Okay, I need to hunt down a set ( yes, all 4) of wheel bearings for my 88' gxl, are they easly obtainable, whats the usual pinch to the wallet for them, need to know, and do this weekend. aaack.

 

Read this http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/frontbrg.htm

 

thanx a much, me prep'd for the job..... bearing set will be at part store afternoon, ready to tear into it! Jayman.
ps, man, those rear brearing sets are pricy!!

 

You remarked:

>ps, man, those rear brearing sets are pricy!!

Actually, you're probably shopping at the wrong store. I just bought a set of rear Toyo wheel bearings for $29 each through The Parts Bin (http://www.thepartsbin.com). IIRC, front wheel bearings were about $10-15 each.

 

Hot Dog- Do you know what brand the wheel bearings were (Toyo?)? I have been ordering thru Mazdatrix for over 15 years, since they have Mazda factory replacement parts. But I just checked the Parts Bin, since I recall paying over $60 for the rear bearings about a year ago. Also checked their fuel injector prices- can't believe they sell them for $46.97. Mazda dealer and Mazdatrix price is over $200. Wonder what brand they are. Factory replacement would be Nippodenso, but there must be other brands just as good. I may have to start using Parts Bin, as long as their quality is OK.

 

Thanks Hotdog for the url to go to. Bookmarked same. By the way, RONARNDT, do you recon that the 46 dollar price is for remanufactured injectors?

 

I knew there had to be a catch!

 

The wheel bearings are manufactured by Toyo. The boxes that they came in had Mazda part numbers marked on them. You wrote: "Factory replacement would be Nippodenso, but there must be other brands just as good." It may be that there are more then one supplier for wheel bearings. I replaced my rear wheel bearings about 5 years ago, and remember paying about $85 each back then.

You wrote: "Also checked their fuel injector prices- can't believe they sell them for $46.97. Mazda dealer and Mazdatrix price is over $200. Wonder what brand they are." I noticed the injectors too. Since ther is a core charge, than they must be remanufactured Mazda injectors. Yes, Mazda injectors are very pricey. There are only two companies that manufacture injectors for the rotary -- Nippodenso and Bosch. I have heard, through an outfit the services injectors, that Bosch injectors are not very good.

 

About a year ago I bought from carparts.com some 550 injectors to go in my secondarys in my 87N/A. They were BECK/ARNLEY. Seem to be working just fine. Is that company, Beck/Arnley just a company that remanufactures other companies injectors? I think they were about sixty bucks a pop. Does not answer any of the above questions, just a comment.

 

The injectors were most likely made by Bosch and then just repackaged and sold by Beck/Arnley. A similar example would be Mazda clutches. For instance, when you go to your local Mazda dealer and buy a clutch, you'll notice that the clutch is made by Daiken and just repackaged in a Mazda box. There are only a few companies out there that make fuel injectors. Lucas, Denso (short for Nippondenso) and Bosch are some names that I recall. Bosch is the largest supplier of injectors -- that is perhaps why they are able to offer the lowest prices. I believe that Denso only supplied injectors to Mazda. Interestingly, Lucas, a British manufacturer, supplied injectors to Nissan for the 300ZX and perhaps other models.

 

Anyone who had a British car knows that the weakest link (pardon the pun) was the Lucas electrical components. Can't believe they would have better luck with fuel injectors. (Former owner of TR-4, TR-6, MG Midget. Apparently a slow learner.)

 

RONARNDT....you are not the only slow learner. I went thru MG'S, and litter of Jaguars, and the true Prince of Darkness is named LUCAS.

 

I doubt you need the rear ones. they rarly ever give out. the are fully sealed and are not cheap.

 

Hailers- Worst thing about having owned British cars is I think it is somehow addictive. Every so often I see a nicely restored TR-6 or a A-H 3000 and think I wouldn't mind having one again. Then my common sense reminds me about repairs by the side of the road and the feeling passes. Ron A.

 

RONARNDT...At least you got to the side of the road. I never got out of the driveway. AustinHealy 3000, darn I wish I'd a bought one of those. They could start production today and I'd buy one.

 

Hailers- Yeah AH3000. Then you could re-live the "fun" of performing life-saving mechanical repairs on the pesky little cars. My most foolish British automotive adventure was driving a TR-4 on a 60 mile round trip daily commute while I was getting my Ph.D. If I got thru an entire week without having something break or stop working, it was a good week. I think the worst was when I was going to present a research paper at Lafayette College and my clutch master cylinder died. Here I am in suit and tie in the middle of nowhere. I finally figured out that I could up-shift, if I timed the engine rpms just right. When I had to stop, I would turn off the key and put it in first gear, then turn the key to start the car and umph -umph a few feet until the rpms got up, then would upshift. I finally sold the damn thing for $600. Hmmm...... wonder if that guy still has it. No- I won't even think about getting another one.

 

RONARNDT....Not trying to top you but....I made it from Corpus Christi to Ft Worth with the slave cylinder kaput. Fortunatly I had learned how to shift without a clutch prior to this. Also the Interstate 35 was not completed at that time. Most memorable was coming into a small town with a railroad crossing and a train crossing as I approached. Ist gear and just dogged along until the train crossed. Never owned a English car that had syncro's in the first gear. They did'nt believe 'em I guess. Lets kill this post, its getting way off the original subject, and for the life of me I cannot remember what it was without looking. Enjoyed you tales of woe.