Wondering how durable the auto trannys are on these?

Just for note.. I've got a 86 Auto... no turbo.

Is is ok to zip around town using 1st and 2nd instead of regular drive, or will that fry it up pretty quick?

Thanks.

And while were here...

Is replacing an auto tranny with a manual a BIG ordeal? Meaning lots of labor + money... or something relatively simple (such as ripping one out, putting the other in with a few fabs... such as a metal plate I think I read about...?)

 

ash hypntyz about the tranny swap:
hypntyz@charter.net

 

Mazda auto tranny always break, not just on the rx-7. Tip for you. If you plan to drive your car for a while, invest in a tranny cooler, not the stupid radiator to share heat with the radiator. Also need fluid

 

SonicRaT just swapped his tranny for a 5speed. I do not think it was too bad, excepet for the installation of the pedals!

 

The TII j-spec auto trany's pretty good as is the 929 S tranny.

The ones in the NAs don't take too much more torque/HP though.

3rd gen auto trany's pretty good, but it's computer controlled I believe.

 

I've got an auto in my 90 GXL and it's tight. I mean it pull shard and shifts smooth....It's just sluggish off the line, but from about 15MPH to 140MPH it's great. Autos are wonderful for downshifting Like dropping to 2nd at 50...smooth and your GONE! But I'm having hypntyz swap it out for a 5speed next week, just because I fear my left leg will atrophy without a clutch to press. Also i want that 8K redline...autos top at 7K because the auto doesn't like the high rpm.

 

It's actually not very hard at all. The only thing that may give you troubles is getting the tranny out. Also, you may want to change the rear end, as auto's have the 3.9 gearing. If you look under the dash at the pedals, you can easily see how they are held on, however I had an impossible time removing them with the steering column in place, so I removed that (not very hard at all) And then they just fell right out. The firewall already has a place for the clutch master cylinder, which you can get a brand new one on ebay for about $25. The pedals run around $50-75. You also need to get a hydraulic line from the master cylinder to the slave cylinder (which you also need to pick up, unless your transmission comes with one) All in all, it was fairly easy, I got the pedals/master cylinder/clutch line installed in about 5 hours total. I think all you need is a 10mm & 12mm wrench/socket. If you do start doing it, and need some help just ask.