Is anyone getting this? Whenever I downshift from 6th to 5th, I get a gear grind before it pops into gear. This, of course, happens at freeway speeds. It doesn't happen when shifting from 4th to 5th. Any thoughts?

You ARE pushing the clutch pedal down right?! (Sorry: couldn't resist it ;) )

No grinding here.

Originally posted by Cylo
No grinding here. Nor here.

i've never heard a grind from 6th ->5th, only from 3rd->2nd when i mis-time the rev match and i'm more than 1200-1500 rpm off where i should have been.

i got that gear grind just today...but it was probably due to the fact that i was too excited driving the car.

it only happened once!

santino

yea, napboy, if you slow down and let the synchros work it doesn't happen.

Originally posted by wakeech
yea, napboy, if you slow down and let the synchros work it doesn't happen.

yeah, but what fun is that? and if i'm cruising along on the freeway and have to downshift to pass, i'm expected to wait for the synchros to catch up before i shift. that's ridiculous.

no grind here. had to doan emergency lane change on sunday when a tractor trailer decide it could occupy the same space as my car.i was in the right lane doing about 80 in 6th had to move over to the right which was a lane that was exiting. i blew the horn at him as i was moving hit the brakes a little to get behind the truck shifted down to 5th went back left and then into the far left lane doing about 90 as i passed him. no fuss at all from the car. :D

i think i gotta go get this checked out at the dealer.

Originally posted by Napboy


yeah, but what fun is that? and if i'm cruising along on the freeway and have to downshift to pass, i'm expected to wait for the synchros to catch up before i shift. that's ridiculous.

uh, dude, the synchros are like mini-clutches on the gears: if you just try to mash the gear into place without rev matching you're just going to wear out your gearbox in no time flat. if you want to "shift faster", you have to rev match (which may still not be as quick).

Originally posted by wakeech


uh, dude, the synchros are like mini-clutches on the gears: if you just try to mash the gear into place without rev matching you're just going to wear out your gearbox in no time flat. if you want to "shift faster", you have to rev match (which may still not be as quick).

I'm not downshifting any faster than I would in any other gear and I'm certainly not mashing. It's true that if I pause for a moment in between gears that it won't grind, but I just don't think the synchros in my car are working as well as they should downshifting to 5th gear. If I downshift from 6th to 4th quickly, it's as smooth as silk.

by rev matching you mean double clutching. if you simply just "wait" while the car is out of gear between 6th and 5th, then those gears (and the input shaft to the transmission) will eventually slow down to 0 rpm, which will make the synchros work even more. if you really want to help the transmission, you have to engage the clutch, rev the engine to match the expected rpm in that gear, and shift into the gear (double clutching).

however, this is not necessary, afterall, that is what synchro's are for. you shouldn't be getting a grind. i never get a grind going from 5th to 4th in my '87 TII, and i have 189K on my car :D

in my haste to make a freeway pass, i've even accidentally power shifted (shifting with closed throttle, no clutch) with very little grind going from 5th to 4th.

talk to the dealer mechanic, take him for a ride and see if it will do it...(it will probably work fine with him in the car; Murphy's law)

I thought synchros for the most part should make rev-matching unnecessary to avoid grinding going into a gear. For four years in different cars I have downshifted by blipping the throttle directly after selecting the new gear for a smoother shift, but not to enter the gear...I don't crunch at all. I saw the two m/t cars I've owned in that time go over 100k without any tranny problems, so I wouldn't say any wear by actually making the synchros do their job would be cause for horrible alarm.

But these cars did not have throws as short as the 8. Since other people don't have the problem I might get it looked at. How often does it happen?

it happens about half the time shifting from 6th to 5th.

If it's half the time you definately need to adjust your driving style or there is something wrong. On my car fifth is not as smooth as the other selections, I have shifted a couple times now both up and down and got a little grind but only because I'm being a little quick on the clutch or shifting lazily. No problems in any other gears or during any spirited driving though.

This thread is in direct relation to this thread (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8103).

I started to experience the same exact issue about 2 weeks ago. It has gotten progressively worse. The issue occurs when performing a quick downshift from 6th to 5th gear. At some times I can't even get the the shifter into 5th because of the grind, sometimes there is a little grind but the shifter eventually slides in without having to go to neutral first.

I decided to take my 8 into my local dealership to have them look at it. They gave me a tech and I took him for a ride. I got up to highway speed and let him do a quick downshift from 6th to 5th. He felt the grind, but in his words wasn't sure if the shift was just to fast (therefore making the behavior normal) or if it was an issue. After returning to the dealership he called Mazda NA tech assist line. Mazda NA tech assist stated they have never heard of or received any complaints on this particular issue.

SO........

