twoody

i bought this car on a gut feeling for $450 its an 87 13b non turbo, engine seems to run great, this will be the first time i have owned a rx-7, only one problem with the whole car... the trans in this thing is driving me crazy, with the engine running at any rpm weather it be idle or 5k, with my foot off the clutch you can slip it into any gear but the car wont move or make any noises AT ALL no grinding no banging... just nothing at all, so my question is do these cars have a common trans problem with the 5 speeds or is it more than likely a clutch problem like a stuck throw out bearing that wont release the pressure plate or maybe major problems, im begging someone please help with any info on this.
thanks in advance

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

You have some significant clutch/transmission problem. The default position of the clutch assembly would be with the disk clamped against the flywheel by the pressure plate (pedal out). You should not be able to stick it in gear with the engine running.

Somehow the clutch is not engaged, which could mean something crazy like no pressure plate/clutch disk installed. Or I supposed the slave cylinder could theoretically be seized in the extended position, which would apply constant pressure to the p-plate fingers. How in the heck that would happen I have no idea...

Check out the clutch slave and master, and if they look fine, drop the transmission. you could also try removing the flywheel inspection plate, but I'm not sure it will tell you much of anything (unless the clutch assembly is missing).

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

sounds like the friction surface on the clutch disc is completely gone.

twoody

thanks for the info guys i really appreciate all the help i will keep you guys posted on what the hell is going on with this thing im going to pull it apart this weekend if this ever happens to you come back to this thread and there WILL BE AN ANSWER!!!!! its driving me nuts, to answer the questions yes the slave is moving on top of the trans. housing and the peddle is awfully soft im not sure if this is normal i have driven trucks all my life, and im almost positve the assembly is there because i bought the car off a guy who said to driven the car only days before i got it and he didnt know **** about it so i seriously doubt he was smart enough to pull it down take it apart and put it all back together, just doesnt seem likely to me, any more questions that could point me in the right direction would be great, i am starting to think the throw out bearing some how got stuck in the p-plate and wont let it engage because there is absolutely NO NOISE associated with this problem

FirstRotaryExp

iTrader: (3)

If you are going to pull the trans out to inspect things, I would go ahead and order a new clutch slave line (oem is fine, SS will provide a stronger clutch feel once bled proper), a new pilot bearing and seal (about 15 bucks, though will require a blind bearing puller OR the equivalent oem removal tool. Mazdatrix sells the tool for 100 bucks, makes the bearing removal about 2 minutes at most and hassle free), an oem replacement clutch kit for a non turbo engine (225mm flywheel) as well as a new throwout bearing and rear main seal for the engine if you pull the flywheel off for surfacing (flywheel nut is 54mm or 2 1/8")

If the clutch is inpected to be ok, then you can use either a s4 (86~88) or s5 (89~91) na transmission (using the corresponding series transmission crossmember for the transmission you are using.)

To address the problem though, it sounds more like the pressure plate is shot. The throw-out bearing is 'clipped' to the shift fork so its rare (unless the fork is broken) for the ToB to slip off. Have you tried putting the car IN a gear prior to starting to see if it would lurch forward? Does the transmission sound like its going into a gear if you 'row' through the gears with the engine off, as in you can hear/feel the gears engaging through the shifter? If you want, before you really pull the transmission out, have you tried unbolting the top access panel located near the oil filter to have a look inside the bellhousing?

twoody

i have pulled it through all gears with the engine off it seems to be slipping into gears just fine and with the associated noises with that as well, i have not pulled the inspection cover off yet but i will most definitely do that as soon as i get home tonight, the hydros are fine, with someone pushing the clutch inside i can see the slave pushing the fork, witch would lead me to believe the clutch itself is at fault, but the only problem i have with that is that there is no noise associated with it, i guess if the p-plate is that worn out it would do it but thats one hell of a cry away from being the case considering the guy i bought it off of said to be driving the car only days before i got it, i dont know im going to have to pull it apart and see whats going on with it, ANYBODY WANT TO BUY AN 87 RX-7?????????????? LOL J/P im hoping this is going to be a fun car when i get it fixed

FirstRotaryExp

iTrader: (3)

hmmm... One thing you can do, prior to pulling the trans, is try to manually push on the shift fork lever. IF the lever moves the shift fork easily, then yes something is broke or very worn out. Would be a good idea to go ahead and buy a complete clutch kit and have the flywheel surfaced if the engine has that many miles on it, then you can replace it while the transmission is out. Also, while you have the trans out, it would also be a great time to pick up a new set of shifter bushings (as the shifter has to be removed to take the trans out), and other shifter related items ( mostly the steel/rubber plate that holds the shifter to the transmission, as often times the rubber boot is broken and the plate is warped due to previous owners not replacing the bushings and just living with a sloppy shifter.)

Good luck with it though, NA's are fun without being too much trouble (daily'd one for 5 years) and can give you plenty of mechanical experience to help you deal with a more modified rotary (everyone eventually wants boost...im going back down that road myself).