WalkerCaroll

In my '85 GSL SE, I've started to notice a squeak when pulling away from a stop in first gear. When I've got my foot off the brake, clutch all the way down and foot on the gas to get moving. As I release the clutch to get the car moving, just before the clutch grabs the squeak begins and sometimes will continue until I shift into 2nd. And this problem only seems to happen when its cold. It doesn't do this when I start in 2nd gear though.

It doesn't seem to be causing any problems but I just wanted to see if this was normal. It sounded like some kind of belt in the engine bay. I'm new to driving a manual so it's probably because I suck at shifting but still.

WalkerCaroll

Also, It has 88k miles and the only thing that has gone wrong with the car was the clutch slave cylinder was replaced 20k or so miles ago. And apart from that, the car is totally stock.

gerald m

should be checking those belts for tension , if they are glazed they should be replaced anyway ., squeaking is probably the most common symptom of poor or loose belts , and the next is the battery goes dead during night driving

if everything under the hood is good it is possible that the clutch release brg is getting dry and ready to give problems ,

check the U joints and make sure the move in all directions without feeling resistance , you may need to remove to check properly watch the trans doesn't leak all over when you pull it from the spline . but if it squeaks before the car moves then probably belts ( check that first ) then the clutch release bearing .

WalkerCaroll

Yeah, It does sound like a loose belt. Should I just take it to my local Mazda dealer and see if they can get me one or should I do it? Because I did notice one belt was pretty loose.

gerald m

It would be a dam shame to pay a Mazda dealer to check adjust or change your belts .
If you can't do it ,,any corner garage should be able to do the job at a much lower rate .. You gotta start somewhere this is one of the easiest tasks you will encounter . better get use to it even a well maintained car of that vintage is going to start to need attention . change them out , if they have been loose enough to squeak they are done . Download a copy of your model year and here Foxed.ca - Mazda RX-7 Manuals and start learning ... If you get stuck someone will help you through it .

WalkerCaroll

Thanks! Glad that this is the first thing to go wrong rather than something much more serious so I should be able to do this pretty easily.