I am an automotive tech and at work I always wanted that feel of a brand spanking new manual transmission. I love the feel!

Well, three weeks ago while getting dinner for my family, my sloppy *** whiney transmission got stuck in reverse. I know that is an easy fix but my transmission was sloppy...like a 60yr old drunk hooker sloppy.

So I said eff it, I am going to make this thing as brand new as possible.

$2200 of genuine mazda parts and reputable transmission shop labor, I have a brand new transmission. The only things that did not get replaced was the gear set and the transmission housing. I made damn sure with them it was not going to be some cheesy rebuild, I want a new transmission!

I drove it 10 miles from the shop home today and it was a dream moving the shift lever. Notchy like the RX7 transmission is but crisp and smooth as a new transmission feels, I love it. The only thing I do not like is that the clutch pedal feels light and spongy now. I believe that can be corrected by adjusting the clutch master cylinder rod.

This is not a shameless plug for the shop that rebuilt it, as I only drove the car 10 miles...we'll see how the trans holds up after a few weeks before I disclose that. This is just more of a "I am so dang happy my transmission feels new!" type of thread.

Edit: By notchy I mean the gear sectors being notchy. Its more like a true H pattern and not a W pattern if that makes sense.

 

Dude man I know the feels. I rescued my 86 gxl last year with 34k original on it. It is a crisp notch gear selection. The 4th gear catches me more often then I would like to admit when civil driving

Edit: Mine is spongy to, but I have a leaking master. I am replacing it and the slave along with a stainless line. After that I need to adjust it a bit as it is not quite right yet. Damn thing sat near if not more then 20 years

 

I replaced my master not too long ago, so it definitely isn't that "spongy" feel. My clutch used to drop toward the middle of the peddle and now it drops at the bottom so my best guess is that they adjusted the clutch to put as little pressure as possible on the pressure plate.

 

new clutches are softer than old ones, the pivot point moves as the clutch wears. should grab in the middle too.

but +1 on the trans, my 1st gen has a trans that is rebuilt like yours and its just great

 

you should have rebuilt it, its just c clips, i'll take pics when i do one next time.

 

Agreed and I would have but my car is a DD. Also, with work and my family situation there just wouldn't be time. My wife works nights at the DPD and we also have a daughter and when I get off work it's "hi, bye love you". I really only see my wife 2 days a week.

 

perfect.

 

..only 2 days a week eh JJ?
I only see mine briefly too.........................when I go to my Buddy's house!

(I miss my EX..but my AIM is improving!)

 

Sweet deal man, I probably oughtta get mine rebuilt too seeing as I'm on the third one already; I drive mine like I stole it though, hahah. I just love the sound of that redline buzzer!

Congrats though

 

I have considered going this route when the time comes. People on here have made it sound not too bad to do. Maybe drop the Miata gearset in while I'm at it. Although I am D.D. it right now once I finish the 5spd swap on my truck I won't have to anymore. It will just be by choice 'cause I like driving it. Mine is pretty sloppy and every once in awhile like on a 2/3 shift won't go into gear. Any gear not just 3rd. won't go in 4th or back to 2nd so the time is probably coming. 268,xxx miles on the original trans.

 

I had my transmission rebuilt, well all the "soft parts", there was nothing wrong with it when I had it done. Confused the transmission shop "there is nothing wrong with it but you want it rebuilt?"
did the same with the rear end.


feels great but of course it has a very minor leak, lol

 

I do have a question. The transmission feels good other than one thing, 1-2 gear changes.

Sometimes when I go from 1-2, the transmission makes a "cluhh, clunk" sound. My old transmission did that every time.

Normal?

 

do you know what the parts cost was?

Im thinking it may be easier to still go the T56 conversion.

 

Not sure on that unfortunately.

 

i dont know what decent T56's go for in Aussie but they not that much cheaper than like $1500 plus the conversion itself.
You think its expensive to rebuild a RX7 transmission T56 are even more expensive to rebuild

 

just don't be like me and have the trans scattered over your bench for 6 months. have all your parts ready to rock prior to disassembly. for a first time, give yourself a solid weekend to disassemble, clean, measure and reassemble. have a clean, open workspace with all parts laid out in the precise order and position they were removed. i paid i think 350$ for a full kit. seals, syncros, nachi bearings. there are some tools that you'll need to fabricate. mainly the 30" deep 42mm(or maybe 41mm can't remember now) socket, and 30" long 2 jaw puller. approximate measurements, of course. you just make extensions for the puller using 2" flat bar. cut your 42mm socket in half and weld a section of pipe between the socket drive end and hex end.
should probably replace the shift lever return spring too while you have the selector shafts out. cuz that is pretty known to break if original. it's only like 20$ from the dealer too.
mine feels a whole lot better than it did, but probably not as good as if an actual tranny tech did it (i am not)