They are going to send out a rep to take a drive with me (first me driving then the rep) to take a look at my car and feel the grind. I'm not sure of what the outcome will be, but I wanted to start a thread to see if anyone else has experienced it. I will be posting updates as progress is made. Hopefully the rep will be stopping by within the next week or two.

No help from this corner, but suggest you reinstall your OE shift knob before the Mazda rep sees it. You never know what the'll try to pin the cause on.

I frequently get grinding when I'm in the red zone and try to upshift. This happens 1->2, 2->3, 3->4.

DisneyDestroyer,

You might want to take your 8 in and get the clutch checked. I know of some folks who've had theirs replaced around 7000 miles becuase of defect. You definitely shouldn't be getting any grinding during an upshift.

I remember in a car once upon a time I had a grinding 2->3rd upshift. It turned out to be a failed synchro. If I shifted really slow and let the lever fall into place there was no grind, but shifting quickly, or even at a more normal speed it would grind.

I imagine it would have cost quite a bit to get it fixed, but I got rid of the car soon after the problem reared its head.

I don't know if this is the same problem you have, but it sounded familiar when I read it.

I haven't had any problems with my '8.

Interesting, I'll talk to the dealers at my next appointment. Fortunately it only happens when the "from" gear is beeping (9k+ RPM), so I can make changes at 8500 and still be OK.

I also get a *bit* of grind when I upshift quickly from 2 to 3. It's kinda bumming me out, cause it's not pronounced enough to be a clear warranty issue, it's just bad enough to tarnish the joy of the 8. My '88 Supra also had a bit of syncro grind when downshifting into 1st, and I had a buddy whose Jeep did this quite badly into 2nd. I'm surprised there aren't many people reporting this. I notice it gets better when the tranny is warmed up, which takes about 20 minutes of driving (quite a bit of warming).

This thread's a bit on the old side, but I reciently started having the same issue. If try to do a downshift into 5th from 6th at highway speeds it grinds a bit unless I double clutch/rev match or I shift really slowly.

I actually was just going to post on shifting issues, until I read this thread. My main problem seems to be, shifting quickly from 2nd-3rd, or from 3rd-5th, ... It just doesn't seem that smooth, I almost have to force it a bit... anyone get this?
thanks.

Originally posted by Rock-8
I actually was just going to post on shifting issues, until I read this thread. My main problem seems to be, shifting quickly from 2nd-3rd, or from 3rd-5th, ... It just doesn't seem that smooth, I almost have to force it a bit... anyone get this?
thanks.

I felt the same for the 2nd-3rd shift on the first 600 miles. After that, the 2-3 shift is smoother now. I attributed that to breaking in the transmission. My 4-5 shift is kinda notchy too, but I think it's still not broken in yet since I don't do 4-5 shifts as often as 2-3. This might be different than your case, but if your car is still new, you might want to keep this in mind.

Originally posted by RPIRX-8
This thread is in direct relation to this thread (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8103).

I started to experience the same exact issue about 2 weeks ago. It has gotten progressively worse. The issue occurs when performing a quick downshift from 6th to 5th gear. At some times I can't even get the the shifter into 5th because of the grind, sometimes there is a little grind but the shifter eventually slides in without having to go to neutral first.

I decided to take my 8 into my local dealership to have them look at it. They gave me a tech and I took him for a ride. I got up to highway speed and let him do a quick downshift from 6th to 5th. He felt the grind, but in his words wasn't sure if the shift was just to fast (therefore making the behavior normal) or if it was an issue. After returning to the dealership he called Mazda NA tech assist line. Mazda NA tech assist stated they have never heard of or received any complaints on this particular issue.

SO........

They are going to send out a rep to take a drive with me (first me driving then the rep) to take a look at my car and feel the grind. I'm not sure of what the outcome will be, but I wanted to start a thread to see if anyone else has experienced it. I will be posting updates as progress is made. Hopefully the rep will be stopping by within the next week or two.

I am going to copy and paste my posts on this issure. Right now as it stands..they are debateing to replace the tranny in my 8 due to that noise...Here they are...


I am glad I read this thread. Just recently I have been haveing a hard time getting into reverse. All the other gears are fine. But, I am going to make a appointment for my 8 for next week now.

I see another substandard Mazda rental car in my future..

Okay guys..I need to vent! I Just got of the phone with Cap Maz..and my normal rep who I have been working with is on vacation... I told them I would like to bring my car in to get the reverse checked out. He was like well..u have to double clutch it to make it go into reverse..its a close ratio six speed transmision and reverse takes a little bit more to get into. I was like...man, I dont' have to double clutch my car..THATS WHAT SYNCROS ARE FOR...two I had my car since AUGUST and I have never had this problem. Make my apointment check out my car AND DON'T TREAT ME LIKE AN IDIOT!! Argghhh.... man, I knew I was in for some bull when he told me my rep was on vacation.


