MazdaSpeed3 - SURE’s CounterShift Weight Replacement

Courtesy:mazdaspeed-3.com
Link: http://www.mazdaspeed-3.com/2010/08/shifter-counterweight-replacement-for-ms3/

Today I received my new SURE Motorsports 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 CounterShift weight replacement. Now many of you may be asking… “Why replace the counter-shift weight, what is it anyway?â€￾. The theory behind this simple little weight is that the heavier it is the smoother the shifting. Although this is true it can make the shifting sluggish. Some of you may not even notice that your shifting is sluggish. However, being that I have had a short-shifter installed into every one of my cars up until now, I notice! By removing the stock weight the shifter will move much faster but will be a lot more harsh and clunky through shifts between 1st and 6th. Being clunky can cause you to miss a gear and that is never good in the quarter mile! So SURE Motorsports has created a nice “in betweenâ€￾ which will add shifting speed while remaining smooth through the gears.
Below is how to replace the Stock 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 counter-shift weight with the SURE Motorsports Mazdaspeed 3 CounterShift weight and here is the product review for SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight.
Where is it:

The counter-shift weight is found under the (1) stock or (2) aftermarket air intake. Yes you must remove the intake to get to this part.
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Tools Needed:

• 10mm socket wrench
• 12 mm wrench or socket wrench
• phillips head screwdriver
• needle nose pliers
• Gloves

What to do:

Remove the shock Air box [10mm socket wrench, phillips head screwdriver, needle nose pliers]. (1) Remove screw, loosen fan Pipe. (2) Detach sensor and loosen Clamp. (3) Detach sensor wire mount with needle nose pliers. (4) Pull up and out! (5) If you want you can remove the rubber intake hose [loosen clamps and pull], however, you can still easily get to the counter-shift weight regardless.
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Loosen the screws on the top of the bar [12mm wrench]. (1) Be firm but gentle so you do not put too much pressure on the shifting linkage. (2) Here you can see the difference in size between the SURE Motorsports CounterShift weight [top] and the Mazdaspeed 3 stock counter-shift weight [bottom]. (3) Use the same stock screws and bolt the SURE Motorsports CounterShift weight right back on.
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Now all you have to do is replace your Intake and you are all set. Happy shifting!!!

 

SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight review


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I received my SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight in August of 2010. It is the small, sleek and clean weight in the picture to the right. The stock counter-shift weight for the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 weighs-in at a hefty 19.7 oz. That is 1.37 lbs. The new SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight weighs 7.6 oz (less than half a pound). Also the design (cast) allows for a nice center of gravity on the linkage extension. Installation instructions for the SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight.
The purpose of this “shift weight” is to increase the speed of your shifts while keeping it smooth between gears. You may be asking yourself…”Why not remove the whole weight or machine down the stock counter-shift weight?”… and rightfully so. If you remove the weight all together your shifting will become extremely harsh and clunky. There is a reason the techs at Mazda added this weight. They probably spent tens of thousands on R&D to get it just right for the average consumer. However, if you are reading this article you may not be the average consumer and you expect things to be quick and smooth to help shave every possible millisecond of your quarter mile. After all, most times the difference between first and second could be a millisecond!
To answer the second part of this question, you can do that if… You have the tools to do it, don’t care about retaining your stock parts for resell value and have a few spares in case you mess up. Although you must also consider the fact that you may have an unbalanced weight at this point. SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight adds just the right amount of weight in a concise and balanced mass.
Rating:

5 of 5
After driving the car for a week and looking for anything that I could find, I found only good news. To tell you the truth, all I noticed was quicker shifting. I expected to miss a shift or for it to be clunky due to the drastic difference in weight. After 2 days I said to myself, other than the stick feeling lighter I don’t feel a difference. That is when I knew I had a quality product in my possession. SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight was the perfect mash-up of form and function and I could not be more pleased with it. Especially for the price!