Who has removed the shifter weight?

[Grim]

I was bored today,and i have herd of people doing this mod.Well i removed it and it feels different.It feels a litte more rough,but i seems alot easier to shift and find the gears.I think im gonna try it out for a week and see if i like it.

[javanc]

Ive had mine off for about 5 months. I love it and couldnt imagine the tranny any other way. When the gearbox is cold i can feel when 2nd is rough. ANd 3rd gear issues havent been a problem since. Well see if it has any negative ramafications in a year or two lol.

[Grim]

Originally Posted by javanc Ive had mine off for about 5 months. I love it and couldnt imagine the tranny any other way. When the gearbox is cold i can feel when 2nd is rough. ANd 3rd gear issues havent been a problem since. Well see if it has any negative ramafications in a year or two lol.

yea 1-2 feels pretty rough,but it feels like i have more precise shifting.

[Haltech]

Im waiting for Cobbs shifter to be honest.

[enganear]

I removed it and I like it this way. It also reduces the force required to stay in the 5-6 gate because it is over a pound that you do not have to lift along with the selector shaft.

It is easily replaced if you do not like the effect. It "unmasks" the feel of the shift.
-enganear

[aaronc7]

I like it. I just recently put it back on and tried that...but I liked the feeling of it off a lot more so I took it back off right away. Agree with what everyone else is saying..just feels more precise in general with it off. I also have MT-90 fluid and shifter bushings.

[Grim]

i need to get some redline and shifter bushings soon

[winniep]

I took mine off about 3 months ago and am NEVER going back. The shifter feels more skeleton like, but you can actually "feel" the action of shifting now. It definitely has a much more positive shift and you can feel mistakes better as well. Makes power or "flat" shifting alot more positive.

[Grim]

yea it defiantly feels alot more knotchy but has a more precise feel.

[surfwagon]

Funny, I had mine off for the past 7 months and liked it a lot. I was bored today and put it back on. Shifting feels much smoother, less mechanical. It takes less effort to shift through the gears and it takes less effort to push the stick over when shifting from 4th to 5th. Mine is staying on. On a side note I took off my boost gauge too. I figured that if I haven't upped the boost then what's the point of a boost gauge.

[nytmar3]

Originally Posted by surfwagon Funny, I had mine off for the past 7 months and liked it a lot. I was bored today and put it back on. Shifting feels much smoother, less mechanical. It takes less effort to shift through the gears and it takes less effort to push the stick over when shifting from 4th to 5th. Mine is staying on. On a side note I took off my boost gauge too. I figured that if I haven't upped the boost then what's the point of a boost gauge.

That would be to know if you have a booost leak or if your overboosting for some reason. Also a good thing to have no matter what.

[surfwagon]

Originally Posted by nytmar3 That would be to know if you have a booost leak or if your overboosting for some reason. Also a good thing to have no matter what.

Or just another avenue to create a boost leak. And the ECU won't let me over boost. At this point I simply don't need a boost gauge.

[FastAttack]

I am adding a boost gauge as a reference for fuel economy.. on the srt the mechanical boost gauge served as my shifting / and cruising gauge..

anytime I saw the car go in boost its easily 1-2mpg off , although I didn't buy the msp3 for fuel economy, its kinda nice when doing long trips to get the longest distance before stoping in a gas station and paying $4.23 a gallon

back to the op, I might try this although what I would like is the stock feel but with shorter stroke ( short shifter)

[AndrewCote]

Originally Posted by FastAttack although I didn't buy the msp3 for fuel economy

im doing the exact opposite actually... im buying for better economy... and to go fast

[FastAttack]

well its a go fast car but fuel economy at 26mpg is still not the best considering you are spending a extra 30 cents at the pump using premium

economy car for now is something that does 35mpg or better hehe

[boostjunkie]

A while back i heard of someone somewhere talk of removing the counterweight. They said they hadnt grinded third since they did it. Anyone tried this or have a link a thread that mentions it. Thanks

[Grim]

http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/foru...er-weight.html

[pbblaster]

I took mine off about a year ago when I installed my intake. It made the shifting feel more direct, easier to find the gears. I think they put those things on to make the shifting action feel more smooth which it does but I like the way it shifts better without it (if that makes sense). The shifter does not feel as smooth but it seems easier to hit the gears (more feel).

[surfwagon]

pbblaster, just for the hell of it put your weight back on for a day. I'll bet you keep it on. It feels so much better with it back on. Only 2 minutes out of your day. Try it.

[aaronc7]

Originally Posted by surfwagon pbblaster, just for the hell of it put your weight back on for a day. I'll bet you keep it on. It feels so much better with it back on. Only 2 minutes out of your day. Try it.

opposite for me. I immediately pulled the thign back off after trying it back on again

[4thStroke]

Ive been thinking about making my own weight, maybe half the weight of the stock piece.

[enganear]

Originally Posted by surfwagon pbblaster, just for the hell of it put your weight back on for a day. I'll bet you keep it on. It feels so much better with it back on. Only 2 minutes out of your day. Try it.

