What have you done to your MSP today?

[Valk]

alright. before i start to freak out a little bit.....

my transmission started to make some weird noise on the way home today. i started up to come home as usual and it wouldnt go into reverse for whatever reason... so i let the clutch out just a little bit and slowly slotted into reverse, which stalled the car.. started up and went as normal without a care but now the tranny seems to tick and whir whenever the clutch is out. if im sitting idling with the car in neutral you can hear it and at all times the car is moving. so i ruled out the clutch as a possibility there. is this a tranny bearing or somthing else that has gone out?

further to the point, whats cheaper... fixing this transmission or just trying to locate another transmission for a swap? i live in canada and my options seem pretty limited. the car goes just fine. the sound doesnt get worse with speed just faster frequency.

 

[Preferio]

yeah im straight piped making just under 300whp

What mods? And how far is "just under" from 300whp? Because I've got all the mods listed below, but still running the GT25 (which I believe to be my biggest limiting factor) and I doubt I'm anywhere near that. I can pull a lot of 250hp cars with ease, but I don't think I'm anywhere near 300hp, let alone 300whp.

 

[hornsfan10609]

alright. before i start to freak out a little bit.....

my transmission started to make some weird noise on the way home today. i started up to come home as usual and it wouldnt go into reverse for whatever reason... so i let the clutch out just a little bit and slowly slotted into reverse, which stalled the car.. started up and went as normal without a care but now the tranny seems to tick and whir whenever the clutch is out. if im sitting idling with the car in neutral you can hear it and at all times the car is moving. so i ruled out the clutch as a possibility there. is this a tranny bearing or somthing else that has gone out?

further to the point, whats cheaper... fixing this transmission or just trying to locate another transmission for a swap? i live in canada and my options seem pretty limited. the car goes just fine. the sound doesnt get worse with speed just faster frequency.

Does the noise go away when you engage the clutch? It could be the pilot or throwout bearing on the clutch or even the input shaft bearing. Tranny will have to come out to replace these, probably best to install new bearings in your current trans vs. a used trans.

 

[hornsfan10609]

^^ my protege pulls like a bat out of hell all the way to 130mph ish. pulls hard till tops out. like i can punch it at 100, and it jumps fast to 130.

I am on the stock turbo so it definitely runs out of steam on the top end.

this is true. but then again my boys ms3 is far from stock lol. 380whp. 360ishwtq . so its a fast little devil haha. i need at least 300ishwhp to beat him in a race due to weight factors. but i def always beat him around the corners even now.

I have driven a couple 300+whp MS3s and they were fun but mostly just wheel-spin city. You can hardly get traction with that much power in a FWD car, I can outrun both of my friend's MS3s in my Mustang no problem.

 

[Valk]

I do need a new clutch. Is it a simple matter of pulling the trans popping the op and switching it out or do i have to pull everything out to get to it? What kind of labour would i be looking at to take the trans and a rebuild kit to a specialist?

 

[ilovewheels]

I am on the stock turbo so it definitely runs out of steam on the top end.

I have driven a couple 300+whp MS3s and they were fun but mostly just wheel-spin city. You can hardly get traction with that much power in a FWD car, I can outrun both of my friend's MS3s in my Mustang no problem.

ya that much power is hard to get down in a fwd. My friend owns a 2nd gen ms3 and those cars pull pretty nice. Ive watched him pull a few evos, but also watch a mustang walk all over him too...hahaha man that car was quick.

 

[russhay78]

Over the past few days my MSP got a new Turbo Manifold, new S-Pipe, new wastegate, new vacuum lines, and a tune up. Runs like a new car and no more bucking in third gear.(breakn)

 

[hornsfan10609]

I do need a new clutch. Is it a simple matter of pulling the trans popping the op and switching it out or do i have to pull everything out to get to it? What kind of labour would i be looking at to take the trans and a rebuild kit to a specialist?

The input shaft bearing may be inside the trans but I am not positive. The pilot and throwout bearing as well as the clutch fork can all be serviced when you do the clutch.

I had my trans pulled and some parts replaced and it was expensive. Base labor was $1500 to pull, repair and re-install the trans but it has a warranty. Plus I had about $1k in new gears, synchro hubs, and shift forks.

 

[MSPBrett]

What mods? And how far is "just under" from 300whp? Because I've got all the mods listed below, but still running the GT25 (which I believe to be my biggest limiting factor) and I doubt I'm anywhere near that. I can pull a lot of 250hp cars with ease, but I don't think I'm anywhere near 300hp, let alone 300whp.

