gear selector change over

[Callumgw]

Hi Guys and Gals,
I have a series 1 NA 6 Lux Sport and the gear selector is really irritating me...This is the family car. I drove and MPS6 a few months back and the gear selector felt much better, no slop or horrible clicky plastic noises. The series 1 has a plastic gear stick mechanism, bushes and pivots, so I was thinking of switching in the MPS6 mechanism. So I spoke with mazda today and they said the update series 1 NA 6 (six speed) and the MPS have the same mechanisms, but mine (the earlier 5 speed) is different.

So ..... could someone confirm if the gear selector mechanism in the MPS6 is metal.

Does it wear well and not end up with slop?

Cheers,

C

[Doc]

its generally not the mechanism that causes the slop mate.

Over time the two input selector cables can lose a little tension. There should be an adjustment on one of the two cables. That should get you out of trouble...

Enjoy

Doc

[Callumgw]

Thanks Doc,
But I've had a close look at the mechanism in operation and more than 50% of the stick deflections are coming from the slop and gaps in the plastic mechanism. Which is also why it sounds like a cheap nintendo racing wheel.

C

[Doc]

my wifes swift is exactly the same..

adjusted the input cable(s) and all the slop is gone...

well its still there... but you cant feel it anymore

[Callumgw]

I check the manual today and it doesn't suggest there is any adjustment in the cables on the manual shifter. From memory the gearbox end is swaged and stick end has no threads, but there was a thing in the Auto gearbox bit that suggested the connector could be adjusted to remove slop. There is one of these connectors on the fore-aft cable but not on the rocker cable (side stick movement). Unfortunately the rocker movement mechanism is where most of the movement is, because it is plastic balls in plastic cups, with plastic shafts. I've been sorely temped to get a mechanism from a SW20 MR2 and mod it to suit - they are all metal!

C

[Callumgw]

Sorry to bring bake an old thread,
but we looked for adjustment and couldn't find any

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SO I asked Mazda and they said there isn't any

---------- Post added at 07:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:37 AM ----------

Then I asked if we could switch the mechanism from the MPS to the lux sport and they didn't know if it was possible.

---------- Post added at 07:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:38 AM ----------

so in the end we sold the car and bought a Honda Accord Euro. Much happier with the gear change now.

---------- Post added at 07:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 AM ----------

ohh, I should mention, we did test drive the newer Mazda6's and their gear change was also better than the first series....so MAzda have figured how crap it was.

C

[Doug_MPS6]

Changing cars to get rid of gear shift slop seems a bit radical! But I admit I have changed out of an otherwise perfectly good car, a Renault 25 GTX, because it had a weird issue in the ECU that made it stumble in slow traffic and that just got plain irritating. Pity. It was a great car, very advanced for its time, roomy and very comfortable and with the longest legs...(sigh).