^ thats interesting to know...

 

Yeah..Thanks DaveW...The previous owner had all the bearings and 5th gear syncro replaced in 2007. Oh well..

 

This is a pic from the inside of the inspection plate...another magnet..Does anyone else have some insight on if this is normal or not. Or what this problem could be or what I can do to figure it out?

 

Those shavings look like advanced bearing wear materials. There could also be gearing wear though. Remove the big rectangular aluminum cover and have a look at the gear teeth. If they're anything other than shiny, you have both gear and bearing damage.

Unfortunately, one of the most common areas for damage is the race on the mainshaft and in 4th gear. These can make noise and replacing just the bearing rollers won't quiet the gearbox. The mainshaft and 4th gear cost about $200 each.

David

 

OP said it isn't as noticeable in 4th. Bet that's it, since the 4th-gear bearing would be stationary relative to 4th and the shaft.

 

As stated in the title...

Dave

 

That picture was of the inside of the inspection plate. Some of the gears seem like they're scratched up..I'm guessing it would be cheaper for a whole new trans than to rebuild this one?

 

That actually depends.

IMO, i would buy a used, low mile tranny and before installing it, spend the $1k or so to rebuild it before dropping it in.

As for the junk tranny, in my own honest opinion, i would actually try and rebuild it and sell it to someone on the forum who needs a tranny.
Its bad enough someone has a tranny that crapped out on them, only to find out they bought a tranny in the same bad shape and still needs a rebuild.
Its always a good thing to give someone who has had bad luck, some sort of piece of mind knowing that they invested their money into something that will last for quite sometime.

Or you could keep it as a spare after getting it rebuilt.


But it is costly, i cant lie about that.

 

Well it's not particularly easy whichever route you take. You can trade off cost for risk, that's how it tends to work out. I have had good experience buying a used low mileage transmission and replacing a couple of key bearings (input shaft main bearing particularly).

If you try to rebuild the current trans, you may find out your mainshaft and input shaft (4th gear shaft) need replaced due to race wear. So in addition to the $400 in bearings and seals you're out another $400 to replace those shafts. Plus labor if you're paying someone else. The other major wear item is the teeth of the shifting elements. The synchros in this transmission weren't fabulous, and if the driver didn't adjust their driving style, the ground the teeth. Ground teeth = replacement of more expensive parts.

If you can manage a nice photo of the gear teeth and the little shift teeth alongside of them we might be able to assess the shift elements at least. Use the macro mode on your camera (that's usually indicated with a flower icon), plus other lighting than the flash and take multiple shots until the details are good and sharp and the gear tooth surfaces can be seen and not just a big shine in the picture. That's up to you - taking good photos of metal components can be harder than it sounds.

David

 

Allright, will do. In 2007 I have a receipt from the previous owner that a shop R&R Transmission - Replace Bearings and it cost him $624. Also the 5th gear syncro has been replaced.

 

OK, so here's an update.

I removed the transmission and took it to a local shop that specializes in mazdas. He said that the snap ring on the front bearing of the counter shaft either broke or came out and caused the whole shaft to move forward, ruining the front bearing. So he ordered a 3 bearings, a snap ring and a seal. The total for parts and labor came out to $430.

Thanks everyone for your help,

Max