Well long story short going up a canyon road at the end of a very romantic dinner with my girlfriend, and I put it in third and the engine spins up, and hesitates, same in fourth. I stop the car and think GREAT my clutch is gone. I try and start in first, it catches fine and pretty good in second, so I figure it's not the clutch or we wouldn't be moving. It's got to be the Gearbox. I've had a dead rex for about a week and I lack internet at my place for now, so I need advice!

Car: 85 S, nothing fancy all stock, 12a, rear drum, yadda yadda yadda.
also there is an older gent up the road from me with a dead SA, not sure what year but it's been sitting there for at least 10 years, I was going to offer him $100-200 for it as a parts, what is swap worthy into my FB? (gearbox ect.) Leaving for Germany on the 23rd! NEED HELP (also need to get my car to seattle by the 18th, but let me worry about that haha)

 

Gearshift location on the tranny changed between the SA's and later years, but I don't recall where the cutoff date was. It moved further to the rear by a couple inches in later models.

 

Sounds like maybe the synchronizers are shot (altho I've never experienced this in an RX-7, so I'm kinda guessing). Has this car been subjected to drag racing and sudden swift gear changes?

Some transmissions have inexpensive replaceable synchros, but I don't know about the RX-7.

Otherwise, you may have to find a used or rebuilt transmission. I was once quoted $600 for rebuilt and about $100 for used. And then there's the labor...

 

The only part of real value that will interchange is the engine. The rest of the drivetrain, suspension, brakes, electrics, interior and body panels are different. That however shouldn't dissuade you from buying it. An SA in good condition is usually worth more than a similiar FB.

 

Could you please explain the symptoms for me:

Did the engine increase revs at the same pace as the car accelerated?

What do you mean? Did the engine stop? Did the acceleration stop? Did the engine and car speed up at different paces?

Why? Was the clutch not engaging? No forward motion when you released the clutch?

By 'start' I assume you mean start from a dead stop with the engine running, by engaging the clutch.

I'm guessing that you can drive the car in 1st and 2nd pretty much as normal, but in 3rd and 4th the engine revs but car speed doesn't increase at the same pace, or perhaps not at all.

Do you get new sounds from the driveline? Screaming, clunking, etc?

Does the shift lever operate in a normal way or does it have a new feel and sound?

 

yeah the clutch catches fine in first and second, but in third on up, it just spins and the car barely accels. I will have to take a look at the syncros, and possibly just get a tranny swap.

 

that doesnt sound like synchros at all to me. Synchros are what make shifting smooth. If you were grinding between gears than i would think the synchros.

 

Sounds more like the clutch is going. In the lower gears, it can hold well enough to transfer some power, but in the higher gears, it just slips.

 

Your clutch is fried. You need a new clutch. :-)

Nothing to do with the transmission.

 

Yeah, most likely the clutch. Same thing happened when my car's clutch went out.

 

The standard Chilton's manual test for the clutch is:

Start the car, and move the shifter into 5th gear. Keeping your foot on the brake, slowly release the clutch. If the engine stalls, then the clutch is in usable condition. If the engine does not stall, then the clutch is toast. Good luck.