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Turbo transmission on a gsl-se?

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Old May 10, 2009 | 11:36 PM
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Exclamation Turbo transmission on a gsl-se?

hey i currently have a GSL-SE with cat delete....and im about to get a turbo 2 tranny..will this help me at all?...is the turbo 2 a stronger tranny? will it be faster? or is this just a big waste of money....how much does an average turbo tranny go for?


and does it bolt up directly or will it require some modifications? im about to put a full RB streetport exhaust system on too...probably wont effect anything negatively right?

should i get this transmission upgrade? or should i upgrade my clutch and get a flywheel?
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Old May 11, 2009 | 12:15 AM
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Spend your money elsewhere. The TII tranny upgrade is for higher hp engines, say 250 hp+. There really isn't any major advantage in the gears and a decent light flyeel and clutch can run 700+. By the time you purchace the tranny, clutch, flywheel, clutch slave, starter and custom driveshaft, you could have rebuilt your engine.

Help, no, stronger, yes, faster, no, waste of money, yes in your case, $200-250 average, requires modding of the shifter housing. Upgrading your stock clutch and flywheel would be the best option.
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Old May 11, 2009 | 01:02 AM
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you the man ! the setup is actually gonna come from a member on this forum...hope he still has the clutch and flywheel i'll pm him immediately !
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Old May 11, 2009 | 06:59 AM
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Yeah the T2 transmission IS stronger... but the transmission is not the weak link in the drivetrain.

If/when you put a turbocharger on the car, then you may want to step up the transmission because of the added torque... but a lot of people don't and don't have problems.

I did find that FC transmissions seem to last longer than FB, so maybe Mazda did something different with heat treating or something. I kill a lot of transmissions but they die slow, lingering deaths, metal particles from hard shifting circulate in the oil and trash the bearings and then the trans gets loud and starts vibrating in 5th. Solution - better gear oil that prevents the particles in the first place

Get a Clutch Of Doom (anything with pucks, really) and drive it harsh and you'll kill transmissions. This is not the transmission's fault, it's the fault of the person who put a 400hp clutch on a 150hp engine Use a stock clutch, they won't slip until they're worn out.
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Old May 11, 2009 | 07:27 AM
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A "GREAT" transmission upgrade for a GSLSE is a s4/s5 na 5 speed swap. All you do is swap tail housings with yours and it's a bolt in. You can generally find a lower mileage unit and you gain a tall 5th gear which is great for the highway (drove one, nice upgrade). As for the clutch, I can not say enough good things about the racingbeat street/strip clutch, same feel as stock yet grabs very well. As for puck clutches, stay away unless you need that much clutch (250+ hp)!
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Old May 11, 2009 | 11:40 AM
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thats exactly what i did. i put in a S4 na trans and i love it!! it took some time to swap out the tailshafts but after that its all bolt in and done. You really dont need a T2 tranny in your car right now, not unless youre making BIG numbers. Put that $$ on something else. The NA trans hold up just fine
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Old May 11, 2009 | 12:07 PM
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Personally I don't like the super tall 5th gear. It makes for a huge gap between 4th and 5th so casual downshifting is not really a good idea. With the 4.78s it was horrible because there NEEDED to be a gear between 4th and 5th. 5th geare synchro lasted about two weeks, it got destroyed from the constant shifting. Fortunately a Real Man[tm] doesn't need synchronizers to shift.

In the current car, with tall tires (225/50-15) and 4.08s you can still leave it in 4th gear, which kinda defeats the purpose of having an overdrive...

In 5th gear my car is turning about 2500 at 60. I couldn't imagine doing this with a stockport engine.
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Old May 11, 2009 | 12:23 PM
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^ I dont quite agree with PeeJay, 4.88 and an s4 trans is an awesome combo in my opinion, s3 trans third gear is a little on the weak side(I personally stripped every tooth on one) and the OD is not as long as the s4, Although when I had the stock 4.08's and s4 trans, I wouldnt be able to get into OD till atleast 60mph or it would bog, also to accelerate on hwy would require a downshift regardless of how much power. Lightweight flywheel and a full face clutch will help keep your third gear
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Old May 12, 2009 | 04:17 AM
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nice nice saved me $150...well i only thought of the tranny swap because i thought the price was a steal for a turbo 2 tranny...guess i should start with the clutch next then...? or probably poly urathane bushings since my stock ones are literally cracked and squished
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Old May 12, 2009 | 10:15 AM
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wow, that is pretty good deal for a turbo trans, good find.
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Old May 12, 2009 | 11:23 AM
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I know this kind of off topic, but does anyone make straight cut and/or dog engagement gearsets for our transmissions?
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Old May 12, 2009 | 11:48 AM
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OS Giken does. Quaife does make a gearkit, too, but it is still synchromesh and helical. The ratios are FAR better than stock, though, and the closer the ratios the less you need synchronizers in the first place.
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Old May 12, 2009 | 04:59 PM
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Well once I get to the power level I want, I would like to have gears 1 and 2 straight cut, with 3 4 and 5 helical, all dog engagement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asFwDpLe1xo

That is just sexy.
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Old May 14, 2009 | 06:35 AM
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You're not going to find anybody who is going to cut half of the gears on the countershaft straight and then the other half of the gears helical.

That said, being straight cut doesn't necessarily make the gearbox stronger. The gears are not the weak point... housing flex is the gearkiller.
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Old May 14, 2009 | 11:08 AM
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starfox.. that is crazy you just made my day
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