Changing gear gaiters

[Ricolas]

Quick guide for that job that has to be done sooner or later as the rubber tears and the gearstick and surroundings get hot!

For the start you'll need 10mm socket, and a 10mm spanner, a philips screwdriver, (optionally a pair of pliers, turkey baster, some gearbox oil, vaseline/silicon lube spray.)

This car is a UK standard spec MX5 1991. The later six speed gearboxes are different!(ask the lads on here for further advice)

First unscrew the central tunnel cover thingy:

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Five philips head screws

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Obviously one on the other side from the above picture and finally:

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Unscrew gear knob

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Lift off central tunnel, due to the wiring for the windows etc (which I don't bother detaching - be careful though!), it is easiest to pop this into the drivers seat/footwell.

Between the upper leather gaiter and the upper rubber boot there is some soundproofing wadding. Put it to one side and put it back in when putting it all in together. I normally forget this and get everything back, and notice it sitting there on the seat...

Unscrew the four bolts holding the upper gaiter and get the thing off. A couple of them lie slightly under the central bit of the dash where the radio etc is, might be easier to use a spanner here.
You may need the pliers to snap the plastic ring that is around the gearshift level itself.

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Now you can see the lower gaiter and unbolt the three bolts:

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Once that is done, lift it out onto something plastic as it may well drip oil everywhere!

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Remove the old gaiter from the gear stick, You will need to cut down the concertened section with a stanley knife(please be careful) and pull what reminds up and of the shaft; you do not need to dissemble the gear stick to do that though!!

Check there is oil in the base, and it is reasonably clean. If not, turkey baster out, empty it, and refill with 80-90ml of gear oil.

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[Ricolas]

Nearly there!

Fit new lower boot to the gear lever, and as it is a bit tight, so rub some vaseline on it to help it slide on or silicon lube spray. Given that grease and vaseline and rubber are not best friends, I used a spot of red rubber grease. I imagine the difference is so marginal it makes no odds though!, but just as easy to spray the gear stick/shaft with a little silicone lube spray.

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Line up the groove on the gear level with that in the lower housing of the gear stick, and pop it back in. Tighten up the lower boot bolts(not dead tight as to much will make them snap).

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Finally bolt on the upper boot, either the original Mazda, or the DrMX5 one as seem here:

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Central tunnel back on being careful of the wires. Job done!

Sorry about the missing pic's as camara lost charge half way through so to be re added at a later date

[Lazza]

Good stuff. I'll just add that as the turret oil doesn't lubricate anything other than the linkage and doesn't mix with the gear oil you can actually use any oil you have handy, it doesn't have to be gear oil. A drop of left-over engine oil will do just as well.
Also, this only applies to the 5-speed. The 6-speed doesn't have turret oil as it's lubricated from the gear oil :)