83 Transmission drop I need help...
 

So I'm at the point where I've exhausted my search terms and my brain has stopped working. I have the 83 with the "unreplaceable" u-joints. I'm guessing its also fused to the diff where it has 4 bolts, but despite that it wont budge. I'm playing with fire right now as the tranny is balanced on the jack and I'm kinda desperately reaching out right now to see what I'm missing to drop the trans. Any help appreciated. Thanks!

First off, you should NOT unbolt the trans from the mounts until after you have removed the driveshaft. Put the trans crossmember back before you kill yourself. Then address the driveshaft.

Once the shaft is unbolted from the diff, you can slide it forward into the trans enough to get clearance to loser the back end of the shaft.

If the shaft flange has rusted to the diff, spray the junction with penetrating oil, let it sit a bit, then start rapping the shaft flange with a hammer. in extreme cases, you can try tapping the crack with a cold chisel.

I had to use the chisel method... Worked out well

I wound up having to use the chisel method too. Thanks for the help guys. Turns out my flywheel is trashed and my clutch was bare metal. I don't even know how I've been driving this like this, but its been grabbing well enough. I've got a spare flywheel off a spare 12A I have lying around but idk if I can use it or if the weights were different in the stock flywheels. And Divin, comeon man Kill myself? Its not a camaro tranny. The thing weighs maybe 80 lbs. I was more worried it would fall of the jack and crack the housing on the floor.

Trans is closer to 60, I'd wager, but drop 60 lbs on your grape with a concrete floor underneath, you're unlikely to walk away.

Fair enough. Either way it looks like I won't be doing much else till monday since every shop in the area doesn't seem to either A. be open on the weekend or B. doesn't have the equipment to turn a flywheel.

be sure to use the correct flywheel for your engine. the wrong flywheel will cause the engine to be out of balance and will chew up the rotor bearings.

exactly what he said ... no all 12A flywheels are the same

The white first gen in you pic is so sweet. I miss my 1985 had to sell it when I got divorced. I'm building a sweet fc now to replace it and will build another first gen once I'm done.

Yeah I know about the flywheel. I have a spare which I just confirmed earlier to be off an early 12a due to the insane weight of it. I'm trying to find a rear counter weight for the auto so I can just get a lightweight eventually, even just to hang onto it till the next clutch. This whole ordeal has been, well, an ordeal. I'm thinking while the car is up I might finally level the passenger well to fully accept and flat mount the bucket seat I put in awhile back and check on a few other things. Anyone happen to know if all that heat shielding really needs to go back in? Also, the square nut is the fill port right? Oil should be added with the trans in the car till it drips out the port then plugged right? Might try to refit my ebay miata short throw while the trans is out.

Also anyone in the Austin area wanna help diagnose my friend's fc? Thanks for the reminder ghost.

thanks the white one is actually my wifes gsl ... she currently dailys it

Doing the transmission reseal now and I've got a bearing that I can't figure out where it's supposed to go. It looks like it could fit inside the throw out bearing but I know it doesn't go there. Is there a bearing behind the front trans cover or on the output shaft and if so how do i get to it?

EDIT: Of further interest, I dont think this actually belongs to the trans.

do you have the pilot bearing accounted for?

Guys I tore apart 4 motors in the last week. All untouched motors... So I know no swappy swappy flywheel been done. I tore apart a 84,85, 83 and a 82. The ONLY flywheel that looks different is the 82. Cause its the smaller clutch. Dunno why they say 84,85 is different LOOK EXACTLY the same.

Oh and 83 U joints can be changed I hear. I know they sell them. But I have 5 or 6 driveshafts around here...

This will help identify the different year flywheels. You are correct that the 82 flywheel in your group is the only one that is different.

Flywheels

I'm pretty sure the pilot bearing is the small one with the exposed rollers right? I've got that and this large one that I'm not sure where it goes. I'm pretty sure it came with the Exedy stage 1 kit I picked up from racing beat, since I'm sure it didn't come with the trans reseal kit or the trans mount. To me it looks like an oversized skateboard bearing. It does fit inside the throwout bearing but I know that's not where it goes. It isn't even pictured anywhere on racing beat's website... actually scratch that, it's pictured with the Stage 2 Exedy kit but not the stage 1. So maybe it's the pilot bearing for another car? Or maybe my car and the small one isn't for me... IDK I just took a shower and don't wanna get back under there till my flywheel is ready to go in.

As for my spare flywheel apparently thats an 81-82 based on that chart, thanks KCREPU.

That weird big bearing isn't for our engines. But you need to get a pilot seal, which is NOT included in these clutch kits.
http://www.mazdatrix.com/pictures/b-...aring-seal.jpg
Cart Price Check Part:11-404A-1881

Edit: I see the correct bearing and seal pictured in these three kits. Clutches 83-92 (225mm non-turbo)

Well crap, thanks for the heads up Jeff. I home my local dealer has one in stock, really wanna wrap this whole thing up sometime tomorrow.

Also, is it normal for the throwout bearing to catch on the input shaft when its off the engine?

You need a pilot bearing seal. If you don't use one, the grease will dry quickly and the needle bearings will disintigrate. I've seen it in 4 out of 5 FC engines I tore down recently. Seems most shops bought the standard clutch kit that does not include the pilot seal. Sad.

ALso when you tap the plito bearing in, be sure to tap it in deep enough to allow the seal to also fit without contacting the trans input shaft where it expands. I've also seen damage caused by this mishap too often as well.

Catch? You mean this thing?
http://www.mazdatrix.com/pictures/g-...FrontCover.jpg

I mean when I push the lever to check the slide it catches on the shaft instead of returning.

Pilot bearing is on the engine right? Thinking about it now the seal you're refering to is inside of "this thing". If I'm right on that then it was included in racing beats transmission reseal kit.

Thanks Jeff for the chart. I totally forgot about that chart. I got the clutch out of the 83 I tore apart. I kept it it looks pretty nice. It's still got the slots and grooves well visible in the clutch disc face. I need to get a micrometer on it. But it's pretty new. I also got a 79 one from the reman motor I found at the junkyard summer. I went ahead and replaced it when we did the motor and auto to manual swap. But I kept it. It's also looks REALLY nice compared to the new one. The others were trashed. One on the 85 was down to the rivets! I agree on the pilot bearing and seal. Always replace that sucker! Those things get REAL annoying when they are bad!

The pilot seal is included in this kit right? RX7 1975-1985: Clutch/Pressure Plate: Transmission Seal Kit - 79-88 Non-Turbo -

Nope. It's like 2 bucks. Just order it seperate. If you get an extra them you got a nice pinky ring. I get my stuff from rock auto. The little stuff that don't matter that is. I buy all my wheel bearings and misc parts like that. Never had a problem yet. And they're cheap!

Ok, now I'm lost. Where does this seal go? It's not part of Jeff's picture up there is it?

So just picked up the last pilot seal my local dealer had in stock. Just so everyone knows it is included in the tranmission reseal kit that racing beat sells. So now I have 2 of them. Oh well. Also just looked to find that my old pilot bearing is completely missing. I mean the sleeve is there but there is no sign of the internals anywhere on my floor or trans.