Is there a way to check synchros on a tranny when its off the car?

I'm considering buying a used tranny rather than rebuild my grinding 5th gear synchro but I'm concerned that I might wind up with worse than what I've got. My other synchros are great and shifts well.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

You know the 5th gear syncro repair can be performed while the tranny is in the car. The 5th gear syncro itself is something like $14 from Mazdacomp. If you have been grinding the gear often and hard then you might also need a gear, it is like $70. The gears are very tough so I would doubt that you need one.

You could also pull the tranny and take it to a shop so they could replace 5th gear.

Otherwise to answer your question, I don't know any way to check a trans without installing it.

Edit:

I noticed your sig says 4.30 gears, let me know what you think about them. I've got a set waiting to be installed.

 

Huh, no I didn't know that. I thought the whole tranny needed to come out and be taken apart. Thanks for the info.

I've actually only shifted into 5th gear 8 times since my synchro went. It pisses me off so much to feel the grind that I just drive it like my first 4 speed VW.

If that is all it costs, I think I'll have someone knowledgable fix it rather than ripping everything apart again.

I have little knowledge of fixing trannys. In all these years of hard driving and track days, I've never broken one or screwed up a synchro. My synchro went bad after my clutch fork broke and I *lightly* tapped each gear to try and get it off the road. I can't believe the freaking synchro is so fragile...

Anyway, I like the 4.30 gears. They were on there when I bought the car. Seem absolutely fine on the street. It doesn't feel like you are driving with short gearing at all.

Thanks again.

 

The syncro isn't *that* fragile, I've missed the 2-3 upshift a few times and haven't had any problems. Your car probably had a previous owner that missed a quite a few shifts and damaged/weakended it, you just finished it off.

 

You are probably right. That and it has 120k miles on it.

btw - i see you on GRM often when I go there for some variety