be true, but even so, I really like how shifting feels with the SS set up properly.

That's cool. If you feel it was worth the money that is all that matters :)

I noticed a small but possibly confusing error in post #2:

"my in-gear positions are not entirely normal" should have read "my in-gear positions are entirely normal".

:lol:

Related to posts in another thread ... i'm really not OCD, no really! :lol2:

first, anyone who says this mod is useless doesn't know what they're talking about. Yes, you can granny shift the trans and likely not need it. However, for quick shifts in general and heat of competition in particular this allows to slam it as hard as you want and not cause any issues. Shift detents are standard on many transmissions/aftermarket shifters.

After finding a torn rubber boot recently, which was exposing the shifter opening to dirt/sand getting into the trans, I popped some holes in the replacement rubber boot and sandwiched it between the OE top cover plate and the SS plate. Don't expect to ever have a problem again.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-ii-di...7/#post4437953