I had difficulty getting a good purchase with the channel locks to push the pin in my 03 6 speed. I solved it by taping a 9/16 (or or a 12mm would work too) to the turret with the open end around the back side of the pin. That gave me a solid place to get a straight pull with the pliers. (I had to use a socket from a 1/4 drive because it is lower profile and gave me more room for the jaw of the pliers). I still had to use the "two pliers" technique to get enough pressure but I didn't have to fight using the pliers at an angle. OH.. and by the way- for the 6 speed the shift lever does have a "front" and "back". If you put it back in wrong the lever isn't located properly. That shift lever has a curve in it. Mine has a yellow dot that must face forward in the car to be properly located.
as an alternate to the squeeze the bejeezus out of the pin with two pair of pliers, I have found that using a drift pin with reasonably not so gentle raps with a hammer, I was able to easily push out the front pin. the pliers worked to restore it to it's normal position.
Nice vid. Just followed along and viola. The only thing I could say is that make sure you reorientate the shifter bend is toward the rear. I didnt realize it was bent. Just figured it went to the back.
22:26 my 94 actually has 1 slot and a plastic bushing in the slot. The kit I used had a new plastic bushing so I replaced it as well as the other bushings.
I like the delrin bushings more than the bronze because it doesn’t rattle. Not quite as notchy but still an upgrade from the stock. Its a good intermediate option but you’ll have to order it separately
5 Speed NBs also use 80-95 cc of trans fluid, with a little grease. WD40 or silicone spray makes sliding both boots on and off MUCH easier, you don't even need to cut off the white plastic ring on the outer boot. DEFINITELY put the outer boot on AFTER screwing down the inner one. If you can't make the channel lock trick work you can pop out the front pin with a drift punch and pop it back on with a large vise grip. And finally.... NB 5 speeds have a white dot on the front of the shift lever so don't put in back in backwards.
You've made some good points but I wouldn't suggest using lubricants that might swell or degrade the rubber. WD-40 always makes me a little nervous on stuff like this. A soapy water solution is good or most silicone sprays. I've never seen a white dot on any of the shifters but have rotated them to notice that it wasn't in the same location once installed. If you don't have a white dot, I'd put a mark on it.
My 1999 NB has the white dot (even after 200K+ miles!) but you have to look really carefully to see it. WD40 is just fish oil, but I used silicone because it's supposed to be a lubricant for rubber. Thanks BTW for your GREAT vid. :)
So I opened up my NB1’s shifter and it had fluid, not grease. What should I do? Drain and reinstall with grease or just keep adding transmission fluid?
Great video! I have a '99 5-speed that is hard to shift into first when cold but gets much easier when warmed up. You had a question about this in the video and said it probably would be fluid - can you clarify if you meant transmission fluid, turret fluid, or both? (I haven't opened my shifter but being an NB I assume my shifter uses grease in the turret.) Also, any ETA for the shifter insulation kit being stocked again? Last time I pulled my console off I remember seeing one ratty piece of yellow insulation in there and want to upgrade it.
If it's hard to shift when cold, Brandon was referring to the actual transmission fluid. It's probably time for a fluid change. For the insulation kit, we apologize for promoting a product we don't have at the moment, but we are expecting more of those the first week of November.
Yeah, use only special 10th Anniversary Edition grease, anything else will cause the transmission to spontaneously combust into a giant blue mushroom cloud.
If you pull up and down on the shifter should there be no noticeable movement at all in a rebuilt shifter? Is that a good way of assessing slopiness, given side to side is kind hard to separate normal movement from slopiness, unless it's extreme of course. thanks for vid :-)
On the NA/NB shifters, you should have very little play in the shifter when you pull up or push down. If there seems to be dramatic or excessive movement, the plastic bushings are probably worn and need to be replaced.
The NC 6-speed transmission is an interesting scenario. The basic process should be fairly similar in theory, but we don't offer an NC 6 speed shifter rebuild kit at the moment because some of the parts are only available by purchasing the entire shifter assembly from Mazda.
Thank you for this. But, the kits are out of stock. :( Do you know when they might be avaialble again? Also, how do I tighten the bolts for the plate that sits atop the transmission? I was surprised to find that mine are lose? I can 'reach' the back two, but not the fronts.
If kits are out of stock, they should be coming back into inventory soon. For more specific ETAs or info, reach out to our customer support team directly via phone or email, they'll be happy to share any info we have. They can also probably help you with suggestions for the bolts!
My transmission has a lot of gear whine on accel and deccel, changing fluid hasn’t helped. I imagine I will need to replace it sometime in the future. If I put a rebuild kit on this trans, can I swap the parts over to the new trans? Or is that kinda janky?
