More new parts to add to the MR2. I had bought the 92+ shift lever and assembly but I wanted to add a few extras to it before I installed it.
So I asked my brother to make some solid aluminium shift plate bushes and a knob adapter that I designed.The adapter will allow my TRD knob to fit on the shorter lever with the boot support ring.
New bushes vs old rubber bushes. Nothing wrong with the rubber ones, they just allow the plate to move a bit when shifting. They are probably there for vibration and sound damping too.
New knob adapter. The 89-91 lever is about 20mm longer and the knob has a ring the holds the boot in place. The 92+ has a ring on the lever that supports the boot so the knob is separate from the boot. The 92+ knob is far shorter too so it all fits together fine. The TRD knob I have has a long thread deep inside so the 92+ lever won't even thread into it at all. So adding in the longer adapter allows the TRD knob to fit on the 92+ lever. This puts the knob back up at the 89-91 lever level but not a problem. I can switch out knobs depending on how I'm feeling.
I thought I would post up the process to change the shift lever and install the bushes. It doesn't cover pulling apart the lever mount because I just swapped over the whole plate and lever to the newer one. Most parts are the same but some have slightly different part numbers so I thought I'd go with the newer one.
Preparing the shift plate for new bushes
Use a 6mm socket to push out the steel centre
Use a flat head screw driver to force the rubber bushes out
Ready for installation. I removed the shift lever and mechanism to clean the base plate. Just 4 12mm bolts and a bit of fiddling to get it all out.
Cleaned up plate
Bottom half of the bush sitting in place.
Top half sitting over it.
Now onto removing the interior parts to get to the shift plate.
On each side of the centre arm rest there are 2 screw near the back. Remove these.
Then inside the CD/Tape box there are 4 screws. Remove these, leave them in the box, shut the lids and remove the box from the car. Keeps the screws safe and in the correct place for later.
Next is the knob, shifter boot and surround. Unscrew the knob, pull the boot up from the front and put aside.
In the 4 corners of the surround plate there are small push in clips. Reach under and push them up with your finger so not to break the plastic clip tabs.
Remove the 2 front screws holding the arm rest to the centre console.
Then pull up the arm rest. It needs a bit of help around the hand brake lever. Then you are left with this.
Don't forget to remove this last screw and plastic bracket.
Then remove the clips holding the cables in.
Remove the plastic clips holding the wiring loom either side.
Pull off the clip holding one cable on and unbolt the other. 12mm nut.
Next unbolt the 4 12mm bolts holding the plate down.
Lift the plate up and forward slightly to get the cables out from the mount at the back.
Then you should be left with this. Make sure you don't lose the plastic bush inside the end of the left cable.
89-91 (left) vs 92+ (right) plate and lever.
Once the plates have been swapped over place the 4 bottom bushes under it and line them up with the holes.
Place the top halves on and bolt it down.
Once that is done reassemble in the reverse order.
This is the 92+ boot installed. My black leather with red stitching boot doesn't quite fit right yet.
With the TRD knob and adapter on.
I haven't gone for a drive yet but it feels a bit nicer in the way of the movement path between gears.
EDIT:Took it for a short drive. Going into 1st 3rd and 5th is a much shorter throw but 2nd and 4th is still long. It seems to click into gear nicely. I'll see what it's like driving properly because changing into 2nd and 3rd could sometimes be harder due to the gearbox being worn out.
The bushes can be bought from TwosRus if anyone wanted to know. These are custom bushes but essentiality the same thing just not anodised.