So after finally finishing tuning my car at 16psi (n/a transmission) I decided to go for a little drive. Ran into a guy with a 500hp civic, and ran the car for a bit. Suddenly after getting off the highway I pull the car out of 5th to down shift for the light. I wouldnt go into any gears. Manage to roll into a parking lot. Took the shifter out and put it back in. It went in gear and is driving fine again. So after 15 minutes of normal driving I get to a light at the entrance ramp to the highway. Floor it through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. As I push the clutch to shift to 4th it felt like I could feel the engine/transmission move further away from the clutch pedal(dont know how to explain that one..). At this point it will not go into 4th or 5th. Some how I managed to jam it in. I drive for 15 mins and make it to a Jack n the box parking lot. It will not shift into any gear. If I have the clutch down to the floor it makes a loud screeching sound when trying to put it in gear. If I have the clutch 75% of the way down it still wont go into gear but it does make the loud noise. I checked the fluid and its full. Had a friend push the clutch pedal and I verified that the slave cylinder is moving the fork. I left Jack n the Box jamming it in every gear to get home and now here I am searching for what the issue could be. After checking google and on here a bit it leads me to believe the pressure plate is the issue. I just put this transmission on less than a month ago, so I'm really hoping I haven't killed it this quick.

 

The pilot bearing could be seized too. You're really going to have to take it apart to find out. What kind of clutch kit is it?

 

Pilot bearings suck. Ask me how I know...

 

how about you remove the transmission.

 

Haha, at 3am in the morning. Kinda like checking the oil real quick. I love responses like these. Just sharing an experience. I will have it off soon. Just comin back from my little vacation in San Antonio. Hopefully it is the pressure plate rather than the pilot bearing. I will get some pics up to just so this could possible help someone in the future!!

 

helping? it's just speculation and it is nothing that hasn't already been documented on this forum many times already from flywheels exploding, transmission shift forks jamming to the countless pilot bearing threads.

the n/a transmission is hot garbage even behind the n/a engine. put it to turbo abuse and you now realize just how similar to glass they really are.


if i had a nickel for every haphazard turbo swap.... i'd have more than one nickel. do yourself a favor and stop abusing the car until you get the turbo transmission or a towing service plan.

 

The clutch is an exedy stage one. Was thinking of upgrading to an Act 4 puck, but this is still a daily driver after all an I'm in traffic daily lol...

 

I know

 

forget a puck clutch also, you will want to punch your face every time you drive.

if you get a TII transmission even the OEM spec aftermarket clutches will hold over 300whp/250tq.

 

The 1st tranmssion I had lasted a pretty long time in my opinion. It went through the abuse from the n/a engine and two 6pt setups. I don't know the exact amount of power I'm making but I'm capping it right here. My other 2nd gen I shooting for 5 and it will have the t2 drivetrain. I should have it apart tonight or tomorrow. Really interested to see what part gave out on me.

 

Aaron Cake ran an N/A trans at power levels betwen 300-400WHP for several years.

If you drive without any sense it will blow up fast.

Whenever I get my 6port Turbo done I'll be rocking the N/A trans with Miata gears. I'm shooting for ~350WHP.

 

yep, he was also very lucky to have had it last that long, once it blew he rebuilt another and it lasted a few short months and then sensibly switched to the TII box. see, the difference is that Aaron tried to stay true to the n/a->turbo and retained parts as long as he could manage. babying the car to hold the transmission together is hardly an exception.

they are junk behind a Turbo powerplant. do not let people who managed to get by for a little bit fool you into a false sense of security. the n/a transmission is a shitbox.

you'll be wasting $1k to build that transmission, so i'll tell you up front: "i told you so"

 

Found the issue. Transmission should be safe!!!

 

That would cause an issue. And don't complain about pulling a trans at 3 in the morning. Me and a buddy pulled the trans, swapped and repainted a good-condition driveshaft, replaced every seal on the transmission, replaced the mounts (having to torch the bolts since they were so siezed in there), replace the pilot bearing and seal, replacing all the fluids, bullshit around, rescue a one eyed kitten that walked into his barn, and put it all back together and back in and driving again by seven in the morning. We started around seven the night before. I then worked a 10 hour shift the next day.

So don't say you can't be bothered to simply pull a trans and inspect things at three in the morning, bc I now consider that ***** ****. ^_-

 

I can't. It's nearly pitch black and on slight hill lol. I loose tools from just rolling in broad day light lol. If it's a workable setting I don't mind. I don't even bother to break when I'm working on the car unless I have a parts run to make. Also didn't want to upset the misses by delaying our small vacation lol

 

Get rid of the MRS...she will spend your hard earned Parts money!..lol!
..forget that..she can hold the flashlight!

 

lol, she helps out a lot an doesn't mind my habit. Guess I got lucky

 

 

i swapped my tranny in a day while working a full 8 hours shift.

started at 7 am, had it out by noon, went to work at 1, came back at like 9 or 10, and got it back in by midnight.

excuses.

 

pussies

try assembling an engine, throwing it into the car, fabbing up intercooler piping, diagnosing a faulty fuel pump install and doing it right so that the customer can drive 1000 miles as soon as they leave pulling a 36 hour shift!

 

You guys sure do have some stories haha. I can't wait til I start fabricating or rather learning how.

 

You guys are so tough! Lol!

@karack, I've been running the miata trans for a few years now. I think I'll be fine for a while with a Turbo. I'm not going to be drag racing, just drifting. I'll replace it when it blows up.

 

If we had a thanks button like ft86club, I would thank the hell out of this post

 

Curious about the probable cause...

Did you have any clutch chatter?

 

Nope. There was no warning whatsoever.