Can anyone tell me the internal differences between the gearboxes from S6,7 and 8 FDs?

I have a few boxes apart and have notised a few small differences like an additional thrust bearing on the counter shaft of a S7 box thats not in a S6 one.

Was just wondering if anyone had a list of what changed through the series and what is interchangeable between them?

 

If the thrust thing you're talking about is on the front countershaft bearing, it's been there in the past, not noted in the early parts manual..... and shown in the S8 one. Came matched with the replacement bearing from NTN when that was replaced here.

 

I don't have a list of things that I know are different, but I'd like to know about a couple:
1) Is 1st synchro a double-cone synchro?
2) Is 3rd synchro a double-cone synchro?

 

I have just received a parts diagram form Mazda with part numbers attached (I will post this up in a sec) and the 3 series look almost the same.

2nd and 3rd are double cone synchros and all the rest are single. This is the same for S6-8 boxes according to the parts list I have.

The Thrust bearing I was talking about was sitting on the front of the counter shaft of the box I pulled apart.......now this is weird. The counter shafts listed in the parts diagrams are all the same, but the one I have on the table is different form the S6 box I have apart also. I was told when I brought the car that the box was modified and an extra bearing was added so maybe this was it??

Ill take some photos and post them up.

Parts diagram to follow.

 

S6 Gearbox Parts:


S7 Gearbox Parts:


S8 Gearbox Parts:


2000+ Gearbox Parts:


The bearing I speak of was sitting between parts 17-316D and 17-301 (the counter shaft).

 

The diagrams you posted are half of the parts information. The numbers on those sheets are position codes. There are usually multiple valid part numbers for each position code. Mazda doesn't change the position codes or pictures unless a part is added or deleted, so a single cone changed for a double cone synchro won't appear on that page.

Fortunately if you can read Japanese you can download the full parts diagrams software from one of the sticky threads. That will show when part numbers change but it won't tell you what the functional differences are between part numbers.

 

Thanks for that info, I wasnt awear of that.

Is it likly that the Mazda parts guys will have the corrisponding info that goes with this that will end up as part numbers? If so I might head down there and have a look.

 

Yes, traditionally the parts book had the pages you show on the left, and the parts numbers for each position code listed on the right hand page.

I'm really curious to know if the down-under parts software is in Japanese or English. There are bootleg copies of the parts software for S6-S8 but only in Japanese. Your parts guy won't give you the software but it will the rest of us something to wish for while we poke around in the Japanese menus.

 

I went down and had a look at their system today (yes it is in english!), and the only way they can access part numbers, is by clicking on the location code. There is no table anywhere that lists the location numbers and part numbers side by side. So to get all the detail, they would have to go through the whole list of parts, one by one, for all the different series haha. Not gonna happen!

I have a mate in Australia that works for Mazda parts department so I might see if he can get me any better info/an english version of the software haha.

 

Did anyone figure this out?

 

I just ended up rebuilding my S7 box and the S6 one is still in bits. I seem to remember notising that there were some differences, but cant remember what they were now it was so long ago.

I never did manage to get any decent info from the parts diagrams though =(.