I have a 91 Mazda RX-7 Automatic Transmission. This is the second time in 1year. It either needs replacing or rebuilding for 1500+. Is anyone else having transmission problems not taking reverse, losing 3rd gear? Help!

 

I hope not because im buying an auto

 

Is that whats wrong? Won't go into reverse and pops out of third? Is this constant or intermittent?

 

This is constant and now apparently it has totally lost reverse and 3rd gear (I hear they're associated with each other). I live in MS and trying to find a tranny for that car is like pulling hen teeth. Any suggestions?

 

i have one but it needs a rebuild, you can have it for free just pay shipping, But i would reccomend that you do the 5 speed swap.

 

I know someone with an auto tranny. We just put a manual tranny in his car. I'll see if he is interested in send you his auto tranny.

For the tranny you have, check the factory service manual and see if it has a trouble shooting chart for the auto tranny. A guy I work with has a BMW that wouldn't shift up. I looked at it and found the vacuum modulator cable had come disconnected from the engine. These trannys use vacuum, so check the vacuum line going from the throttle body down to the tranny.

 

yeah check all the vacuum stuff that goes with the AT, they are not the strongest trannys but should last more than a year on a stock or near stock car. when the auto tranny on my vert went out it just would not accelerate and sucked to limp around in it would shift into all the gears but didnt like doing it, to me it sounds like its just a sensor or vacuum lines.

 

Does anyone know how much the 5sp swap would roughly cost?

 

IT is well documented that the autos in these cars not only perform poorly and weigh a hell of a lot, they are very weak and troublesome most of the time. Many people do the 5sp swap for performance alone, many others because they cannot justify repairing a dead auto that performed so poorly when it was "right".

Again, they are known to be a very weak design, I have seen rebuilt ones hold up less than a year. And you can't say it is the power of the rotary breaking the trannies, they don't have much torque at all.

 

Thanks for the info guys, but to be honest I'm a female and I don't know much about doing it myself, although if I had a step by step I would definately try it. The men here in MS are trying to take me fast. If the auto trannies are so weak I'd rather just swap to a 5sp(don't know how to drive a 5sp), but would learn in a heartbeat. Just so long as I don't have to keep coming out of the pocket $1500 every year. Just last year purchased a used tranny from TX $795 minus shipping. $550 to have put in. Took it to Aamco Tranmission specialist. They tells me it wasn't installed right last year. No power was getting to the Tranny at all. I could kick myself. Any Suggestion or advice would REALLY HELP!

 

Used manual trannies over here go for 225. I got 1 that worked fine and another that had a sucky 5th gear but they are guaranteed. Buy one and I think a mechanic should swap one in for not to much. You also need to buy used manual clutch parts as well. Look for deals then have somone install everything I guess that may be the cheapest. If not. Sell your auto and or trade for a manual car.

 

instructions and parts list for the swap is located on my webpage, www.rotaryresurrection.com in the tech section. Sometime in the near future, an amended writeup with a few pictures will be added.