Clanking Transmission (not pilot or release bearings)
05-02-05 | 06:20 AM
#1
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From: SoCal
Clanking Transmission (not pilot or release bearings)
Not sure what this is, I know my tranny has been on its way out.. I'm a very mean person to transmissions. 
I'll probably pull this apart sometime when I have time, but for the time being I'm kinda curious if I can drive it to work or not... I'll be replacing it within this week, unless the clanking magically goes away... unlikely.
Anyway, after a 7/10th (kinda hard) run uphill I let the car cool down for a bit... then started a run downhill (these runs are with a lot of 2nd gear at high rpms) and got about half way down when my 3rd gear started a REALLY BAD clanking. Sounded like a metal rod got loose and every revolution or two was slamming into the tranny housing or something... so I coasted the rest of the way and drove it home easy.
As far as I can tell I HAVEN'T "lost" any gears... all of them work. But the HIGHER my revs, the worse the clanking gets... and in 3RD GEAR at ANY rpm it's unbearably bad.... even pushing the shifter TOWARDS 3RD gear from neutral starts making some bad clanking.
I've more or less determined it's the tranny, not the clutch or release bearing becuase:
a) The clanking is directly related to RPM AND gear, 3rd gear is the worst then 2nd then 1st then 4th then 5th... dunno about reverse.
b) Clutch in (disengaged) the clanking slows down to a stop... when the idler gear in the tranny stops, so does the clanking.
Anyone that has does a tranny rebuild will probably be able to tell me what broke? Haven't done one myself, might rebuild this one if I can find the parts to do it... *shrug* Eventually gonna have to work out a TII tranny upgrade.
--Gary
I'll probably pull this apart sometime when I have time, but for the time being I'm kinda curious if I can drive it to work or not... I'll be replacing it within this week, unless the clanking magically goes away... unlikely.
Anyway, after a 7/10th (kinda hard) run uphill I let the car cool down for a bit... then started a run downhill (these runs are with a lot of 2nd gear at high rpms) and got about half way down when my 3rd gear started a REALLY BAD clanking. Sounded like a metal rod got loose and every revolution or two was slamming into the tranny housing or something... so I coasted the rest of the way and drove it home easy.
As far as I can tell I HAVEN'T "lost" any gears... all of them work. But the HIGHER my revs, the worse the clanking gets... and in 3RD GEAR at ANY rpm it's unbearably bad.... even pushing the shifter TOWARDS 3RD gear from neutral starts making some bad clanking.
I've more or less determined it's the tranny, not the clutch or release bearing becuase:
a) The clanking is directly related to RPM AND gear, 3rd gear is the worst then 2nd then 1st then 4th then 5th... dunno about reverse.
b) Clutch in (disengaged) the clanking slows down to a stop... when the idler gear in the tranny stops, so does the clanking.
Anyone that has does a tranny rebuild will probably be able to tell me what broke? Haven't done one myself, might rebuild this one if I can find the parts to do it... *shrug* Eventually gonna have to work out a TII tranny upgrade.
--Gary
05-02-05 | 01:08 PM
#3
I rolled down a mountian
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 548
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From: garden grove, california
i dont know what it is, but definately sounds not good. heres the rebuild kit for our trans from rx7world.com-- seems like the price has dropped from when i last looked.
if you rebuild this trans i would like to be there to help/watch, im due for a rebuild too.
http://gallery.bcentral.com/GID46935...uild-kits.aspx
if you rebuild this trans i would like to be there to help/watch, im due for a rebuild too.
http://gallery.bcentral.com/GID46935...uild-kits.aspx
05-02-05 | 05:03 PM
#4
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From: SoCal
Thanks for the link geargrabber... it'll be a little while but that's a good price for a rebuild kit with synchros as far as I know!
I picked up my "new"used tranny today it's supposed to be very low mileage and has new shifter bushings, which is cool. Just gotta install it... I need to find a ride and go to tripoint and get some redline mt90 heh.
If I rebuild it it probably won't be all too soon, I'm obviously not hurting for a tranny and by the time this one goes out I'm gonna be wanting a TII one.
But I'm thinking maybe if someone on the boards wants to buy the kit I'll do the rebuild for really cheap like 50$ (at least to pay for the junk tranny) and they buy the kit... I'd do the rebuilding just for the experience so I know whats up. =)
--Gary
I picked up my "new"used tranny today it's supposed to be very low mileage and has new shifter bushings, which is cool. Just gotta install it... I need to find a ride and go to tripoint and get some redline mt90 heh.
If I rebuild it it probably won't be all too soon, I'm obviously not hurting for a tranny and by the time this one goes out I'm gonna be wanting a TII one.
But I'm thinking maybe if someone on the boards wants to buy the kit I'll do the rebuild for really cheap like 50$ (at least to pay for the junk tranny) and they buy the kit... I'd do the rebuilding just for the experience so I know whats up. =)
--Gary
05-02-05 | 05:51 PM
#5
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 278
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From: pennsylvania
i had the same type of noise in a 13bt engine that i purchased from a guy in TX. i thought for sure it was the pilot or release bearing. before i went to remove the transmission to replace the current clutch setup to something more aggressive, the engine stopped holding idle. so i dropped the transmission to find nothing wrong with the clutch assembly, so i looked further..... to find that the rear stationary gear had chipped teeth and cracks and it got worse and worse.....not one good rotor, housing, iron....junk motor. so i would suggest not running the car until you can inspect the transmission. good luck.
-jimmy
-jimmy
05-02-05 | 06:26 PM
#7
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From: SoCal
Originally Posted by jl_rotary
i had the same type of noise in a 13bt engine that i purchased from a guy in TX. i thought for sure it was the pilot or release bearing. before i went to remove the transmission to replace the current clutch setup to something more aggressive, the engine stopped holding idle. so i dropped the transmission to find nothing wrong with the clutch assembly, so i looked further..... to find that the rear stationary gear had chipped teeth and cracks and it got worse and worse.....not one good rotor, housing, iron....junk motor. so i would suggest not running the car until you can inspect the transmission. good luck.
-jimmy
-jimmy
A broken stationary gear would not make more noise in 3rd gear.. lol... and it wouldn't stop just because the clutch is disengaged.
Thats a crazy story though! Did you ever find out how the stationary gear wound up with chipped teeth?
--Gary
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05-03-05 | 02:23 PM
#8
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 278
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From: pennsylvania
just giving ideas...i never would of thought the stationary gear would be bad.
i do have knowledge of these fasinating rotaries, i have rebuilt a few in my time and have owned plenty.
i never did find out how the rear stationary gear got damaged
good luck
-jimmy
i do have knowledge of these fasinating rotaries, i have rebuilt a few in my time and have owned plenty.
i never did find out how the rear stationary gear got damaged
good luck
-jimmy
05-03-05 | 02:36 PM
#9
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From: SoCal
Cool, no news yet on what it was, I'm finishing swapping the tranny today with my "new"used one...
I did find a piece of a gear tooth in the tranny fluid though, so definately not a cheap fix hehe.
--Gary
I did find a piece of a gear tooth in the tranny fluid though, so definately not a cheap fix hehe.
--Gary