Must be a personal thing because there is no way I would re-install mine. This is a difficult car to shift smoothly and I am reminded every time I drive my old Mustang with the T5 tranny. I can shift the Mazda much more accurately without the added mass on the linkage hiding the engagement points. Removing it also makes the 5-6 shift much more predictable because you are not having to lift the mass to stay in the 5-6 gate.
-enganear

[pbblaster]

I went to the in-laws this weekend and installed the counter-weight for the trip. I found myself having trouble a couple times on the 2nd to 3rd shift because the momentum of the weight in motion made it more difficult to find the gate. Overall the shifting feel was just heavy with no improvement in shifting. At first I thought the weight was added for an improved feel but now I wonder if it was added to hinder the joyful pounding of gears. The weight is coming back off. It is good to verify these things though.

[surfwagon]

Maybe I'm just weird. I'll take mine off again for a day to see how it feels. With the weight off if felt cheap and too mechanical. I'll try it again though.

[fjames]

It's 50/50 for me with or without, but leaning toward with. So I lightened it 30% and now it's staying on. Retains most of the advantages of the stock cw - smooth and less shift effort, but isn't so clunky/slow.

[surfwagon]

Nice, one for the good guys! Counter weight ftw.

[JimmyMac]

I just removed mine and honestly, I can't tell too much difference yet. Maybe it's a little lighter in feel. And a hair notchier going in. But I've only driven it to work and back. So that's just gears 1~4 for about 10 minutes. We'll see as time goes on.

[enganear]

I feel it improves the 2-3 shift because the spring that pushes the shift selector up and the stick to to the 3-4 gate is effectively stronger with the weight removed because it does not have to lift the weight. Perhaps some of the reported accidental downshifts would not have occurred if the weight had been removed.
-enganear

[Hectik1]

How do I do this?

[Hectik1]

Just removed it. Shifting feels more quick...lighter for sure. Not to the point of vague, just takes a lot less effort.

[ATE BALLER]

It's below the intake. You'll see a curved peice of cast metal held of your shifter linkage by two bolts. I think they're 10mm. It's really easy. You'd be suprized at how heavy it is after you take it off, and if you don't like the change, you can always put it back on in less than a minute.

You know, I started thinking about why they put it there, and all I can really think of is that the downward pressure might be to make life easier on either the sincros or the linkage. I'm thinking about putting a spring or an elastic band on the linkage in place of the weight to keep a slight downward force, but not have to throw a bunch of weight back and forth. It should still feel just as light, with just some slight resistance moving over for 5th and 6th. The only times I can think of that I need to get to 5th as fast as possible are at the end of the 1/4 when I'm uber-consentrating, or when I'm doing something illegal. Either way, it's still going to be way lighter than stock, but probably still smooth like stock.

[Renzokuken]

I like it without the counterweight, but it feels a little TOO notchy, so Im gonna try to lighten it up by like 50-60% and put it back on.

[TRU-BOOST]

Originally Posted by SilverSpeed3 Just removed it. Shifting feels more quick...lighter for sure. Not to the point of vague, just takes a lot less effort.

i cant say what you feel is not true, but it is exactly the opposite of what should happen. the counter weight being removed will actually require the drive to use more force while shifting. i tried removing it on my ride a long time ago. it was horrible !! sure you can feel the gears out better, but it just felt sloppy and rough. i can shift much faster and smoother with it on. plus i think if you nedd to feel your way through the gears...you shift too damn slow !!

[surfwagon]

"...the counter weight being removed will actually require the drive to use more force while shifting." "...it just felt sloppy and rough. I can shift much faster and smoother with it on."

Well said. That's what my experience is too.

[ztuner]

i tried this today too - i have to say i hate it. It felt to crunchy, weak and cheap. 5th an 6th felt good but the feel in 1st and 2nd was not good. I put it back in immediately. Guess mazda knew what they were doing

I changed my oil to amsoil and it feels really good. My old fluid had a brassy sheen to it. I guess synchros breaking in. Now the tranny feels a lot smoother an lighter feeling.

Harry

[AndrewCote]

Well compared to my trucks fat ass its a good thing!

[Haltech]

** Threads Merged **

[whoosh@Realtune]

Originally Posted by Haltech ** Threads Merged **

a good compromise is cutting the ears off and leaving the center chunk where the two mounting points are
it's feel is right between having the weight there and not

I have an extra one if anyone wants it to try

[Hectik1]

Originally Posted by TRU-BOOST i cant say what you feel is not true, but it is exactly the opposite of what should happen. the counter weight being removed will actually require the drive to use more force while shifting. i tried removing it on my ride a long time ago. it was horrible !! sure you can feel the gears out better, but it just felt sloppy and rough. i can shift much faster and smoother with it on. plus i think if you nedd to feel your way through the gears...you shift too damn slow !!

Here is the thing with me. I came from an Evo....short, light throws to put it in gear quickly. The MS3 w/ the stock counterweight I was missing/grinding gears when trying to shift quickly. I knew it was because of the "weighted" feel when shifting gears. It felt like the car would help you put it in gear, which is great for cruising but for any quick shifting it doesn't help (feels like you could only push/pull the shifter only as fast as the counterweight would allow). After removing the weight, on my first test drive I was actually able to shift into gear faster than me releasing the clutch which has never happened since I got the car.

Now I really have to say this mod may not be for everyone. It all depends on how you want your shifter to feel.

[Meder]

I really liked the weight off. Shifting is just more positive as many have already stated. Maybe a little more notchy, but a better overall feel.

I have never had a weighted shift knob on any of my cars. I wonder if this is the same diffrence?