What are the visible differences btwn the 79-80 transmission and its newer counterparts. I'm pretty sure I have a 84 5-speed trans in my 79 but how would i know?

 

Is your shifter short and straight or long and bent? The short/straight is an FB.

 

the 79-80 is shorter about 5 inch shorter than the 84.

 

The '79-most of '80 transmissions have a slightly different look than the late 80-85 units. 3/4 of the way through the 1980 model year they changed to roll pins in the shift mechanism, these can have the tailhousing swapped over with '81-85 units for use in the appropriate chassis. I was putting a late '80 transmission into an '85 so I had to change the tailhousings and shift fingers over, No Big Deal.

They also changed the gear tooth pitch sometime around '82, BTW.

Despite the misinformation that 81gsl12a is spewing out, all N/A rotary transmissions, at least between '74 and '91, are the same length. There are three shifter locations: '74-80, '81-85, and '86-91. '74-78 cars used a different transmission entirely but a '79-80 RX-7 transmission will be a functional replacement and vice-versa.

 

sorry for the miss leading info... i was referring to the shifter location...meaning if he had a 84 trans in his SA than the shifter would be about 5 inch back and would not be in the proper shifter location in his interior.... sorry for not explaning myself better

 

Thanks for all the help guys.