This morning the same thing happend. Clutch in, push down on the stick, over to the right..ease of gas..MISS.

I had to grab the stick with two hands to get it into reverse this morning.

I am convinced now that something is wrong. I have 11k on my 8 and this is my first REAL problem.



None. I parked in a level garrage.

I went to lunch with a co-worker and the same thing happend.

So, when we got back I rushed the car to the dealer... and of course I couldn't re-create the problem. So I am not one to cry wolf..period. But, the agents from Ford who were covering for the Mazda people thought I didn't know what I was talking about.

Why must Mazda be in bed with Ford????

Anyway..I wanted them to give me a rental for the weekend so they can work out this issue with my 8 and they were like no..you have to bring it back in Monday..

Very frustrateing.

9-K Rever


Okay, I get my care back from the shop and they say there is nothing wrong with my tranny or clutch. They didn't even take it out to see if there could be an issue. They just shifted it a couple of times and since it didn't act up on them, they figured it was fine.

I am kinda pissed about it. But, hey, all I know is Mazda will be eating a warrenty claim if something seriously f-ed up happens to my tranny due to their neglegence.

9-K Rever

Okay guys and gal (Elara) check this out. My chick and I go up to CAPITOL MAZDA this morning to drop off my car. First thing I see is my favorite Mazda team there and ready. No need to talk to the Ford people... Pull up, they greet me with my name and I tell them the issue. I give them the keys, and the Mazda mechanic was there, and he was like let me take a peek at it. Got in my car...ran through the gears..and walla....NASTY GRINDING NOISE IN REVERSE comes up. He was like...ahh...now thats a issue. They couldn't give me a ETA because they said they had to call Mazda to see what the issue may be. So, I could be w/o my 8 for a minute. The Ford side of the shop..didn't even do that much. So, hopefully I will hear something by the end of the day.

Wednesday my 8 goes back into the shop. I am makeing them take the tranny out to see if there is a problem, also makeing them check the clutch.

aAweird driver side wind noise has appeard and I am going to have them look at that plus replace my passenger side speaker.

Looks like I won't have my 8 for a couple of days...

But, they better not give me any BS this time.

9-K Rever


Okay kids... I got a call from Cap Maz..they said that they have been on the phone with Mazda and trying to figure out what would be the best way of approaching my car. They admited that they never taken out a RX8 tranny before, and the mechanic wanted to get the manual from Mazda and study up before they took it out and started to mess around. So they gave me the option to take my car home untill they were comfortable with working on the tranny. I was like take your time..I don't want my car to be a guinne pig.... Scary stuff guyz...

My tranny is fine...shifts clean and smooth in all temperatures...but the diff...man that thing is whining like crazy. I drove with a mechanic and even he said it's fugged up, but it's been in the shop for 3 days now....not one word from the dealer on anything yet. I get to drive a really cool Escort sedan in the meantime. I call the dealer, and I get the runaround....I'll give them 2 more days...I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they have looked at it and have ordered any nessecary parts...

I had a similar experience with my Fiero a few years ago. Basically the problem was the linkage. The linkage on the Fiero connect to a plate that has a slotted hole... We adjusted the link in the slot and it has never had another problem.

Not sure if there is a similar issue with the 8....


You could also try double clutching... =)

Originally posted by went_postal
I had a similar experience with my Fiero a few years ago. Basically the problem was the linkage. The linkage on the Fiero connect to a plate that has a slotted hole... We adjusted the link in the slot and it has never had another problem.

Not sure if there is a similar issue with the 8....


You could also try double clutching... =)

Check this out from my earlier post.

Well, my RX8 goes under the knife (socket wrench) next week. Talked to the mechanic...and they said..theY will.. 1) REFLASH ECU WITH "L"FLASH...(they did not do that before) 2) Replace front breaks 3) Adjust driverside window 4) Replace passanger side speaker 5) Inspect transmission for damage 6) Check clutch.

Needless to say, I won't have my 8 for quite some time....

9-K Rever

Well, still haven't heard from that MNAO rep that was supposed to come out and investigate. I have to take my car in to try and get the L flash soon, so i am going to have them look at it once more.

I just took delivery on my new RX on 4-29-04. I noticed the grinding when upshifting from 2>3. I also notice the clutch throwout bearing is making a noise when the clutch is out and in neutral. The noise goes away when the clutch is in. I have 1000 miles on her now and I've not really gotten too agressive in my driving. This is very disapointing. I'll report back when I talk to my Mazda tech.

Also has anyone noticed the following problem? When I put the clutch in all the way and put the gear in 2 or 1 when coming up to a stop light I hear the gears whine like they are engaged. Is this normal?

