Hello everybody. In my rx7 career I have gone through a lot of transmissions, (mainly the WEAK! na) but my latest turbo transmissions synchros are starting to get weak. Second gear is really starting to feel notchy and starting to grind. Well I have been researching how to rebuild our transmissions for a bit of time now, and have phyched myself up to do it. I looked up some rebuild kits, and decided I would just order the synchros and such from my mazdaspeed account. (A lot cheaper).

From what I have noticed from reading the FSM, is that the turbo transmission doesn't require the special super long huge socket to get the main nut off. And other than that I think I have all the tools and ways to check tollerances that I will need. Although I have not found much information or walkthroughs on the forum on how to rebuild our transmissions, I think I can do it.

This is basically just a shout out, to see if anybody HAS rebuilt their own turbo transmission, what problems did they run into, and would they do it again? I know a lot of people say to leave it to the professionals, but I feel so much better doing things myself.


Also, other than the synchros is there anything else that seems to go out in our transmissions that I should carefully check or replace along with the synchros?

Thanks
~Tweak

(P.S. please dont say to just go buy another t2 s4 transmission, I'm tired of russian rullet!)

 

awesome! im looking forward to detailed pictures, writeups, and any problems you encountured. its about time someone *****-ed up and did this! good luck man. can wait to see what you find.

 

Good luck with it man, hopefully we'll see a writeup on it! with pics :P my synchro on 5th gear is bad and I've always wanted to fix it hopefully I will get some motivation from you!

 

I can't recall anyone actually going through with it on these forums, just talking about it. It should be a sweet project... I think people get scared of it. I've seen a VR-4 transmission partially disassembled in someone's garage. There's no way our trannies are that complicated given that the vr-4 has a center diff built into their housings I think.

 

Goodluck TG...

 

I was thinking the same. My buddy had gotten his tranny rebuilt one time. He bought the special tool from mazda. if you could get a cheap impact socket, cut it in half, and weld a long pipe to reach that one nut, it might just work. Or you can pay the dealership price on that tool.

BTW, how much were the rebuild kits you sourced out. My tranny needs a rebuild, but im really scared at the price of everything. Mine needs the works

 

Any updates on this project? My tranny is at the shop getting rebuilt right now. 5th gear was grinding and it had a fluid leak. They are doing all the bearings, seals, and synchros for $700 parts and labor (that's with me removing and installing the tranny).

 

You may want to replace the shift forks as well. Wolfe transmission just did my S5 TII trans (yet to reinstall the rebuilt one) but we replaced the bearings/seals, syncros and shift forks for under $600 tax in.

IMO though, you're better off for the money (typically anywhere between 500-1000) to have it done professionally. I had no idea my shift forks were dinked, and they sent me all old parts they replaced and to me the forks look OK. I think its well worth the money to have an expert eye when it comes to that stuff. I'm sure its not that tough but for the effort I'd prefer a professional assembly considering the cost.

 

2nd and fifth seem to be getting worse especially 5th..got to baby her through the gears but that damn fifth hates my short shifter

 

sorry to bring up this old thread. Any updates pics? What about pricing out rebuild kits of differnt qualityies?

 

Here's what happened with mine, which I sent to a local shop. They ordered a rebuild kit from one of their suppliers. Most of the parts are similar to an 80s Ford Ranger tranny. The thing that tripped them up was the 5th gear synchro. I gave them my VIN # but the 5th synchro they had didn't work. My car is an 88 model T2 built 11/87. It turns out that I had a used transmission most likely from an 87 model. As many of you know, Mazda changed a couple things on those cars built after 87 1/2 , like switching the injectors to high impedence. Apparently they changed 5th gear synchro as well. So it took the shop a few days of trying different OEM parts to get something to work... I suspect Mazda wasn't that helpful. I actually gave them a printout of the parts catalog available online here but the part # for the synchro wasn't correct for the tranny I gave them.

Despite that setback, the tranny is in now and it is MUCH better. It downshifts much more smoothly if you don't rev match/double clutch. I have no whining input shaft bearing or grinding gears either, and so far no leaks. Right now I'd say I'm very happy with the rebuild and I'm glad I didn't just throw in another used tranny.

 

What reason is there to not rev match downshifts?

 

price on parts and labor? How many of the parts needed to be changed ?

 

change the gear oil to a nice synthetic and try that first. this is what fixed my old mr2 turbo's trans 1-3 did not to seem to have syncro's. as for doing a rebuild, from what i learned from the classes i took for it. trans are actually very easy to do and dont even usually call for alot of special tools. BUT if you do not have a press you will get nowhere fast...gears are not just bolted onto the main shaft. for the price of it, and the time you spend(and possibility totally killing the trans, very unlikely but not hard to do if you forget something or try to rush it). a turbo 2 trans with a rebuild is not hard to find and it would be alot better to just get another one. your also going to have to get everything SUPER clean before you put it back together but nappa can do that for you i know the ones by me have a acid washer and basically any other tools THEY MAGNAFLUX i was amazed lol.

that was typed bad...lol o well gtg :P

 

oh crap ... I did the rebuild but ... didn't take any pictures. I was in a hurry for an event. I feel like an a$$ now. When I rebuild another I will definitely take pictures.

I remember it was not HARD. IT was dirty, and confusing, but it wasn't hard. It took a lot of time, but I checked and rechecked everything. I too am VERY glad I rebuilt my transmission instead of putting in another used one.

 

my rebuild was $700 parts and labor with me removing the transmission and giving it to them. Parts I think were around $350-400.

 

Tweak - I share the same feelings on doing work yourself, and agree that it is just a matter of making a judgment call on one's own mechanical abilities and ability to follow directions.

A book which I had found suggested was the MX-5 Miata 1.8 Enthusiast's Workshop Manual which gives great step-by-step instructions on rebuilding a trans. I had to swap out a N/A to N/A trans recently because that's what I had on hand but I really look forward to purchasing a TII trans, rebuilding it, and running with that.

Any suggestions / hints / tips / pointers would be greatly appreciated! Did you work solely from the FSM or any other sources? Please advise - and thanks for the thread!

 

Did you make your own tool or did you buy it fro mazda? That one super deep socket. What size was it again? Thanks