Shifter won't push down
08-02-2017, 08:15 PM
#1
Shifter won't push down
This car is starting to suck 
So I installed an AFE shifter a few weeks ago. Haven't driven much since then, maybe 200km. Today I go to leave my house only to realize that the shifter will no longer push down to go into reverse. It's in the fully up position and shifts fine. Just no push and no reverse. Wtf?
Any ideas? I have the shifter assembly apart in front me right now. Nothing is obviously broken. The return spring for the up down movement moves freely on its own. Starting to feel the problem is deeper in the trans...
So I installed an AFE shifter a few weeks ago. Haven't driven much since then, maybe 200km. Today I go to leave my house only to realize that the shifter will no longer push down to go into reverse. It's in the fully up position and shifts fine. Just no push and no reverse. Wtf?
Any ideas? I have the shifter assembly apart in front me right now. Nothing is obviously broken. The return spring for the up down movement moves freely on its own. Starting to feel the problem is deeper in the trans...
08-03-2017, 07:39 AM
#4
What am I doing here?
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: 2017 Miata RF Launch Edition
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This car is starting to suck
So I installed an AFE shifter a few weeks ago. Haven't driven much since then, maybe 200km. Today I go to leave my house only to realize that the shifter will no longer push down to go into reverse. It's in the fully up position and shifts fine. Just no push and no reverse. Wtf?
Any ideas? I have the shifter assembly apart in front me right now. Nothing is obviously broken. The return spring for the up down movement moves freely on its own. Starting to feel the problem is deeper in the trans...
So I installed an AFE shifter a few weeks ago. Haven't driven much since then, maybe 200km. Today I go to leave my house only to realize that the shifter will no longer push down to go into reverse. It's in the fully up position and shifts fine. Just no push and no reverse. Wtf?
Any ideas? I have the shifter assembly apart in front me right now. Nothing is obviously broken. The return spring for the up down movement moves freely on its own. Starting to feel the problem is deeper in the trans...
Worst case scenario, I'll buy the shifter off you for tree-fiddy.
08-03-2017, 08:14 AM
#5
Ugh. So, when I installed the shifter (which is used), I didn't like the beat up lower pivot bushing it came with, and used instead my original Mazda bushing. What I didn't realize, but is obvious in retrospect, is that the AFE bushing sits much higher on the pivot ball than OE, because the AFE arm is longer. Using the OE bushing makes the shifter too long.
Picture of AFE bushing attached. I reached out to AFE to see if I can get a replacement one.
The problem with the AFE shifter using the AFE bushing is the shifts are very uncertain and 5-6 are problematic because of the lock out tang. It works great with the OE bushing though, except for the whole reverse business...
Side effect, I had to drive around the block to get into my garage nose first, after having disassembled the shifter in the street. Driving with a removable shifter is fun. Makes a hell of a racket.
Picture of AFE bushing attached. I reached out to AFE to see if I can get a replacement one.
The problem with the AFE shifter using the AFE bushing is the shifts are very uncertain and 5-6 are problematic because of the lock out tang. It works great with the OE bushing though, except for the whole reverse business...
Side effect, I had to drive around the block to get into my garage nose first, after having disassembled the shifter in the street. Driving with a removable shifter is fun. Makes a hell of a racket.
Last edited by Loki; 08-03-2017 at 08:17 AM.
