5X Racing Miata Shifter Rebuild: Post rebuild shifter feel and reverse engagement
This is a quick informal video showing the shifter action and feel after a complete rebuild with our bronze bushing. The subject car is our 1995 Spec Miata race car, which has a 1999 5-speed transmission in place of the original 95 unit.
We focus on how the shifter - in regards to going into reverse - is supposed to work and how tight our bushing will make your shifter feel.
Some of our customers have noted difficulties with shifting into reverse after installing our Race Spec rebuild kits w\bronze bushing, and we believe it is a misunderstanding about the "5th to Reverse" hang-up that is a safety feature in any manual transmission (designed to keep the transmission from allowing a 5th to reverse shift while driving for obvious reasons). In short, the shifter must return to neutral before shifting into reverse. Attempting to shift from 5th down to reverse will cause the shifter to hang, or feel like it won't go into gear. With the loose or broken OEM plastic bushing, it might have allowed this shift due to the excessive slack in the assembly, but with our rebuild kit and bronze bushing tightning the whole assembly up, the safety feature is more pronounced and evident than in OEM trim.
We hope this short video helps explain and demonstrate this occurrence and shows how tight and precise our rebuild kit and bronze bushing can make your Miatas transmission feel!