hello everyone
i have a 1987 t2 with about 70k on it. there is a problem with the transmission and i have a few theories i was wondering if anyone had any ideas. i just bought the car about 2 weeks ago and i bought it with this problem. the owner claimed that he had a new clutch put in about 2k miles before i bought it. when driving the car easy there are no noticable problems. but when reving the car about 3k in first gear and shifting into second you gotta tug a little to get it to shift. and if you go a little more than that usually about 20mph it will kinda grind as you try to pull it in. it only does this in this gear although i feel a little slip when shifting into third at high rpms. also downshifting into second does the same thing...if i pull hard it won't do it but i will not even try it since i don't wanna risk causing any damage. also sometimes when the car is in neutral after driving and i put it into rev it also kinda makes a grind **sometimes**
i know its a vague description but thats as much info as i have. i drive the car around the problem cuz i don't wanna hurt anything
any ideas would be greatly appreciated. i still love this car!
thanks in advance!!!

Dan

 

I have an 88 Anniversary Edition. Only had 45,000 K when I got it a year ago. Was never happy with upshift to second and downshift to second. Other gates acceptable but not as smooth as I would like. So off to the tranny guy I go and after a test drive determins that the syncros are nfg. So I get the syncro kit and resurface the flywheel and throw a new clutch in while its all apart. Now the only problem is downshifting to second. It is a little blocky going in to 2nd now but no where near as bad as before. Over all I am not impressed with the tranny in this car. But the thrill of driving a rotary rocket out weigh the minor glitch in the transmission.
I know this may not be helpful but thought you might like to hear other tranny tales.
Ace II

 

hey thanks for the responce...
any help is appreciated. my first thought was syncros or maybe when they replaced the cluth they did something wrong or forgot to adjust something. just a quick question...how much did the sycro kit cost and is it a really challenging job to do to change them? i have never dropped a tranny before but i am rather brave. i don't know if its worth it though over how much a tranny guy would charge me to do it. also where can i get the sybcro kit...i tried looking at the mazdatrix website and didn't see it there. Thanks in advance!!

Dan

 

Your Welcome! Syncro Kit was about $500.00 Cdn. Flywheel should be resurfaced any time you change the clutch unless it is exceptionally in good condition. No scratches or burn marks.
You need access to a press and a good mind for remembering how things go back together that is for sure. I had a friend who is tranny mechanic do most of the work as I offered moral support and beverages. By the time I replaced the clutch, syncros and financial reward for my tranny guy I was out $1200.00 Cdn. which I think is a small price to pay for the work rendered. A seal kit is included with syncro kit. If I had it to over again I would have spent the cash on other performance mods as the tranny is improved but not as good as I would like. Some guys have suggested to try different tranny oil which may help get the syncro's up to speed better but I have not done that as of yet.

 

hey thanks for the responce again! i will look into seeing what i can do. i won't have that kinda cash untill i am out of school next summer so the project is going to have to wait. which part of the process am i going to need the press for? sorry to keep hounding you with these questions but i really have no where else to turn. i really want my tranny to just kinda work...i can't downshift period to second unless i am going less than 20 mph. i am also unsure still if it really is the syncros although that is defintily what i think is going on. anyways thank you for all the help and responces they are greatly appreciated!
Dan

 

I'm assuming that the press is needed for putting the syncros and gears back in the tranny.

 

You need the press to change the bearings which come with the Kit I got from Mazda. The bearings support the shafts that the drive gears are on. Sorry I should have mentioned that. Now you know why I left the serious stuff up to the tranny Man. It would have cost at least $2100.00 Cdn to have the same job done at a transmission shop. Unless your transmission is really bad, it is a lot of money and the results are not overly impressive. My transmission is like new> minus the drive gears and I am a bit dissapointed with the results.
Ace II

 

Hey Dan, Even with all the repairs to the tranny I find it best if I grab a foot full of anchor (brakes) just as I drop it into 2nd from 3rd. That is the only glitch left after the repair. It Just doesn't like that 3rd to 2nd feeling.

 

well i'd just like to say thank you for all the info and all the help on this subject. i guess this job is a little over my head and will cost me what i had feared. i am going to have to work all summer to save up enough to get it fixed but hey thats owning a car. once again thank you for all the info it really did help a lot I'm glad to see there is such a tight community between rx-7 owners. it really makes me proud to own one.

Dan

 

Don't forget synthetic gear oil. It's magic in these transmissions. You can find many references to it on this board.

 

A short story... I was getting used to my 91na 127000mi – shifting from 5th to 3rd at 70mph without going through 4th. It worked fine, but as I slowed down to about 50, I downshifted to 4th, and BANG SCREEEEETCH, the wheels locked up. I popped it out of 4th >BOOM< and limped home in 5th. I pulled the tranny in the driveway, took it apart, and found the lock nut on the main shaft had come loose, backed up & jammed 5th so tight I had to chisel the thrust collar off. It cost me $60 for the parts (2 lock nuts, thrust collar & retaining rings). I took a chance the bearings were OK. Then comes the magic – synthetic gear oil. It’s been together 11 months, and I nail 2nd at 6-7k and chirp the oversize rear tires almost daily. Read my lips - SYNTHETIC GEAR OIL..