Suspension, Brakes, Drivetrain discuss the wondrous effects of boost and your miata...
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View Poll Results: what to do about the impending trans death
spend $1500-2000 on a retail price trans and rear end
0
0%
spend $800 to get one of my various 5-speeds built with micropolished gears
23.81%
sell the car and buy a silver 135 w/ red leather and track that
7.14%
sip a forty and holla at a shorty
69.05%
Voters: 42. You may not vote on this poll

this transmission crap is about to push me over the edge

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Old 01-23-2009, 04:40 PM
  #1  
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Default this transmission crap is about to push me over the edge

I know I'm going to end up stranded somewhere, far from home. I also seriously doubt that my car will make it through a session from overheating 1st, then I'm certain the trans will blow up.

The problem:
I can't find a 6-speed for a reasonable price and the one I planned on is gone.
I'll have to spend another $600 for a rear end ratio I can live with. I'd love to keep the 5-speed with the 3.90.

you may now vote at your own risk
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Old 01-23-2009, 04:46 PM
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6-speeds are around, you just have to be willing to have one shipped. Or roofie your sister and then take the one out of her car.
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Old 01-23-2009, 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Savington
6-speeds are around, you just have to be willing to have one shipped. Or roofie your sister and then take the one out of her car.
i'm tempted to try this polished rimmer bullshit because its half the price, and I keep the awesome ratios. I really wanted to blow this car up on the track next month too, I guess that won't happen now.
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Old 01-23-2009, 04:47 PM
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its your fun car, run it till/if it brakes. hell i beat the **** out of my open 1.6 rear and its still fine. (now watch it explode at the auto-x sunday, LOL)
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Old 01-23-2009, 04:50 PM
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Originally Posted by bryantaylor
its your fun car, run it till/if it brakes. hell i beat the **** out of my open 1.6 rear and its still fine. (now watch it explode at the auto-x sunday, LOL)
its not fun if I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere and have to blow a trucker to get home, then return to a stolen car with all my **** gone. I did that **** with the vw, I'm not doing it again. I'd buy the quaife gear box, but I blew up my quaife **** in the vw so why drop the $3k to go there again?
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Old 01-23-2009, 04:56 PM
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the poll should really be for all the track turbo miatas and broken trannies. who's broken one? what power level? etc.

i say cryo and micropolish since it's the cheapest and if they're gonna break anyway, at least you can say "i shoulda got the queef gears"
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Old 01-23-2009, 04:57 PM
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Find a cheap car with the 6 speed and the rear end ratio that you want. Buy said car. Do a swap between the two cars. Sell the new car for exactly what you paid for it.
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:06 PM
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:10 PM
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What tranny and rear end are you running now?

Jeez. I just asked Hustler about tranny's and rear ends. Is that a set up for a bad joke or what?
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:14 PM
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Originally Posted by cueball1
What tranny and rear end are you running now?

Jeez. I just asked Hustler about tranny's and rear ends. Is that a set up for a bad joke or what?
5-speed with a 4.10

If you're lucky I can come over and check the thrust of the pinion into your ring. Hopefully there won't be any whining with the bigger pinion. You have to be careful with the teeth.
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:26 PM
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:26 PM
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p.s. get the 135i
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:27 PM
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Having the gears polished won't do **** if I had to guess. I say

get a real clutch so it's easier on your 5 speed
get a lightweight flywheel for same reason
Shim the rear end gears a spec tighter than bottom spec
Run heavy oil in the transmission
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:30 PM
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Huh... 3.9 and a five speed would basically rock. I'm going with a 6 because I've never heard of one actually breaking. I already have the 363's, so now I have to put it all together... You can find 6 speeds for <1k if you look around, I had a couple lined up for a bit, till I got this fixer upper. :-) Shipping is the killer, but what can you do?
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:37 PM
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5-speed with a 4.10

And you are scared of running that why?!?

If you were hitting the 1/4 mile every weekend you might have a problem. If you were running 350hp you might have a problem. Lightened car on a road course for track days and driving to and from? I don't see you having a problem.

The torsen blows up at the drags. Haven't heard of many breaking other than hard launches.

How many 5 spd transmissions have been lost here? A handful? What was the useage? When the tranny went was it completely dead or still driveable with bad synchros or one gear gone?

I'm no expert, and don't even play one on the internet, but my thoughts are you are golden with exactly what you have for your use. Don't make the change until the synchro's start to go then jump on a 6 spd.

I have absolutely no hesitation in using my 5 spd, 4:10, torsen set up as a DD and track day car. I'm considering going 3.63 or 3.9 just to be more comfortable on the road and make the low gears more useable. At the track it would be nice if 3rd was just a little leggier.

Drive your car! Have fun! Be impressed with what it can do now! Until you get tired of where it's at and start pushing that built motor harder you should have no problems with your current set up.
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:39 PM
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subaru thought enough of it to micropolish 1-4 on their Japanese STI's in the 90's.
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by cueball1
How many 5 spd transmissions have been lost here? A handful? What was the useage? When the tranny went was it completely dead or still driveable with bad synchros or one gear gone?

I'm no expert, and don't even play one on the internet, but my thoughts are you are golden with exactly what you have for your use. Don't make the change until the synchro's start to go then jump on a 6 spd.
lots of people here blow up transmissions, and a few of the locals recently blew them up, and they drive with mechanical empathy. Each time it hasn't been synchros...its been teeth chewed off, and the car left stranded. I've now made this car to where I'm afraid to drive it anywhere, and taken the fun out of it, lol.

The car is parked right now for a few other issues that I can't seem to figure out. I should have built a 200whp 1.6, not a grotesque 1.9l hog.
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:43 PM
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awesome ratios = 6-speed.
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:55 PM
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Wait, you mean you aren't supposed to have to replace your trans after every season?!
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Old 01-23-2009, 05:57 PM
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Originally Posted by hustler
lots of people here blow up transmissions, and a few of the locals recently blew them up, and they drive with mechanical empathy. Each time it hasn't been synchros...its been teeth chewed off, and the car left stranded.

Color me stupid! Shocked and awed maybe? I just don't recall a broken tranny being that common in 200-250hp set ups.

Great. Now you've got me scared of driving my car. Damn you Hustler! Damn all the Hustler's!
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