ok so first I would like to say that i am ashamed that i didn't pull the boot and check before i left, but I am having my dad check the tower for me.

so while driving my 88 a while back I started to mildly run it up through the gears, but when i shifted into 3rd the shifter went far enough forward that my hand hit the dash, i want to say that it did have a bit of resistance before it did. but i figured that i had broken part of the shift tower and just parked it when i got it back home.

it didn't make any bad noises or anything else the shifter just flat out goes too far forward- but only for 3rd gear. it is a little more of a wiggle to get it in, but something that most wouldn't notice. also you can feel it "stop" where it typically would but you can go ahead and push the shifter on forward (if my memories correct it feels like it pops up a little bit when you do) anyways, I am beginning to doubt that it is the tower...

so my question is: if it is not the tower that broke, what else could have gone on the inside that would cause it to do this, but not damage anything else?

 

The boot is easy to remove. Then the bolts that hold shifter arm are easy to see.. It's probably not likely that that shift arm is busted. I have two M.5 O.D. trany's, and both have problems at 3rd gear, but i know the issues are internal. Have been thinkin that the 3rd gear problem is a design flaw from Mazda. It can't be the stock shift arm, cause both trany's have Hurst shifters, and they work better than the stock shifter.

 

i have had the shifter out of it before, thats no problem, I just didn't check it after it happened. I was thinking that i had busted the aluminum shift tower, not the stick. other than the stick moving too far it drives just fine.

 

There is the option of a Hurst shifter. It has 30 % less throw. Get the shift arm for a F-150

 

not really wanting to go with an aftermarket shifter until i decide what i'm gonna end up doing with the truck. I did however hear from my dad, and the shifter tower is not physically broken.

i know that the top shifter cup has needed replacement, but its condition didn't change any. I did however find a thread about the rails themselves getting a broken pin and sliding out, but it caused the tranny to stick in gear.