Ok guys, call me stupid (ok, dont really ), but I cant remember which drivelines are interchangeable on these damn little cars. My Dad and I are going to head to the junk yard soon in hopes to find a new driveline for his -SE, but Im sure there arent going to be any -SEs there, and I just cant remember which cars I can swap drivelines from. Will the 79-80 driveline work on the -SEs? Im almost positive that the drivelines from any other 81-85 car will work, but I just want to make sure. No sense in buying a driveline if its not gonna work .

~T.J.

 

if I remember right, its 79-82 are replaceable u-joints, and 83-85 arent. Not sure on which ones are interchangable though, but I know that all 83-85 manual drivelines are the same, including the SE. I'd think that mazda would have done something to preverent us from change to the replaceable ones.

 

Yeah, youre right about the years being replaceable and not, I just dont know if the 79-82 drivelines fit in the 83-85 chasis...

~T.J.

 

79-82 use a different bolt pattern on the diff flange than the 83-85's. You can use the earlier model diveshaft if you also change out the diff flange. I currently have a 85 driveshaft on my 82.

 

Yeah, I found out, thanks though . Luckily my Dad was smart enough to bring the old one for comparison, and the yard had 4 RX-7s, so we got the right one . Luckily, they even have a red one with the same metallic paint code as his so were gonna get all his damaged body panels tomorrow as well .

~T.J.

 

After reading your post in my other thread, I'm wondering what you had to pay for that driveshaft?

If the price is right they have another one in good shape that fits an 83 5spd any chance I could sweet talk you into picking up another one. I'd certainly compensate you for your trouble.

It seems all the yards here in N. CA think their parts are plated with solid gold.

 

Well, the driveline was $11.50, but unfortunatly, all the others they have are for the smaller flange on the rear end . We only found one that will work on my Dads -SE. I dont know how hard it is to swap that flange out with the driveline as well, but if you find out and want me to grab one, I might be able to do that for you.

~T.J.

 

I had to use an impact gun to get the nut off of the diff flange. When reinstalling it, torque the nut to 90-115 ft.lbs, any more and you can crush the collapsable spacer.

 

So you just take that big nut off and the flange comes off? Its that easy? So, in theroy, I could go get one of those drivelines from the junk yard with replaceable U-Joints as well as the flange and put it all on my 83 GSL so I could have replaceable U-Joints? That would be kinda cool...

~T.J.

 

yes, but the nut is on there pretty good, and the fact that it will rotate with the diff, makes it pretty hard to get off without air tools.

 

Hmm... Setting the parking brake would help though, so I might actually try it... I want replaceable U-Joints .

~T.J.