KABOOM.... well it was fun while it lasted

[CustomMSP]

Jeff...

The black cap on the end of the tranny is not pushing against the frame is it? Also, I'm assuming you removed the tranny mount bracket completely? My tranny didn't want to drop either. It's holding on by the output shaft in going through the clutch and the passenger side axle.

 

[jeffmsp]

ok it is not hitting the frame, it was hitting the splash guard so i removed it, but still nothing. as far as i can tell nothing is getting hit, i had someone look at all angles while i tried to get her off and they said nothing is hitting anywhere. mines like yours, sitting on the axle and input shaft wtf!!!!

list of things broken so far:

1. whatever that metal gasket is that sits between motor and trans-destroyed
2. lower ball joint - torn
3. whatever that tin circle piece is on the axle , destroyed

man this ******* sucks and i havent even bought a new lsd or gasket set or new tranny fluid yet! fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!!!

time for dinner then more work

 

[CustomMSP]

Ok...since you're going to be replacing the LSD, disassemble the tranny while it's still in the car. Remove the black housing, and the middle housing following TurfBurn's how to. You'll be able to remove the Bell housing then.

it's a very tight fit between the suspension subframe and the LSD housing. You have to get the bell housing/tranny at a perfect angle so you can get the pass. side axle all the way out of the LSD. Otherwise you'll have a little of the axle still in the housing.

 

[nvmsp]

I feel your pain. This car loves money.

 

[jeffmsp]

Ok...since you're going to be replacing the LSD, disassemble the tranny while it's still in the car. Remove the black housing, and the middle housing following TurfBurn's how to. You'll be able to remove the Bell housing then.

ya that would have been the smart thing to do. you guys think i should pull the whole thing or dissassemble from the side? Im thinking it will be insane trying to get the tranny back on by myself seeing as how i cant even get it off lol

 

[Brian MP5T]

Hoist/Crane...


You can support the weight of the motor on a floor jack with a piece of wood.

You can support the weight of the tranny by removing the mount to the Drivers side by the fuse box and replacing it with a modified lifting eye that could be found elsewhere attached to the motor. Simply drill the hole bigger and bend the lifter 90 Deg so it points up. Once you have the weight supposed by both the jack and the crane. Remove all motor mouts on the engine except the passenger side mount. That will let the engine angle down towards the tranny side and give you the clearance that you need to clear the black cap from the sub frame.

Remove the struts, this will allow the driveshaft to be removed from the front hub/Brakes.

Undo the Lock nut by either drilling it out and getting new nuts or prying up on the lockiong tab..

I think it's a 24 MM socket. Use a buddy and hold the brakes on to back off the main nut. Once all that is off you will be able to remove the driveshaft from the hubs and then the tranny.

Good luck. It can be done. I have done both now.

Tranny out with engine in
Engine out with Tranny in


You must replace the metal spacer between the tranny and engine... You must stop breaking your car by applying too much force. It should come apart easily. If you dont start taking your time, you will just **** it to the point where something like the main spline shaft that goes into your clutch is ****** and then you need to spend allot more money for nothing..

"If you book them, they will come"


Note:

You Must remove the 4 Bolts holding the cradle.

You Must remove the nut and two bolts supporting the engine plus the two nuts holding hte front motor mount...

 

[jeffmsp]

hmmm well thanks alot brian, that makes things alot more clear. but if ive done all that and it still doesnt want to come off I should ___________________. lol man this sucks but thanks for all the help. if i dont get it off tonight im thinking of rolling it off a cliff and collecting the insurnace jk or am i.....ya i am...i think

 

[CustomMSP]

Just disassemble the tranny from the side since you're going to be replacing the LSd anyway.

 

[wicked]

it's realy hard to do it in the car....I wouldn't advise it for someone who hasn't done a tranny before.

there is nothing in a tranny removale that should need alot of force.
do like brian said and completly remove the engine mounts,


you need to remember if it's not coming out easy the there is something holding it.take a flashlight and look.if need be you can remove the black support that goes from under the radiatorto the subframe,it has the front motor mount attached to it.--were do you live,maybe someone from this forum maybe able to help you


by the way the passenger side axel doesn't need to pop out,it just slides out easy.