I recently put a kit in my nb8c and didn't grease the shifter ball; should that have been done and would there be any detrimental effect if it wasn't greased? Thank
This is going to vary depending on the year and transmission. 6-speeds need a high-temp long lasting grease, 5 speeds need transmission fluid in the turret. We have not used the Red n tacky grease so we unfortunately are not familiar with it.
It may feel completely different, since you will be replacing everything with new bushings with tighter tolerances, but if greased and assembled property, it shouldn't make it hard to shift into gear. Feel free to reach out to our customer support team directly if it keeps giving you issues!
Some of the later NB2s had grease from the factory, so we recommend replacing it with whatever was currently in the turret. Some people have used both to reduce wear on the plastic parts, but you need to make sure to use a grease that will not dissolve in the gear oil. Give us a call at 970-464-5600 or drop us an email at support@flyinmiata.com if you need more info. Thanks!
I've watched a few Flyin' Miata's videos including the turbo install, they're all *really* well done. Thank you, please keep them coming.
Thanks Matthew, we'll be happy to make more!
Perfect timing, I received my rebuild kit in the mail this week.
I had difficulty getting a good purchase with the channel locks to push the pin in my 03 6 speed. I solved it by taping a 9/16 (or or a 12mm would work too) to the turret with the open end around the back side of the pin. That gave me a solid place to get a straight pull with the pliers. (I had to use a socket from a 1/4 drive because it is lower profile and gave me more room for the jaw of the pliers).
I still had to use the "two pliers" technique to get enough pressure but I didn't have to fight using the pliers at an angle.
OH.. and by the way- for the 6 speed the shift lever does have a "front" and "back". If you put it back in wrong the lever isn't located properly. That shift lever has a curve in it. Mine has a yellow dot that must face forward in the car to be properly located.
as an alternate to the squeeze the bejeezus out of the pin with two pair of pliers, I have found that using a drift pin with reasonably not so gentle raps with a hammer, I was able to easily push out the front pin. the pliers worked to restore it to it's normal position.
Thank you mate
Thank you for the video - got the kit and did the job on my 2001 SE BRG. Video was very helpful!
Just picked up a 2001 SE BRG w/ 43K miles. Looked under there and sure enough boot rubber is toast. Got a kit on the way.
Nice vid. Just followed along and viola. The only thing I could say is that make sure you reorientate the shifter bend is toward the rear. I didnt realize it was bent. Just figured it went to the back.
22:26 my 94 actually has 1 slot and a plastic bushing in the slot. The kit I used had a new plastic bushing so I replaced it as well as the other bushings.
Very Good! Thank You So Very Much!!!
Awesome video! Thanks
Thank you!
The insistence on keeping the boot was the most miata-appropriate thing I've ever seen in a video.
What kind of grease to use on the 6 speed?
Awesome tutorial, thanks!!
Glad we could help!
I like the delrin bushings more than the bronze because it doesn’t rattle. Not quite as notchy but still an upgrade from the stock. Its a good intermediate option but you’ll have to order it separately
Thank you my amigo that was good i really learned a lot watching this video muchas gracias
Glad it helped! Feel free to reach out to our support team directly by phone or email if you have any other specific questions!
5 Speed NBs also use 80-95 cc of trans fluid, with a little grease.
WD40 or silicone spray makes sliding both boots on and off MUCH easier, you don't even need to cut off the white plastic ring on the outer boot.
DEFINITELY put the outer boot on AFTER screwing down the inner one.
If you can't make the channel lock trick work you can pop out the front pin with a drift punch and pop it back on with a large vise grip.
And finally.... NB 5 speeds have a white dot on the front of the shift lever so don't put in back in backwards.
You've made some good points but I wouldn't suggest using lubricants that might swell or degrade the rubber. WD-40 always makes me a little nervous on stuff like this. A soapy water solution is good or most silicone sprays.
I've never seen a white dot on any of the shifters but have rotated them to notice that it wasn't in the same location once installed. If you don't have a white dot, I'd put a mark on it.
My 1999 NB has the white dot (even after 200K+ miles!) but you have to look really carefully to see it. WD40 is just fish oil, but I used silicone because it's supposed to be a lubricant for rubber. Thanks BTW for your GREAT vid. :)
HOW DID YOU GUYS GET THAT WAVE O RING OVER THE SHIFT LEVER? The washer is about 2mm smaller than the shift lever base, there's no way.
It's possible. Give our support team a call if you can, they can give you some tips and tricks to make it easier :)
Thanks, I ended up reducing the base of the shift lever with a metal file. It works!
