FIXED PICS ONCE AGAIN
I got a sweet PRD Short throw in the mail a while ago and ordered some new bushings from Mazda and decided to do this how to. It took me about 45min and this is the first time I've ever done it. (There are comparison pics at the end of the post)
PARTS:
PRD STS-99 Shifter
Mazda Bushings:
=> At Shifter - GA2A-46-062
=> At Trans - B001-46-062
(NOTE: you can re-use your current bushings, but to remove the slop from worn bushings you must replace them. I removed all my shifter slop by replacing the shifter bushings, and did not replace the bushings at the trans.)
HOW-TO:
First, put your car up on jackstands or up on a curb works to. Remove your center console top and sound deadening material so you see this.
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/...TS/console.jpg
The poor excuse for an arrow points to the upper boot which you want to remove. Work it off slowly, if you pull to hard you may rip it... and we don't want that. The red circle refers to the 4 nuts that hold the shifter to the bottom of the car. They can be taken out, but it isn't entirely necessary. After the boot is off, you will see a metal C-clip and a white plastic clip below that as shown by the blue arrow:
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/Probe/STS/clips.jpg
I removed the clips before I loosened the linkage, but if I did the install again I would wait until after. So now it's time to get under the car and start wrenching. The linkage is above your cat and partially hidden by a heat shield. Because I don't like to fuss with stuff, I dropped my cat and removed the heat shield. THIS IS NOT NECESSARY, but it does make it easier. You can remove your shifter without messing with this stuff, just make sure you have it in 4th gear to access the linkage bolt. So now you are looking at the linkage:
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/...TS/linkage.jpg
Remove the one bolt circled in green and push out the bushings and metal cylinder inside. If your shifter has a lot of slop, they will pretty much fall out on their own. Now go back in the car and remove those 2 C-clips. (I cussed up and storm and ripped my hand apart getting these off because I only had a screwdriver to do it with.) When they are off, pull up on the shifter and it should come out. Transfer all the boots and pivot ball casings to your new shifter.
REINSTALL:
Slide your STS into the shifter hole and put the 2 clips in. Jump back under the car and insert 2 new bushings (or the old ones if they are okay), the metal cylinder and bolt it on. (NOTE: make sure the shifter is pointing the proper direction and not backwards, also don't overtighten the bolt or you'll have a hard time shifting.) Put your cat and heat shield back up if you removed it, and then go up top and put the console on.
PICS:
Stock (LEFT) vs. PRD STS-99 (RIGHT)
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/...S/shifters.jpg
New Bushings (LEFT) vs. Worn Bushings (RIGHT)
-You can see how the inside diameter of the worn bushings have increased quite a bit and the cylinder wall of the bushings have narrowed.
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/...S/bushings.jpg
Total Change
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/...eforeafter.jpg
That's all I got. I hope this helps some people who are considering this mod. Oh, and it will take a bit to get used to the new feel of shifting, but it is well worth it.
Dan
I got a sweet PRD Short throw in the mail a while ago and ordered some new bushings from Mazda and decided to do this how to. It took me about 45min and this is the first time I've ever done it. (There are comparison pics at the end of the post)
PARTS:
PRD STS-99 Shifter
Mazda Bushings:
=> At Shifter - GA2A-46-062
=> At Trans - B001-46-062
(NOTE: you can re-use your current bushings, but to remove the slop from worn bushings you must replace them. I removed all my shifter slop by replacing the shifter bushings, and did not replace the bushings at the trans.)
HOW-TO:
First, put your car up on jackstands or up on a curb works to. Remove your center console top and sound deadening material so you see this.
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/...TS/console.jpg
The poor excuse for an arrow points to the upper boot which you want to remove. Work it off slowly, if you pull to hard you may rip it... and we don't want that. The red circle refers to the 4 nuts that hold the shifter to the bottom of the car. They can be taken out, but it isn't entirely necessary. After the boot is off, you will see a metal C-clip and a white plastic clip below that as shown by the blue arrow:
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/Probe/STS/clips.jpg
I removed the clips before I loosened the linkage, but if I did the install again I would wait until after. So now it's time to get under the car and start wrenching. The linkage is above your cat and partially hidden by a heat shield. Because I don't like to fuss with stuff, I dropped my cat and removed the heat shield. THIS IS NOT NECESSARY, but it does make it easier. You can remove your shifter without messing with this stuff, just make sure you have it in 4th gear to access the linkage bolt. So now you are looking at the linkage:
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/...TS/linkage.jpg
Remove the one bolt circled in green and push out the bushings and metal cylinder inside. If your shifter has a lot of slop, they will pretty much fall out on their own. Now go back in the car and remove those 2 C-clips. (I cussed up and storm and ripped my hand apart getting these off because I only had a screwdriver to do it with.) When they are off, pull up on the shifter and it should come out. Transfer all the boots and pivot ball casings to your new shifter.
REINSTALL:
Slide your STS into the shifter hole and put the 2 clips in. Jump back under the car and insert 2 new bushings (or the old ones if they are okay), the metal cylinder and bolt it on. (NOTE: make sure the shifter is pointing the proper direction and not backwards, also don't overtighten the bolt or you'll have a hard time shifting.) Put your cat and heat shield back up if you removed it, and then go up top and put the console on.
PICS:
Stock (LEFT) vs. PRD STS-99 (RIGHT)
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/...S/shifters.jpg
New Bushings (LEFT) vs. Worn Bushings (RIGHT)
-You can see how the inside diameter of the worn bushings have increased quite a bit and the cylinder wall of the bushings have narrowed.
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/...S/bushings.jpg
Total Change
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~dh237399/...eforeafter.jpg
That's all I got. I hope this helps some people who are considering this mod. Oh, and it will take a bit to get used to the new feel of shifting, but it is well worth it.
Dan
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