Well, my transmission is pretty much gone.

It started out with just some noise, sort of a whooshing noise in gear and when I started rolling. Shortly after, it started getting hard to put in gear. If we tried to start the car in 1st, it wouldn't be engaged, you could just hear a spinning sound. Also when it was hard to put in gear, it sounded almost the same as when you try to just put a car in gear without a clutch.

A little later 4th started acting up, it was hard to get into, then when you did get in it, it would randomly come out of gear, then other gears did the same some, you could hold it, but it would pop out if you let go.

There's a lot of noise, and a vibration/grind when it's in gear and you let off the gas felt through the clutch pedal area.

Any thoughts? lolol

 

drain the oil and inspect it for large metal debris, could be a clutch issue.

 

I changed the oil two days ago, there was SOME metal, but not enough to worry me.

 

after this all started? maybe pull the transmission out and inspect the clutch to see if it disintegrated or the throwout bearing/pilot bearings are seized. normally this wouldn't cause it to pop out of gear but it may cause it to be difficult to go into gear which is why it is popping out, not engaging fully.

 

Yeah it's ALL coming out soon to rebuild everything for next season so we will see. Just seeing if anyone had any ideas before I do it. lol

 

sounds pretty typical for a grenading transmission, which can happen at anytime especially if it is a track duty car. but sometimes the symptoms are related to faulty clutch components, so i wouldn't just write it off.

 

Sounds more like an internal failure with one of the shaft bearings and possibly gear or syncros way worn out and locking in a few gears. Had some same issues at the beginning of the race season and bearings were toast along w syncros

 

What fluid did you put in just before this happened?

 

Lucas 90WT.

I changed the rear end fluid, it looked new so decided to not to transmission, then decided to just to it anyway to be safe before the race as the original noise had me worried.

 

I like me some good old, cheap, nothing fancy GL-4 oil.

Not saying It has anything to do with your issue. Was just wondering.

 

Gotcha, yeah I wasn't sure what to use, I heard numerous different choices and a few recommended the Lucas so I went with that since I could get it from AutoZone.

Question for you and anyone else, what's the difference in the 5 speed and 4 speed?

 

Everything you aver wanted to know about Mazda gearboxes (among other things): Mazda Rotary Parts Interchange

The main site starts here: Felix's Place

-billy

 

Awesome! New reading material.

Didn't find gear ratios for the 4 speed though, reason I ask I found a free 4 speed car but wasn't sure if that would just be stupid to put a 4 speed in or just find a 5 speed/ have mine rebuilt.

 

the 4 speed is just the 5 speed box with no 5th

 

What are the ratios like though?

It's going into my race car.

 

its exactly the same 1-4 as the 5 speed, they literally just didn't install 5th gear.

off the top its like 3.48/2.4/1.4/1 and the 5th is something like .825