So I opened up my NB1’s shifter and it had fluid, not grease. What should I do? Drain and reinstall with grease or just keep adding transmission fluid?
Brandon might have been mistaken in the video. The NB 5-speed used fluid as well, so drain and replace with your fluid of choice.
Great video! I have a '99 5-speed that is hard to shift into first when cold but gets much easier when warmed up. You had a question about this in the video and said it probably would be fluid - can you clarify if you meant transmission fluid, turret fluid, or both? (I haven't opened my shifter but being an NB I assume my shifter uses grease in the turret.)
Also, any ETA for the shifter insulation kit being stocked again? Last time I pulled my console off I remember seeing one ratty piece of yellow insulation in there and want to upgrade it.
If it's hard to shift when cold, Brandon was referring to the actual transmission fluid. It's probably time for a fluid change. For the insulation kit, we apologize for promoting a product we don't have at the moment, but we are expecting more of those the first week of November.
Any specific kind of grease for the six speed? 99 10th Anniversary Edition
Yeah, use only special 10th Anniversary Edition grease, anything else will cause the transmission to spontaneously combust into a giant blue mushroom cloud.
Jamie, what grease did you end up using? Did rebuild helped you?
If you pull up and down on the shifter should there be no noticeable movement at all in a rebuilt shifter? Is that a good way of assessing slopiness, given side to side is kind hard to separate normal movement from slopiness, unless it's extreme of course. thanks for vid :-)
On the NA/NB shifters, you should have very little play in the shifter when you pull up or push down. If there seems to be dramatic or excessive movement, the plastic bushings are probably worn and need to be replaced.
Any specific kind of grease optimal for turret? 05 MSM.
I’m assuming you’ve figured this out by now, but for future viewers white lithium grease will work just fine.
Is there a difference in shift rebuilds on NC2 6 speeds?
The NC 6-speed transmission is an interesting scenario. The basic process should be fairly similar in theory, but we don't offer an NC 6 speed shifter rebuild kit at the moment because some of the parts are only available by purchasing the entire shifter assembly from Mazda.
Is it acceptable to use GL5 75w90 gear oil in the shift turret in a 99 5 speed?
Thank you for this. But, the kits are out of stock. :( Do you know when they might be avaialble again?
Also, how do I tighten the bolts for the plate that sits atop the transmission? I was surprised to find that mine are lose? I can 'reach' the back two, but not the fronts.
If kits are out of stock, they should be coming back into inventory soon. For more specific ETAs or info, reach out to our customer support team directly via phone or email, they'll be happy to share any info we have. They can also probably help you with suggestions for the bolts!
nb has oil in there too, no grease
My transmission has a lot of gear whine on accel and deccel, changing fluid hasn’t helped. I imagine I will need to replace it sometime in the future. If I put a rebuild kit on this trans, can I swap the parts over to the new trans? Or is that kinda janky?
I am just making sure. I have a 2002 6 speed manual transmission, i do not need to add transmission fluid in the box?
NB 6 speeds don't have a separate compartment for the shifter bits. They share the same fluid as the main case.
I recently put a kit in my nb8c and didn't grease the shifter ball; should that have been done and would there be any detrimental effect if it wasn't greased?
Thank
Can i use Lucas Oil Products Red "N" Tacky Grease as the grease?
This is going to vary depending on the year and transmission. 6-speeds need a high-temp long lasting grease, 5 speeds need transmission fluid in the turret. We have not used the Red n tacky grease so we unfortunately are not familiar with it.
Would it be an issue if I put a more grease than what you did ?
After rebuilding the shifter, does it need a break in period cause now it went from loose to stiff making it hard to shift into gear?
It may feel completely different, since you will be replacing everything with new bushings with tighter tolerances, but if greased and assembled property, it shouldn't make it hard to shift into gear. Feel free to reach out to our customer support team directly if it keeps giving you issues!
Does NB2 (2003 , 5 speed) needs oil or grease? Or both?
Some of the later NB2s had grease from the factory, so we recommend replacing it with whatever was currently in the turret. Some people have used both to reduce wear on the plastic parts, but you need to make sure to use a grease that will not dissolve in the gear oil. Give us a call at 970-464-5600 or drop us an email at support@flyinmiata.com if you need more info. Thanks!
What year?
This particular video showed a '95 M edition, but the process is similar for all Miatas, and we sell rebuild kits for all NA/NB Miatas on our website.
you should turn up the volume (I am 73 years old)
thank you
Going to fanigle it in
My 99 5 speed took fluid.
bad motor mounts can cause bad shifts too
Definitely!
Don’t lick it…
This is generally a good rule when car parts are involved :)