jbarone Short Shift Plate & Shifter Bushings
 

This is a review for the james barone Stage 2:Black Adjustable Short Shift Plate & Shifter Bushings

Problem and Solution:
Coming from a rx8, which I think has possibly the best shifter ever, I missed the extremely short throw. I also had a short throw shifter installed in that as well. So i was looking for a similar experience in the mazdaspeed3. I did not want to go with a full shifter system replacement but just a small upgrade that would change the geometmity of the shifter linkage. I found jbarone that had a shift plate that you install in the engine bay where the linkage meets the transmission. This reduces throw from 20% to 40%. I also replaced the shifter bushings that are installed inside the cabin to reduce play of the shifter housing when shifting.

Information on james barone:
I went with james barone racing because his prices are competitive, the installation instructions are very complete and he was very responsive to communication. He has a couple other items that I have or will be purchasing. RMM, oil catch can, heavier shifter knob. He also offers rear camber adjustments that might serve me down the road.

Pictures:
Here are some pictures of the motor mount and from the installation.
From jbarone's website
http://www.jamesbaroneracing.com/sto...STSP-Black.jpg
Pic of installation
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7477561/SSP.png

Thoughts:
The short shifter mount was not that difficult to install and provided some great results. Shifting is a lot shorter. I would say that I might go and get the heavier knob because there is a little more effort involved while shifting. It isn't much and I could live with it going forward, might just be a nice to have. i'm very happy with the result and would recommend this item to anyone looking for a better shifting experience. I didn't really notice any difference with the bushings, I don't think it has hurt anything. I didn't notice any extra noise or vibration because I already have the RMM from jbarone, sorry I can't really add anything there. I'm sure it doesn't hurt and provides smoother shifts. A couple things to take note is that when you install the plate, you need a little clearance for the intercooler cover. Jbarone recommends some grommets you can get at any hardware store. If you install the bushings you can use 2 of the rubber grommets you replaced. The other thing is that i set mine up for a 40% throw reduction and this was to much. I would sometimes miss a second gear shift, or get a little bit of bite. I reduced my plate to be in the middle, 30%, and this solved that problem. You can also adjust the shifter from inside the cabin but I chose to not mess with that.

Cost $95

Other options:

You can get the shift plate in black, blue or red and with or without the bushings. You can also buy the full kit that includes the heavy weight shift knob.

Also note that I am not affiliated with jamesbaroneracing, just a happy customer trying to add information to the community.

Really nice write-up man. I will be looking into the bushings and shift plate for my 11' ms3 very soon.

Great, let me know if you need any help. Once you have it installed, post a response here with some thoughts.