Ok here's the scoop! While I'm driving and shifting, I can watch my shifter bob up and down......it goes all over the place, only up and down motion not side to side though. Sometimes I can even feel it hit the car, not hard but harder than I would like it to. I am getting new turbos within the next week or so and was wondering about this tranny problem so I could fix this at the same time (less of a hassle), and it should be fixed right away. So does this mean my tranny mounts are broken? And if they are, how much are they anyone know? Or if it's something else, please let me know what you think.....I'm open to opinions.

 

Broken PPF perhaps?

Damian

 

what's a PPF? Sorry if that's a dumb question, but I don't know the lingo for PPF!

 

Power Plant Frame

up and down as in towards the sky and ground or towards front of car and then to the back of car?

Are you talking about shaking at idle too while it's in neutral? I think that's just an old motor mount

good luck im curious to see what you mean and what is causing it

 

Notchy shifting/lever moving and vibration? Where does your clutch grab, low or high? Might be clutch job time. Post your specs.

 

If it's something in the tranny, no matter what it is, it has to get rebuilt. Expect to pay from $700-$900 for a rebuild or you can buy a used j-spec tranny for about $500-$600. If you go about rebuilding it, make sure you get new synchros and and stronger spindles, a new gear ratio won't hurt (might as well get it out of the way). Good luck finding out what it is.

-HeX

 

Holy ****! If it's hitting the bottom of the car, something is majorly wrong. Like you PPF isn't even bolted on. There is no way the tranny could move up and down like that, enough to smack the bottom of the car. If your description is accurate, I wouldn't even drive the car until you figure out what it is. The only thing that holds the tranny from moving around is the PPF and the engine. Broken motor mounts would not cause this kind of motion, so I'm guessing something is messed up with your PPF.

 

Sounds like the dealer was chincy on putting back on all of the PPF nuts, or none at all! That is scary.

Get under there and make sure there is a large, black metal "channel-shaped" member connecting the tranny to the differential. Basically, it goes around one side of the drive line. These can also break, so if it is actually there, and bolted on, look for cracks in the metal.

 

well, how much is a PPF and how much does it cost to put it on? And where can I go about finding a j-spec tranny? Are those any good? I do know someone telling me that my throwout(spl??) bearing may be going bad......not too sure though.

Thanks for helpful info!

Jon

 

What is this about jspec trannys? Why would you need one?

Check the Rx7 store for PPF prices. They are somewhere around $500.

If your throwout bearing is going, you will hear a noise when you step on the clutch. That is totally separate from the transmission, and can be replaced easily once you remove the tranny.

 

actually they are $350 I found on RX7store.net. I'll have them take a look at it when it goes in for turbo's next week. And make sure that's what it is or if it's anything else.

 

The motion is up and down as in up towards the sky and down towards the ground. This only happens when I accelerate at beginning, go over large bumps, and decelerate. It tends to do this really badly while I accelerate, slow down then step on the gas again, it jumps a little, this is where it would hit the bottom of the car, unless I do it very very easily. When I accelerate it make the shifter move upwards and it stays there until I take my foot off the gas then it goes back down and starts bobbing from decelerating. That's what's happening. I hope this is a little more descriptive.

 

I think your PPF is not even bolted in. That's what it sounds like to me. I don't see how it could break so badly that it would cause that much motion.

 

ok cool, well at least I know where to have them start looking though. Thanks for the help.

 

What happens if you grab the shifter and try to move it up and down? Can you move it?

 

I have an extra PPF from a 93'. If you need one, I will sell for $175 plus shipping. Let me know after you get it looked at. It is off the car and ready to go if you need it. Just let me know.

Jeff

 

has the car always done this?
there's no way you broke the ppf with your mods

I agree that something wasn't put back correctly

that is really fucked up

 

no, it's always been like this ever since I got it. It wont move when I try to move it, it's probably just not bolted on correctly if at all. Not sure, but yeah I'll pm you if I need a new one. I'm taking it down to R & R on Sat. and he'll start working on it Monday. He said it'll be done by Wed. or Thurs. I'm getting rebuilt turbo's, silicone vacuum hoses, a turbo timer, and a boost gauge put on the car. Yeah I know it's fucked up, but here is my prediction.......I think this car has been in an accident before. I think a front end collision happened because:
1.Both horns don't work
2.Nothing on the front really lines up perfectly
3.It was a bitch getting the cat onto the downpipe because we had to pull the cat towards the engine.....pipes pushed back maybe?
4.The PPF seems to be f'd up and god knows what else may be wrong.
The car is in good shape other than that, everything in it works except for the horns :p

 

If the horns don't work, AND the body lines don't line up, it's definitely been in an accident.

 

well, it's just the hood seems like it's been pushed back a bit and there is a larger space around the pop-up headlights on the left side then the right side. And when you open the hood it slightly scrapes the back edge of the hood against the left windshield wiper. So I'm gonna get a carfax on this puppy and see if it was in an accident or at least one that was reported.

 

Where can you find used j-spec trannies at for that price?

Thanks.

-Dan

 

that's what I asked, but he never replied....

 

I know of a guy who sells them for 800 if you are interested pm me

 

ehy snook, could you tell me what the difference is between our stock tranny's vs. the j-spec ones? Just wondering why getting a j-spec would be good.