I started out this weekend to install a new slave cylinder in my 92 2wd truck. Well, the book (haynes) says to remove the shift boot and then remove 4 bolts and the shifter pulls staight out. However my conditions do not look anything like the book says, I have 2 boots, an inside one that doesnt come off the shifter and also there is a metal housing on top of the floor pan you must remove before you can see the bolts on the transmission. Then there looks like there is more bolts up under the tunnel you cant even get to. I have removed 4 bolts i was able to reach but I see no division in the casing which would allow the top and the shifter to pull out. At the bottom where the shifter meets the transmission case there is a brass looking cup thing, I tried pressing on it but that doesnt do anything either. As far as I can tell the transmission is the mazda 5 speed 2 wd drive model, which is what the book says it should be. Anyone got any ideas on how to remove the shifter? All the shifters in my life i have removed and this one has me stumped, its funny.

 

I Ran Into The Same Problem Awhile Back. I Ended Up Putting It On A Rack So I Could Drop The Whole Tranny And Shifter Out In One Piece.

 

Thanks for the reply. Actually after thinking about it, it was really quite simple, 3 torx head screws and it came right out. Its to bad for once in my life I decided to read the manual first and it grossly mislead me. Even on a rack, I dont see how you managed to get that long shift lever out thourgh that small hole. jGood thinking for a way around a problem though.

 

If you look at the base of the shift lever, you'll see there are two pieces, a small stud in the top of the trans, and the actual shifter you see inside the cab. There should be a "bolt" that goes through the shift lever. It's actually a cam-shaped retainer with threads on each end. To remove it, take the nut off the side it's currently on, and put it on the opposite side, then tighten. It will pull the cam-shaped retainer out, and release the lever. The older Mazda trans (AKA the Toyo Kogyo) had a plastic cover on top with 4 bolts you could remove, Haynes distinction between the two is almost non-existant. Glad to hear you got it out though, I'm just sharing the way I've always done it.

 

thanks for the reply. yep I do have that bolt, was wondering about it.