 

[MrDiggler]

As of 7:30pm yesterday I became the newest member of the broken differential club. Very similar circumstances- turned left from a stop, fed it just a touch of gas in 1st, then *pop* and the grinding while going nowhere thing. The best part? I'm two hours away from my nearest Mazdaspeed dealer.

I added my name to JDM Sam's broken LSD registry. This is ridiculous. I have no power-adders and don't abuse the car. Technically there is a boost controller on the car, but it was on there when I bought it from a Mazdaspeed dealer in Missouri with 7700 miles on it, and they swore (and dealers never lie, ya know) that it in no way affected the warranty. I checked the boost when I first got it home and it was at 6-6.5 psi, so I've never messed with the controller. There's also a TurboXS bov on it. I'm guessing those will have to go before getting it in to the dealer.

AAARRRGGGHHH!

 

[Brian MP5T]

Sorry to hear...

 

[anarchistchiken]

Cheap ass engines, cheap ass trannies, cheap ass LSD's. Gotta love Ford.

 

[jeffmsp]

they were designed to be economy cars, so its expected that they cant take much power. The days of parts being overengineered for their applications are over I miss my 1.8lBP and nice differential that only spun one wheel but still worked everytime lol sigh

 

[wicked]

jeff

so,update?
hows it going on this,you get it out ok?

 

[jeffmsp]

nope. im going back for one last time, if it doesnt come off, it going off a cliff. tty later tonight.

 

[BlkZoomZoom]

What exactly are you having trouble with? The passengerside axle? You do know that it has the support on it bolted to the engine with 3-14mm bolts?
Simply remove the 32mm axle nut, remove the 17mm. front lower control arm bolt, loosen the back 17mm. lower control arm bolt. Remove the 3 14mm. bolts on the support. Pop the lower control arm out, Slide the axle out of the spindle and slide the whole thing out of tranny.

The driverside axle has a clip that goes into the transmission. This sometimes can be a pain in the bottom. What I do is put a prybar in between the axle base and the transmission case so that the wedge is on the side of the splines going into the transmission. Then lightly tap the prybar upward, this pushes the wedge in between and puts tension on the axle, do this right and it will pop the clip right out.

 

[Brian MP5T]

Yup, Wedge/Prybar and POP!

 

[wicked]

just remember,you don't need to "pop" the passenger side out,it just slides out.

 

[JDM Sam]

Make sure you moved the starter out the way. I think you still have a bolt threaded on somewhere. Take a look at the FSM and make sure you located them all. Also, you have to drop the tranny out at a slight angle downward for it to come out.

 

[jeffmsp]

thanks for all the help but i did all that stuff ok

well its out. i dont not believe it was mentioned anywhere in the otherwise great how-to. There is a black bracket on the transmission near the bronze looking bracket that has a black 12mm nut holding it in. I had the trans seperated from the motor all the way around enough to slip in my hand and touch the clutch fingers, and thats as far as it would seperate with the bolt in. it attaches around the rear motor mount. i thought there was no way anything was still in there since i pretty much had it out far enough so that the input shaft and pss. axle were out, and im like wtf its just floating there, so 2 duracells into a flashlight later, i put the trans back against the motor(cant see it really when they are apart) and I found the b**** and just by undoing the 12mil the entire tranny fell out of the car and landed perfectly in my old 10" sub box now that the trans is out i am going to go get another visa card to put the new LSD on. Hopefully she will be running by the long weekend so I can go pick up some chicks at my cottage and show up for work on monday without some loser bus pass and train ticket.

advice to anyone who hasent blown a LSD, even if you baby your car and dont do burnouts or lauches or hit gears, you are still doomed, so make sure you have some means of repairing the car when you least expect it. (i just paid $450 car payment, $375 Insurance, $600 rent, bought new air tools for $200 and a computer for $400 and the next day my LSD goes. go figure)