No you do not, but its easier if secure the motor to keep it from shifting once you pull the transmission away. Makes the re-install much easier. Also be very careful not to bang the shifter end in the tunnel too much. There several sensors with wires that are easy to snap.

Is it the gear or the synchro that is bad?

 

Thanks for the info. Pretty sure the 5th gear syncro is cracked because it grinds when you try to go into 5th and its hard to get it in reverse. I'll probably just end up buying a low mileage JDM transmission if I can get my hands on one for a good price. After all of that stuff is fixed I plan to do some autocrosses and HPDE's with you

 

I'm not sure about the FD, but in the FB you just have to keep the engine supported, but don't need to pull it out. I kept a small emergency jack to prop it up. Of course, I don't necessarily recomment my method of tranny removal-

Removed all tranny bolts, and had an assistant pull tranny away from engine. Meanwhile, was underneath to catch the tranny as it came out. To reinstall, I benchpressed it and had assistant line it up with the engine. Fixing stuff without the proper tools FTW!

 

+1

When we did my transmission/clutch job we just put it up on a lift and pulled it with the engine in. It is easier with support under the engine AND the tranny during both removal and install.

Mine was never hard to get into reverse but it did grind going into 5th. There were some times it didn't grind but most of the time it did.

I don't even know how to respond to this Joey, HAHA.

 

IIRC the engine will want to tilt forward which can make it a harder to re-connect the transmission. I'm guessing you'll be using a lift? Some folks fab up a cross bar across the strut towers. I've jacked the engine slightly to tilt it back to normal.

 

^Actually I thought the engine tilted back? I could be wrong, it's been over a year for me. One thing I do remember is it's a PITA separating the pressure plate from the Racing Beat flywheel, lol.

 

Thanks guys Ill probably do this on a lift. I know the only hard part is releasing the pull type clutch (I think thats what its called).

 

Pull type clutch video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...58290919&hl=en

The wedge collar should to be set flush against the pressure plate . Insert a scredriver between the collar and release bearing. Twist while holding the collar against the pressure plate. It should pop free. The FSM does a decent job of describing how to do it.

 

^That **** never worked for me, but I've heard alot of other people swearing by it so maybe I wasn't getting it quite right. That would have helped tremendously in separating the RB flywheel and pressure plate.

 

never got it to work either. probably some trick i couldn't quite get. not that hard to undo the PP bolts. a little patience, and guessing which ones are across from each other, so you relieve the pressure evenly (only matters if you are reusing the PP)

 

No, the tranny is pretty much plug and play, much like the FC. I'd hate Mazda for life if they made me remove the engine every time I had to do tranny work, clutch work, etc.

Good luck! Congrats on your completed masterpiece!!

 

I love having a small car, too... David did that for my FC... alone. Having a muscular fiance with too much time on his hands=FTW!!!

 

Ok guys... so we finally found an apartment! W00t! It's right off 40, at the N. Harrison Avenue exit.

We move in Mid-February or Beginning of March.

Unfortunately, because we're moving into our own place... we'll be getting just a hotel room at Fontana so we can afford to even GO to DGRR. Money's getting TIGHT this semester! ...but I'm FINALLY LEAVING THE FREAKIN NEST!!!!

Man we're excited. House warming party sometime in March after we get completely moved in.

Also, we have a huge parking lot to ourselves, cuz it's a new area, and it's right on Lake Crabtree. So we can have a couple of meets there when it gets warm!





PS- yeah yeah yeah... I know, I know... we're going to become "Cary People."

 

okay because i am comfortable being embarassed in front of you guys (because i have done it so many times, haha) what does FTW stand for? I am clearly getting behind the times.

christina, what kind of prices are we talkng about out there?

 

FTW = For the WINNNN!

 

Josh, FTW=FOR THE WIN. Christina by far it is no masterpeice yet, still have a lot of work to do.

 

No, I'm talking about how the RB flywheel isn't threaded so you have to get behind it to take the nuts off the back, and I couldn't pop it apart like Matt was saying either, so I had to use my ribs to push the prybar to push the tranny and engine apart just to have enough room to get the nut off the back, and the sharp part of the prybar was digging into my ribs. THAT'S why it's a PITA.

For The Win. Damn Josh, even I knew that. lol

David's muscular??? Oh, I got it...kinda like how the Neon is a musclecar, gotcha. OOOOH, BURN!!!

 

The best kind of muscular, eh?

 

DAMN!!! Nice one bro! Oh, just to let ya know I'm picking up my body kit Sat. So, I won't be able to head down to GA, if you still planned on that. Give me a call.

 

Eric, did you still plan on going to the autocross? The price goes up on the 9th just wanted to remind you.

 

thanks for the education. i dont see how it applies in christinas statement though, but that is another story. lol actually when i think about it, it doesnt seem to apply to more than half the times i have seen it use. lol I must be getting old, or maybe more of an *******, either way.

eric, was that after we put it back together? and on that note, when is your next project? bushings? i am getting tired of not having anything to do on my car. (no that is not an LS1 is better than rotary, comment, but take it FWIW )

 

Josh do you have any rotary exhaust stuff left from your car? I'm running the Apex-i N1 exhaust and id like to insert a cat or another muffler. It's pretty loud I hear, but makes good horsepower

 

Thanks, thought you might like that one! lol No offense Dave, I had to. About GA...I'm probably going to take leave the week after next and just stay at a cheap motel down there, if they have one around, until they're finished with the car, that way I only have to make two trips. Besides we're going in for a couple hours tomorrow but it'll probably turn into a few hours cause I still have a few things to take care of before the UCI. Can't wait to see the 8 with the kit.

Yeah I'm still planning on doing that, I just gotta remember to register.

Bro, I don't think FTW EVER makes sense, haha. Yeah, it was when I was swapping the tranny itself and no one could help. My next project will be bushings, here in about 3 weeks, right around the time of the autocross, haha. Oh, and I think the last part you meant to say LS1 FTW!!

 

Eric, we should have a bushings day, i'm sure my car needs them too. Maybe we can work out using my dad's lift one saturday.

 

That's cool with me bro. Do you have some on order already? I have the OEM pillowballs and lower arms, and the rest are SuperPro and they'll be in the mail within the next couple weeks.