Hi...well I guess as my 1st REAL post on here I should ask something that's debateable.



5th gear seems to be *gone*. I was just wondering, both in terms of cost and reliablility should I replace the 5th gear only or the entire transmission.....I'm not exactly sure what condition the rest of the gears are in and as far as I know it might be the first transmission in the vehicle.



Comments?

It's not a Honda. I doubt anyone has had to replace a tran's and especially not more then once. 5th gear synchro' is what goes out and not the gear itself. You have not priced a new trans' or you wouldn't have asked. I can only assume you are thinking of swapping one from a junk yard. But most likey it will have a bad 5th synchro' as well. If you can pull it and take it someplace then it can be as low as $200 otherwise it can be as high as $800.



^ wasn't meant to be rude, just didn't word it elequently.

Thanks man....no I didn't price a new tranny. I was actually thinking rebuilt...if there is such a thing as a rebuilt tranny.



So basically look for a new 5th syncro. Any clue as to why 5th would go out...I would think it's one of the least used gears.

It's pretty common to misshift into 3rd by mistake especially without an engine torque brace. There is also another peice that should be replaced as the newer version was improved but I can't recall what it's called.



edit: replace synchro & Shift select spindle

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/s...t_spindle.html



This site explains what is likely your problem. It was indeed common in the 1993 model cars. Mazda reportedly upgraded both the synchro and the shift select spindle on later models (94 and newer), so presumably the replacement parts are those upgraded versions. I just fixed mine a couple of months back. Sooo nice to finally not have to double clutch or match revs... https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/boink.gif

my 5th synchro had problems since the first owner had it. because it was never fixed, eventually the grinding broke the 5th gear.



you dont really need to replace anything else just whatever is broken, hopefully just the synchro. besides that the transmission is pretty much bullet proof

Actually O.S. Giken has a replacement trannys but the cost $$.

Enonvativ Force

20932 S. Normandie Ave.

Torrance, CA 90502

310-320-8891



I talked the U.S. distributor of O.S. Giken a Japanese transimission manufacture. They have two base transimissions for the FC and the FD each of which can handle up to 600hp.



This first has a 3 gear set, meaning the first 3 gears have a closer ratio than stock. It retails for $2000. This is probably great for a street application.



This second has a 5 gear set with all 5 gears having a closer ratio than stock. It retails for $2450. I can only guess that is would be better for some type of racing.



There are other gears options available but that just the general information. If you want to contact the distributor for information packet here's their information.

Mission, Thanks alot I really appreciate all the information. I think I'm going to take a look at my expenses over the next little while and make a decision....that 5 gear set sounds mighty tempting.

its upgraded, but its not a 100% fix, or in other words if you miss a shift it will still break the synchro.



the 5th gear was added onto the the original design in the early 70's and its never been as robust as the rest of the gears.



unlucky: if you have all the work done by a shop, the 5th gear synchro is about $700, a new tranny is about 2200-2500, and a rebuilt tranny (only needed if 1-4 dont shift well, or the bearings are bad, 5th and reverse are seperate from the other 4 gears. so if the tranny is quiet, and 1-4 shift well just fix 5th) rebuilt tranny is 2199.95-2499.95 with factory bearings and synchros. these prices are approximate, if you live where labor is cheap then it will be less $$

j9fd3s,

For my clarification, are you talking about the entire 5th gear or just the synchro?

I hadn't heard of alot of problems with the gear itself, just the little brass synchro. Of course, 5th is just an OD, so I wouldn't expect it to get alot of hard use.

Also, you might be able to confirm this, but Unlucky may not want to wait TOO long to fix it. My understanding is that when the transmission is in reverse, the synchro is unsupported, and if it's broken, as mine was, it could simply fall off the shaft. Obviously this would not be a good thing. In my case, I was lucky. It was broken in two places and when I went to pick it up off the shaft, it just fell off.



Unlucky... the transmission is really not that bad of a job to take out. Doing this yourself and then taking it to a shop would probably make it much more affordable.

Thanks for all your help guys. I really appreciate it!

Unlucky...

I was cruisin' Ebay and spotted this. I'm not affiliated with this business at all so this isn't an endorsement, but thought you might be interested. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png





http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=33733

"These are for the 86-91 turbo cars but can be used in NA models and a deffent upgrade"



I'll break the pricing down for you, as I just did a lot of tranny work:

New Mazda Tranny - ~$2200-2300

Complete Rebuild: Seals, shiter forks, hubs, syncros etc - > $2300 in just parts

5th gear Syncro done at a shop - ~$800 (if you pull the trans)

JY Tranny from a '94 or '95 w/ low miles - $700

5th gear Syncro DIY - ~$60



I'll keep advertising for the guy since he was so cool to deal with:

https://www.nopistons.com/forums/index.php?...topic=35250&hl=



That trans was still for sale 2 weeks ago.

How hard is it to do your own tranny 5th gear syncro?

My mistake. I could have sworn I saw an "FD" in that Ebay listing. Sorry.

well what happens in the synchro breaks and then it rounds off the gear teeth, because theres no synchro. i should take pictures, its really hard to explain how a tranny shifts

Didn't do mine, but a lot of first time tranny guys do theirs. I've seen a pictured step by step on the 5th gear syncro on the web before. I'll start searching for it.



Kevin

funny... 3 shops quoted me $150 - $200 plus parts if you pull out the trans yourself https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683561.gif

I'd also like to know how hard it actually is to replace the 5th gear synchro as well...I'll also be doing the gear select spindle...is this a major project or not so bad. i'm just talking about after the tranny is down.

jay, where are these shops?

Widebody,

I agree with Jspec7's estimates. A friend who had done it before helped me, but it really wasn't much of a job once the transmission is out. You need a gear/bearing puller and my friend had built a special tool to extend over the output shaft. But still, I was surprised at how little there was to it. A few snap and retainer rings and voila. I didn't keep track, but with the front and rear trans. seals, synchro gear and REDLINE lube, my guess is less than $100. Jayspec's prices sound about right. I'm no mechanic, and having someone who knew where to go was a BIG help, but with a blow-up picture from the MAZDA manual, any competent transmission shop should be able to do it. And the shift select spindle is two (10 mm) bolts. It's just a small assembly near the shifter housing.

PS: Sorry for the long post. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...DIR#>/wink.png

Uhh.. yeah.. sorry..

I was quoted for 5th, R, and 3rd.. not just 5th. Sorry for the confusion.