shift linkage issue ?

[poop]

ok so my new toy is getting kinda frustrating as im about to tkae a 24 hour road trip and im getting nervous ?
if i shift to third .. and down shift later to 2nd... it kinda gets stuck in this mid nuetral area ?
so im thinking linkage bushings..
i chk thme and there all fine...
butt the one right before the linkage to the tranny .. the one thats riveted on .. is really sloppy .. really reallly slopppy ?
has anyone ever heard of anyone tearing this piece apart and putting some bushings in there ?
or is my tranny messed up ?


i ask upon the club protege gods once again.. grace me with your undying knowledge and show me the light ?

[Protoss]

if you want to change the bushings change the bushings on the bottom of the shifter lever, that will help.

[Bill]

I know exactly which one you're talking about. My kid's 92 LX has the same problem. I believe you have 2 options; find a way to squirt some type of hardening polyurethane in there, or hit the j/y and scrounge a good linkage assembly up.
There might be a way to cut the riveted piece off and use a bolt, but if I remember correctly there was a clearance issue with another component.

[Protoss]

or 15 bucks at the dealership. they are thin plasitc, urethane will not really work

[Jho]

ok so my new toy is getting kinda frustrating as im about to tkae a 24 hour road trip and im getting nervous ?
if i shift to third .. and down shift later to 2nd... it kinda gets stuck in this mid nuetral area ?
so im thinking linkage bushings..
i chk thme and there all fine...
butt the one right before the linkage to the tranny .. the one thats riveted on .. is really sloppy .. really reallly slopppy ?
has anyone ever heard of anyone tearing this piece apart and putting some bushings in there ?
or is my tranny messed up ?


i ask upon the club protege gods once again.. grace me with your undying knowledge and show me the light ?

Replace your shifter bushings. There are 4 of them. Corksport has a nice set:

shifter

bushings

Here is where they go:

[poop]

ok.. i forgot to say this.. but the bushings are new.. and fine.. the slop isnt there its in the linkage before the bushings on the tranny nub?

[SgtRauksauff]

Ah, so you mean this bit of the linkage..



That kinda sucks, as it isn't really a normally replaceable part.

What I wonder, is if it actually really needs to rotate in that manner The bushings will take care of the rotation on the transmission input axis, and the other end of the lever has the bushings on the shifter, so there is some dampening occuring (although not much, using the bronzoils.)

I wonder if just welding it would be catastrophic somehow.

It's been long enough since I played with my linkage that I don't remember if there's a hairy clearance issue, but a round-topped bolt on the outside, with a loctited or carter-keyed nut on the inside might not work too bad...

--sarge

[Bill]

It's been long enough since I played with my linkage that I don't remember if there's a hairy clearance issue, but a round-topped bolt on the outside, with a loctited or carter-keyed nut on the inside might not work too bad...

--sarge

That sounds like a good idea, Sarge. Hopefully the inner diameter of the tube will allow him to use the same bushings as on the rest of the shift linkage. I'm surprised though that Mazda engineers riveted that linkage and not the others. (At least keep it consistent.)
Poop lives in San Antonio also, and I know the j/yards around S.A., and there's plenty of linkage assemblies to be had around town. If you read this Poop, try Roosevelt Auto Parts on Roosevelt Street, Or Pick N Pull on Applewhite Road. Remember that some Ford Escorts have the same basic drive train and that might be a car to look at if you can't find the linkage on a Protege.

[protouser]

i have the same problem ive replaced all bushings minus that exact piece. i had hammerd a couple of nails into the area where the bushing went. it worked for a while but the nails fell out. im gonna have it welded.
b

[ftjandra]

I actually replaced that joint a while ago. Once you un-rivet it, the same bushings will fit (I put in Bronzoil ones). I also used the same bolt that goes for the other linkage (I bought one from the dealer). I think it might have needed a little 'massaging' because the Bronzoil bushings are a little thicker than the stock bushings.

--Ferdi

[poop]

That sounds like a good idea, Sarge. Hopefully the inner diameter of the tube will allow him to use the same bushings as on the rest of the shift linkage. I'm surprised though that Mazda engineers riveted that linkage and not the others. (At least keep it consistent.)
Poop lives in San Antonio also, and I know the j/yards around S.A., and there's plenty of linkage assemblies to be had around town. If you read this Poop, try Roosevelt Auto Parts on Roosevelt Street, Or Pick N Pull on Applewhite Road. Remember that some Ford Escorts have the same basic drive train and that might be a car to look at if you can't find the linkage on a Protege.

thanks bill, i didn tknow u lived in sa ?
i should be back in town on or before the 15th,.... maybe then .. as for now, i just met spenone.. he lives here in florida he has a sweet little ride... and hes an amazing artist...

[Bill]

Just got back from the j/y-the Escort shift linkage won't work(damn). The long shaft is the same, but the part on the front that bolts onto the tranny is different and hits another component. I ended up grinding off the pin and installed new bushings and bolted it together using a shifter bolt I got @ the j/y, just like Ferdi said. Plenty of clearance.

[poop]

temp fix.. i shoved zipties in the gap about 9 of them and then zip tied all the way around the 9 zip ties and cranked it down, it actulyl works quite nice.. butt liek i said is temp..

[Protoss]

could you take pics of your quick fix?

[poop]

uhmm i can try but i dont think ur going to see very much....