I have a 5 speed mazda tranny and lately there is a lot of play in the shifter when it is in gear, i was driving on the highway today it it wouldnt shift into 5th, then i pulled into a parking spot and i couldnt get in in reverse to back out. what happened how can i fix it?

 

5th and reverse are both on one rod from the shifter, which sounds like it needs adjusting. See the following thread for instructions on how to adjust your shifter linkage (unless the Mazda is a cable shift).

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=276403

 

hey j i thought the mazda trans was an internal shifter type trans . if this is the case there is a small plastic bushing that goes on the shift handle dogs. to access this you must remove the shifter plate and you will see what i mean.

 

Like I said, I am not sure about the Mazda tranny. It may be.

 

Same thing happened too my brother's ranger, the bushing fell apart and it got jamed in one gear, we dropped the tranny and pulled the plate, and found peices of the bushing in the tranny.

 

Sounds like the tranny is not very heavy duty for a full size truck like a Bronco. What years had this tranny? I had a five speed in a 1988 Ranger 4 cylinder - was that the same tranny as this?

 

so your saying that i have to drop the tranny just to see whats wrong. Im here at college and all i brought for tools is my 50 piece craftsmen set. SOme mechanic bach home but one in this january. thats way too early for it to go again. mabye i should give him a call.

 

That tranny is a toploader no adjustments. Sounds like the bushing has gone south. Either replace it with a Hurst billet or pm me and i will give you a good deal on the top end

 

no you dont have to remove the trans. you need to go inside the vehichle and remove the shift boot and then you will see how to unbolt the shifter and pull the shift arm out. once your in there youll understand it a little better.
get yourself a repair manual it is necessary and will help you to understand a little better.

 

is this the one:
530-391-5025 1988-96 F-150 4.9L/5.0L $199.99

Hurst equipted bronco

 

well if you would rather buy a shifter then more power to you but im a cheapskate and id rather buy the nylon bushing for under ten dollars.

 

I might work on it this afternoon, so far i have the boot off and all hayes tells is how to take off the lever does anyone know what to do after How many bolts where they are etc.. and then how to replace the bushing, anything would help

 

It's been a while since I did this so I might forget something. I took the boot loose and pulled it up. There should be another piece of insulation or something there to pull out, sometimes missing. Then you will see 3 torx head bolts. Put the shifter in 2nd or 4th and get the forward one. Then put the shifter in 1st or 3rd and get the other two. Now you should be able to pull that round cover up and then pull the shifter. You should see the plastic bushings(or their remains) and a couple of very thin metal washers where the shifter seats in. These you replace with your finger and reinstall the shifter.
Not rocket science, you should have little trouble.
Note: before reninstalling the shifter is an excellent time to change the trans fluid. You can refill it by dumping the ATF straight into the shifter hole instead of trying to pump it sideways into the filler hole. You might need an assistant to watch for ATF spilling out the "level hole" as you can't see it from inside the cab.

 

gypsyr has summed up the whole process and i have to say he left nothing out. if you follow these instructions you will have no problems. just put the trans in nuetrol before you remove the shifter.good luck and work safe so when you are done you can enjoy your labor.and let us know how you make out.

 

Hey fellas, I had pretty much the same thing happen to me that happened Dyarumian. I have an 88 f-150 4x2 with the Mazda tranny . I pulled the shifter off and noticed that of the two pins that locate the ball grooves under the cap, the left one is worn pretty badly, in fact it keeps popping out the the left side of the housing and causing lots of play in the shift. i plan on replacing the plastic bushing you speak of but can I replace this pin or will I have to replace the whole top?