So, after about a month of work, I finally have all leaks fixed in the coolant system. No more leaks, no more overheating, and speaking from coolant/engine, everything is perfect. It's running amazingly well, even the idle is a purr.

Buuut...I've ran into MORE problems.

#1: There is a "whirring" or a "grinding" or similar sound coming from the engine bay (Tranny, I assume?) when the car is in neutral, BUT there is no clutch pressed in. When you push the clutch, it stops. You also can't hear it FROM the engine bay, only from the cabin.

#2: Reverse and first are extremely difficult to shift into and go. I say this having driven large trucks before without issues, first/reverse and getting it started with this RX is a real witch.

#3: Reverse, first, second, and to an extent third have a grinding noise or something similar when you are driving in them, regardless of rpm. This stops immediately upon clutch press. This noise does not exist for fourth or fifth. Fourth and fifth I can shift 100% perfectly into, incidentally - the rest of the gears give me problems.

#4: Bucking on deceleration, and very low speed driving. I.e., if I have it in gear and take it under about 1.5k rpm, "YEEEHAW! Ride it cowboy!" type crap promptly happens. Granted, this is something that is easily mitigateable with low rpms (Neutral, shift down), but it's never done that on any manual I've driven before. As I mentioned, it also bucks on deceleration - heel and toe driving should NOT be necessary to go from, say, 50 to 45 in the same gear.

Help would be appreciated. The guy claims a new clutch (Exedy stage 1 IIRC) was in when I purchased it. Tranny is apparently original trans, however.

 

One other issue. I'm having to press the clutch all the way to the floor to get it to engage.

The clutch fluid is 100% topped off, and with the clutches I'm used to, it's a sign of going bad. From what I understand, however, that is not the case with the clutches in these cars - and you can also adust the play. Is that indicative of anything, or do I just need to adjust the play in the clutch?

 

I know, however, that the tranny mount needs to be replaced if that affects anything prior.

(Guy claimed it had super stiff competition mounts - super stiff competition mounts my ***.)

 

Sounds like pilot or throwout bearing gone bad. Thats what mine was, and had the same symptoms as you.

 

probably pilot bearing. i have the same issue and i replaced the TO bearing when i did the transmission and the noise didnt stop.

 

if its taking the full pedal stroke to Disengage then you might just want to buy a whole clutch kit! that should solve almost all of those problems at once!

 

Everything? Including a grinding/whirring while driving in that gear?

 

had the same problem, was the sleve bearing in the tail, but it wqas mainly the pilot, replaced and got it back on road today, runs, beautiful

 

Including the grinding while in gear?

 

tranny is on its way out, you can try tossing some redline in it. and the bucking "ride em cowboy" style is most likely due to an inaccurately adjusted TPS sensor. search for TPS ADJUSTMENT and fix it

 

Looking for confirmation here -
#1, #2, and #3 can be solved by a clutch kit, correct? Mazdatrix states #1 ( http://www.mazdatrix.com/g2.htm ) requires a trans mount replacement, however, as I mentioned the previous owner stated he had recently replaced it with a competition trans mount - is this indicative of anything deeper? I.e., if the clutch replacement doesn't solve this, and if I replace the trans mount, and #1 still happens, is it indicative of a deeper issue? Is there possibly anything wrong with the trans?

#4 from what I understand is a TPS adjustment.