A lot.. I don't even know where to start, I have a really scrappy build thread put together. Might be under appearance but it's called-- sad build thread--.. if u can't find it just look under my profile. My tablet is not liking the links for me to put one up for u.

 

[Valk]

heh. the castings are all backward.. the input shaft bearing is basically the last peice in the stack when you take th cover off. so i have to pull out all the shift forks ect to get to it.. i might as well replace everything in the trans but thats $850, vs the $100 to just replace the bearings. the car drives and shifts fine so its probably nothing inside the box but while im in there ill have to change the clutch and flywheel out as well.
where can i get my hands on a stock flywheel? or is there an aftermarket alternative that isnt $400? my car is mostly stock with fmic and afc. no plans for big hp so going down to a stage1 full face clutch over the stage 2plus i put in before. of course, the exedy stock replacement would probably be just fine as well.
assuming the best case and its just bad bearings, im still looking at like $1000...

I might take the trans to a trans shop when its all taken appart to inspect the synchros ect. are they for sale by them selves or do you change the selector hubs and synchro rings at the same time?
forgive the noobness. considering every option.

 

[BOOSTR]

Why not simply get your flywheel resurfaced? Unless yours has been determined to be shot that would be the way to go.

 

[Valk]

I had it resurfaced last time i changed the clutch a few years ago. how many times can they be done?

 

[BOOSTR]

That all depends on how it specs out each time you remove it. I did not realize that you had it done once before. If a new one is not much more than a resurface then I would go new. Check out the online mazda parts for a good price online. Jason was a member on here in the past. http://onlinemazdaparts.com/

 

[Valk]

i did it back in 2010 with a used stage 2 plus. all was fine until late 2012 id say. id have to adjust the rod every couple months to get any streetable clutch pedal action. hope this doesn't lead to other things like cylinders needing changing but compared to changing a clutch that's no big deal.

ill put a brand new stage 1 in it this time and new flywheel, so ill have a look at that site. my wife has an in at the mazda dealership i might be able to capitalize on too but having trouble finding the specified part numbers for parts id need.

I dont really wanna do this more than i have to, so its a decision to just commit to rebuilding everyting in the trans once properly, or doing just the $100 thing it might be and finding out ill have to rip it all out again at some later date to change something else lol.

how long can i expect the synchros and shift selectors to last? running 131km now. i dont drop the clutch or beat on the car very much at all but it has been under the stage 2 for almost 30km.

 

[Valk]

Ordered up a new exedy stage 1 clutch and fidanza flywheel today. When it shows up ill start striping the car. Whats better for a trans shop to deal with; the whole trans and they disassemble themselves or or just bring them the shafts?
I dont have a press and the g series teardown thread doesnt really talk about diasassembling the shafts, though informative if i ever replace my lsd =)

 

[hornsfan10609]

Shafts are super easy to disassemble everything just sits on there you only have to pull lock pins out to remove the shift forks. I'm sure most shops prefer to have the complete trans. You shouldn't need a press for any trans work unless you plan to replace the diff.

 

[Valk]

I might take a stab at it.. looks like all i have to buy is a 32mm socket really. im just afraid of getting the shafts out and needing a press to pull the bearings off/put new ones on. While im in there i will change all the primary and secondary shaft bearings and any rings that are done. just figured a trans shop would make a more educated assessment of what needs replacing and what doesn't.

 

[shane02pro5]

Unless you have been grinding or having issues getting into gear or popping out... you have no need to replace synchros hub selectors or shift forks. You would definitely need a press to disassemble shafts in any way but sounds like it's not needed.

 

[Valk]

I grind first to second on occasion but thats prob more clutch than anything. Just driving around casually it shifts pretty smooth.
I was running royal purple oil in last service. Should i stick with it or go to something else? Gonna be nice to get this fixed. Ive had to adjust that clutch rod in as far as it will go. Now i really have to press the pedal into the floor to start trip the clutch switch so i guess thats a sign its pretty worn out? Ah well. I knew his was coming. I put a used clutch in. Got almost 40k out of it so thats alright. While things are appart might have a look at wheel bearings, rotors. Other cheap stuff.

 

[hornsfan10609]

I don't think the clutch is causing the clutch switch to wear it is likely the switch itself. Every once in a while that switch will act up in my car and it won't crank the first couple tries until I mash the pedal. Unless you are pressing bearings onto the diff I am pretty sure you can get by rebuilding the trans without a press.