Hi guys,

Well, I broke the 5th gear synchro at the track and I'm planning on dropping the tranny soon to replace it, so I was reading the instructions in the mazda shop manual. One problem, the don't make any sense!

The manual says to use a sst (engine support) to support the engine, then use a tranny jack to support the diff, then remove the sst before you remove the tranny.

I you do this in the listed order, it seems like there is no use at all for the sst...

Anyone who's removed the tranny themselves have any words of advice/clarification???

Thanks for any help,
Kyle

 

just prop the motor up so it dosent lean downwards once the trannys out. The tranny jack is for the tranny.

 

Can anyone with any specific experience tell me what they did?

I think you have to support the diff as well, because the drive shaft is no longer connected to anything (putting weight on the front of the diff)

Thanks,
Kyle

 

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/clutch_install.html


there is very good info at this site.

paul

 

the dif can hang.
-first thing to do is to unbolt the trany (14mm bolts around the bell-housing)
-take out the starter
-unbolt PP from flywheel. to do this you must use a pry bar or long screwdriver to spin the flywheel from bolt to bolt. undo all of them.
-you have to take out the "beam" that uses the 17mm (or 19mm, i cant remember) then pull the driveshaft out. (you obviously have to undo it from the dif first)
-let down your jack for the trany.
simple. do it a few times and you get very quick at it.

 

Personally, I would support the diff. If you are crawling under your car just use a jackstand.

 

Thanks guys,

Just a couple more ?'s

Would replacing the clutch add a lot of time/headaches to the tranny removal process?? I read the clutch install page at scuderiaciriani.com and the guy said it took him 35 hrs!

RxRotary: you make it sound so easy! did you support the engine at all? Also, what is the "beam"?

 

no a clutch would not add much time.
i have never done it on the ground, i always used a lift to yank it. i have taken everything apart from underneth. just a little differnent feeling and adds a little time to the job.
i can do it in about 2 hrs now.
the "beam"...i dont know what the exact term is, but it is a big black support that is bolted from trany to rear. you will see it. there are 4 big bolts (i believe they are 19mm's) near trany, and if i remember corectly, 3 on the rear and a sideways one.
no i did not support the motor at all. nor do i support the rear.
a few things to make sure you replace while in there are the throwout bearing($65ish), pilot bearing,($75ish) and the throwout bearing forks($80).
the last time i did not replace the forks and because of the beefy PP i have, it snaped the forks in 2 places scoring up my PP and sent the shards including the pin from the slave cylinder straight through my bell-housing.

 

you are no pulling the rear. you are undoing 4 bolts. it is not like anythng is going to happen to it. but thats just me i guess.

 

I wouldnt mess with the diff at all. When you start to lower the trans the drive shaft will just come right out. Its not bolted to the trans or anything, it just slide into the tail of the trans about 4 inches.....as you lower the back ot the trans the diff will just pull out

You'll need to undo the ppf and you'll prob need a long pipe with the wrench if its never been off. That sob is on there tight!!!!

There are also a wire harness on top of the trans, you need to undo those connections

STEPHEN

 

hey stephen. . . when you removed your flywheel (i think i remember reading that you did) did you use an impact wrench? if you did. . . did you have to brace the flywheel? ive been told you dont have to, but i wanna make sure.

paul

 

i haven't done this myself, but isn't it easier to remove the entire engine/tranny as one piece? it might make it easier if you want to do the clutch/flywheel work. I just read here on teh forum that some guys can get the motor/tranny out in under 3 hours. it would also make it a bunch easier to put the tranny lined up and back on

Danny

 

Removing the flywheel is a pita!!!! You REALLY need either a impact wrench or a 3 foot pipe cause that damn thing is one there big time.

Also yea, you really need to brace the flywheel, I have done it before by ghetto rigging the flywheel to stay still but its a pita and frustratin. I finally bought a flywheel stopper from Mazda trix for like $20-$25 and it works great, if you have to pull a flywheel I suggest it. There is also a flywheel stopper that AutoZone will let you use for free with a deposit but its best used with a helper.

One last thing your going to need a big *** socket for the flywheel bolt. I cant remember right off what size it is but be prepared to drop some $ at sears on a grand daddy sized socket!!!!! I doubt you have one this size.

STEPHEN

 

Hell no, thats wayyyyyyy to much work. If your pulling the motor its faster to pull it with the trans versus seperating them but if you just pulling the trans dont mess with the motor. There is to much crap to undo with the motor. The bolts, starter, clutch slave, and ppf are fairly easy to get to and remove/undo. All you have to do is support the trans so it doesnt come falling out then lower it down. There is a bar that goes across the trans, I would do that last when the trans is ready to lower that way it provides a safty catch if the trans was to come down with you under it.

Also to the bellhousing bolts last. I usually undo the starter, then the slave, then the ppf and the wire harness. Then I'd pull the inspection plates on the bottom/side that give you access to the clutch bolts and spin the flywheel around with a screwdriver (thru the insp plate) untill you get all the bolts off that hold the clutch to the flywheel. When youve finished that I'd work on the the bell housing bolts starting at the bottom bolts and working to the top bolts. Make sure you put a jack under the trans pretty close to the front (its front heavy and if your jack is in the back it might fall forward). When everything is removed except the driveshaft go ahead and undo that bar that goes under the trans and start to slowly lower the trans. You might have to be under there working it out and the drive shaft should just start to seperate as you lower the trans. If you have a friend it would be easy to lower the front part of the trans more than the rear then push the trans forward and the drive shaft will fall out easy like that. It'll make more sense when you get in there doing it. See the part of the driveshaft that going inside the trans is swivel (sp?)

Maybe that will help some.

STEPHEN

 

Thanks for the replies, my dad helps out wth all the work done on the car, so I think it should go pretty smoothly with an extra set of hands

Lastly, how are you supposed to get the flywheel torqued back down?!? I read that it is torqued to like 350 ft. lbs., thus making it so hard to get off in the first place.

Any thoughts stephen?

Thanks,
kyle

 

Yea, a 3 foot pipe and some elbow grease. To be honest I dont have anyway of knowing if I got it back to 350lbs or not but if you are able to break it loose with a nice long pipe then you should be able to get it back on tight enough. Also..... I forgot about this but with the motor still in the car you will need a flywheel stopper. I'd get the mazdatrix.com one for $25. If you get the free one from Autozone one of you will have to hold onto it while the other works the bolt......your prob both going to need to work the bolt so the handsfree mazdatrix stopper would be much better.

A small blow torch (the little blue can ones) might help with the bolt because if I remember right it has a bunch of lock tight on it which just makes it harder. The torch will burn that off......you might want to have one handy just in case. You can get them at walmart.

STEPHEN

 

steven actualy took time out to explain in a little more dedail than i did.
flywheel is easy with that tool....if it is on the ground.
i still say to take the driveshaft out. it takes a total of 5 min, and the yolk will not be dangling on the ground.

the only thing i have to disagree with is the trany bolts. i say do them all first, and start at the top. i always leavethe one under the starter in as a safty and do that last.