Mazdaspeed Forums - TRANSMISSION FINALLY GOLDEN

This is a message to all of those who struggle with the grinding crunchy mess that is the Mazdaspeed3 transmission. This is not new information, all I am doing is regurgitating everything that has been previously said about this car. But, I am going to break it down mod by mod with pros and cons, in the order I did it in (which probably wasn't the right order but oh well its over now) IF YOUR SHIFTS FEEL LIKE THEY ARE BEING PUSHED THROUGH GRAVEL OR OTHERWISE NOT SMOOTH, KEEP READING.

#1 Ford Motorcraft XT-Q5-MS (65$)
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I did this 'Mod' 2 days into owning the vehicle and being tired of the shifts.

Pro's- Smoother feel during shifts, no metallic clunks or noises
Con's- Mornings seemed a bit stiffer and notchy; expensive

#2 Linkage Adjustment($0)
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This was one of the best things I did, only solved lock out problems though, and allowed a little personal preference to be added to the shfiter.

Pro's- fast, free, effective
Con's- doesn't cure anything, just makes things slightly better

#3 JBR Short Shifter and Weight ($25 for weight, $125 for Shifter)
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At the time, I hated the fact that when I wiggle the shifter in neutral side to side, it was a bit heavy and not very easy to push from left to right. I got the new shifter as an excuse to take apart the console and clean and re-lube everything.

Pro's- Not too expensive, faster shifts, better looks and feel
Con's- Didn't solve any grinding or rough shifting issues, hard to get between gears without the new shift weight installed

#4 JBR Solid shifter bushings ($25)
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The 2nd best mod on the list and the single best bang for buck mod.

Pro's- CHEAP, Much crisper shifts, some grinding gone, better/faster side to side movement, more affirmative shifts
Con's- Didn't solve all grinding/roughness, semi-difficult install if impatient

#5 JBR 80a Rear Motor Mount ($125)
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This is the holy grail folks. I heard the hype and read countless threads about this but didn't believe that this mod would do half the crap people said it did. I was mistaken and am pissed that I didn't order it the day I got the car. I honestly believe this is the mod that made my car fun to drive again. If you are like me and don't think it makes that big of a difference, shut your mouth, go get one, and be happy.

Pro's- NO MORE GRINDING OR ROUGH SHIFTING AT ALL. GONE. PERIOD, Much quicker shifts and more 'click' into gear, way better launches with no more wheel hop, and the car just feels more composed and fast.

Con's- Getting the car high enough to install without a lo-pro jack was the longest part, The center bolt and side bolt are prone to stripping, be careful, Definitely more vibrations, most noticeable at around 1100-1300 RPMs, or otherwise known as right when you take off from a dead stop slowly, as in daily situations. You will be rattled and worried the first time because it feels almost like the engine is shaking, but after the 250 miles i have put on it, the vibes are down to almost nothing. If you're a pussy, get the 70a. If you don't mind your teeth getting rattled out, get the 88a. If you want a daily driveable but launchable mount, get the 80a.

AGAIN, like I said, none of this is new info, just letting everyone who was experiencing awful grinding and crunching and lockout like I was, how I fixed it. Huge shoutout to James Barone Racing for making my car enjoyable again.

Note, if I were to do it all again, It would go: RMM, Bushings, XT, Shifter & weight, and then one final adjustment.