My 5th gear synchro went bad in my AE and I'm wondering what my options are from here. I guess there are three choices:

1. rebuild tranny
2. Find another S4 tranny
3. go with S5 tranny

I can't remember if the S5 tranny bolts to the S4 bellhousing...Any info would be appreciated, thanks.

 

I'd have it checked out and most likely rebuilt. Unless you really messed something up, theres no reason it shouldn't be able to be rebuilt. All new bearings and synchro's with redline MTL will make that transmission feel better than the day it was new.

If you buy a used tranny, be it S4 or S5 , chanches are IT will have 1XX,XXX miles on it, and something will go wrong with it before long. MY trannys got either a bad input shaft bearing/countershaft bears (or all of em!), and looking up the price for a used R type tranny, or a rebuilt one - ridiculous!

 

I wiped out my synchro in 5th along time ago. What you have to do is just match the rpm to shift into fifth then it won't grind.

 

No need to swap the Bell Housings. Besides the S5 Bell Housing bolt pattern for mounting the the tranny case is somewhat different than a S4's. The S5 has, as I recall, 2 or 3 additional mounting holes.

 

My first thought was a rebuild, but I have no idea what the cost of something like that would be. Anyone got an idea of the cost of a rebuild?

 

I've been doing that since it went bad...I'd like to just get it fixed.

 

actually every mazda rotary minus the renesis has the same exact mounting for the transmissions, the only other variations are in the clutches/flywheels between the n/a/turboII/pull type FD

 

s5 will go in a s4 differant 5th gear and tail shaft mounts and mount bracket are differant,,u will need the mounts (rubber mounts) and cross memeber,,bell housing the same,, automatice mount bracket same as s5 cross member differant,,s4 t2 and na same mount and cross member,,,s4na and t2 bottom bolted bracket (on or above crossmember),,s5 t2 and automatice side bolt bracket is the same (on or above crossmember) crossmember differant,not sure on the na s5 dont have one shifter do swap s4 and s5 same,,slave is the same,,if i rember right s4 clutch is bigger buy 1/2 and inch or so eather will work (double check ask parts srore)ADVICE check on parts to rebuild,,check on how long it will ake to get em in***hardest thing,, find some one to rebuild it right ***check prices on used ones and SHIPPING COST ,,,i say itz a 50/50 on finding a good used one vs finding some one to fix it right the first time,,,best bet if u want it done right do it youreself
good luck

 

Have you tried using some higher quality transmission fluid? Redline worked wonders on my transmission.

 

cheaper than a new one, for sure.

 

used trannies are a dime a dozen now but most are unkown condition. a rebuild for the tranny would probably run you $700+ not including removal/reinstall.

 

my first thought, my mission crunches into 5th too, gonna try some Royal Purple oil when I put it back in, pretty confidant noise will disappear(fingers crossed). I need to put off buying another gearbox as long as poss $broke

 

if it grinds every time going into 5th then the syncro is cracked, no gear oil in the world will fix that.