worklog: 88 MX6 GT + 87 RX7 TII = 87 MX7 GTII?? (yes. i'm tackling this project)

**cuJe5ter** · 12-20-07, 20:05

Let's start from the beginning.

1988 Mazda MX-6 GT
Grey faded paint
Ugly Maroon Interior
2.2L SOHC Intercooled Turbo

**cuJe5ter** · 12-20-07, 20:05

decided i didn't like the maroon interior. time for a swap.

dash out

no pics of dash in but it looks like this

also did a front seat and drivers side door swap (the grey one needed a lock, handle, and window regulator. a door swap was easier.)
shot of the cars during the swap.

**cuJe5ter** · 12-20-07, 20:06

car was purchased with a transmission stuck in first. so it was time to get that taken care of.

took a few shots during a break.

motor suspended..er...resiting on a 2x4

shots of the tranny

turns out it needed a new clutch too.

**cuJe5ter** · 12-20-07, 20:09

ps..we need a worklogs section

**rebel2k4** · 12-20-07, 22:58

clutch disc looks like it has plenty of life left.

**Mazda Carnage** · 12-21-07, 2:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel2k4

clutch disc looks like it has plenty of life left.

By the look of the grooves it's at least half gone.

cuJe5ter, nice work but where's the RX7 part?

**cuJe5ter** · 12-21-07, 2:46

its coming. i'm making payments on the car and the prev owner has to get his motor out of it. (part time income pwns me)

for now this is goign to go slow as i begin work on the motor and pulling etc.

**fredio54** · 12-21-07, 4:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel2k4

clutch disc looks like it has plenty of life left.

thats just cause you nana your cars ;-)

SixSick6 · 12-21-07, 6:14

For a stock disk, that disk is fine.

**cuJe5ter** · 12-21-07, 12:06

well on the test drive (being stuck in first gear mind you) it didn't grab the way it should have. so we did the clutch. might have been the pressure plate causing some of the problems though.

**fredio54** · 12-21-07, 12:54

spring rate and preload. the pressure at fully worn isnt what it is at brand new, hence less holding power, if you hit them hard, they just wont hold. a fresh clutch is such a pleasure to abuse :-) worn clutches demand nice driving to avoid them becoming non-functional clutches :-)

**cuJe5ter** · 12-21-07, 13:10

with the amount of time a clutch can take on one of these it just ended up being better to do it with the transmission rebuild.

as irony would have it, the transmission locked up again later in reverse this time. after that, it was swapped with the tranny i had on my parts car (the black one with 225,000 miles on it) and hasn't given me a bit of problem yet.

**fredio54** · 12-21-07, 13:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by cuJe5ter

with the amount of time a clutch can take on one of these it just ended up being better to do it with the transmission rebuild.

exactly, though, they last fine if you and i arent driving them ;-)

fred.

**Mazda Carnage** · 12-23-07, 15:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by cuJe5ter

with the amount of time a clutch can take on one of these it just ended up being better to do it with the transmission rebuild.

as irony would have it, the transmission locked up again later in reverse this time. after that, it was swapped with the tranny i had on my parts car (the black one with 225,000 miles on it) and hasn't given me a bit of problem yet.

There are a couple things that will cause the trany to lock in a gear.
-The transmission is shot. (replace)
-The shift gate bolts came loose. (tear down, can be done on the car)
-The shift rod ends have wear, the shift rod ball made it out of the rod end box without disengaging the gear it was in.- this is often the cause and can be remedied. (less then 1hour to fix)
When this happens, you drain the fluid and pull the cap off the transmission 10mm (m6) bolts under the drivers side wheel well.
Once you get the cap off you will see 3 metal rods coming out, the middle one has 5th gear on it.
What you do is move the rods t'ill there all in neutral and you can move the shifter around.
Seal and install the cap, refill the transmission (I'd use gear oil if it's not cold but ATF fluid if it is).

If your shifter bushings are warn, then change them.

I have seen transmission lock up while off the car or while being installed, The shifter arm sit in neutral between 3rd and 4th gear.
-One of them, either during removal, transport or while putting putting it down, the trany dropped into 1st without the shift rod in that gear and the trany locked up.
-Another put up a bit of a fight with the bolt for the shifter rod, a couple of taps with a wrench got the bolt to pass through the bushings and also locked the transmission in gear (guess the taping moved the rod just right or just wrong!).
-Also the black 88gt I sold a while back had gear oil in it, it was like 20 below 0 out and we had to move it around, I put it in first and moved forward, then went for reverse, guess I hadn't completely disengaged 1st and the gear oil was so thick and cold that it pulled the trany back into 1st while I had the shifter over twards 5th reverse, the car stuck in 1st.

--In all three cases the problem was corrected by removing the cap and realigning the rods, (ATF or longer warm up with gear oil in winter and new shifter bushings) and they haven't locked in gear since.

**cuJe5ter** · 12-23-07, 22:04

the shift forks were damaged. had to be replaced.

but we didnt check the rest of the forks and reverse got fux0rd later.

no matter. in the past now.