Originally posted by CzechsMix
I just took delivery on my new RX on 4-29-04. I noticed the grinding when upshifting from 2>3. I also notice the clutch throwout bearing is making a noise when the clutch is out and in neutral. The noise goes away when the clutch is in. I have 1000 miles on her now and I've not really gotten too agressive in my driving. This is very disapointing. I'll report back when I talk to my Mazda tech.

Also has anyone noticed the following problem? When I put the clutch in all the way and put the gear in 2 or 1 when coming up to a stop light I hear the gears whine like they are engaged. Is this normal?

Congrats on the new 8. Just to let you know. The throw-out bearing noise is now considerd "NORMAL" by Mazda. No point in telling your dealer about that. The whiring noise is just the 6 speeds tripple cone synchros synching up. No proplem there either... Choose the battels you want to fight with your dealer wisely.

9-K Rever

Well, I took it in, got my M flash, and talked to them about the grinding. I try to be honest with my dealer, so I don't do any parts swapping when I take my car in for service. They gave me the M flash while my K&N intake was installed, no problem. When I talked to them, they did try to blame it on my replaced shifknob saying it was too short. When I explained to them that my original complaint was with the stock shiftknob, they recanted. They are still trying to get that MNAO rep to come out, but I am thinking that isn't going to happen at this time.

sorry to lazy to read the whole thread. did they check your pressure plate bolts to make sure they were all torqued to spec? there have been some issues wiht those bolts backing out because of not being tightend properly at the factory. this could cause gear grinding

My car has been at the dealer for the past week getting my "Ice in Blender" noise looked at. They dropped the tranny to see if they could find anything... So far nothing..but the dealer and I are on agreement that we don't want them to crack opean the tranny and look around...

So, they said they will check the clutch and the rest of the drive line.

I should have it back on friday.

9-K Rever

My car has been at the dealer for the past week getting my "Ice in Blender" noise looked at. They dropped the tranny to see if they could find anything... So far nothing..but the dealer and I are on agreement that we don't want them to crack opean the tranny and look around...

So, they said they will check the clutch and the rest of the drive line.

I should have it back on friday.

9-K Rever

I had touble with my tranny at about 7000 miles. It would not shift into 5th and1st to 2nd was grinding. They pulled it out and said it was full of metal chips. They replaced it but now I have about 11000 and now the clutch is acting up

Guys..

Got my car back today..and I have to say I am impressed with Capital Mazda.

They found a bur on the reverse gear that was giveing me problems with shifting into reverse.

The also found some burs and funky build up on the clutch. They took them down and now my transmission feels AWSOME.

I was FLOORED in the feel of my tranny and clutch. ALL the gears shift much better now. Much stiffer and more accurate. Now clutch is gripping and feel like a new clutch.

WOW...WOW...WOW...

The mechanic said that he talked to Mazda and they admited they are haveing problems with revers so I suspect a TSB to be relased regarding this.

9-K Rever

i get it from 4th to 5th.... BADLY and a lot of it...and some time to 2nd to 3rd i got probs yet i havnet gotten it to the dealer thinking that it'll pass...im wrong for thinking this though...

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to see if the original poster had his problem fixed. I have 8600miles on my 8 and am having the same problem, anytime I shift from 6th to 5th I get a grind I feel in the shifter. Regardless if I downshift fast or slow it grinds. This is around 60-70mph, about 4k-4.5krpm. Now, if I am in 6th and let the car slow down to 50-55mph and downshift to 5th it doesn't grind but still feels alittle sticky going into 5th. Anyway, I have an appointement Wed. to have the dealer look at it. Installing a RB flywheel wouldn't cause this would it? I had it installed at the dealer but it started to happen several thousand miles after that.

Here is an update of what my servise advisor at my local dealer has told me about my 6th to 5th grinding issue. They called Mazda, and they told them to dump the original trans fluid, and refill with automatic trans fluid. I don't know what the diff is, the tech said it was alittle lighter weight. I asked them to keep an I open for any metel in the old trans fluid. Guess I'll find out here in a few hours after they drive it to see if it makes a difference. The only thing I can think of that would have caused the grinding in the 1st place is when I had another dealer install my RB flywheel, they had changed the trans fluid. I looked at the receipt and it says they used 75W90 Mobol1 gearlube. Grinding didn't occur for several K miles after that though.

Yet, another update. The service advisor called me at 5pm, he said that Mazda instructed him to drain 1qt. of manual trans fluid, and add 1qt of atf fluid. Low and behold, it didn't work. So they put another call into mazda, to see what to do next. Looks like they might be pull'n my trans. Atleast I got a big Lincoln town car loaded with 50 miles on it for a rental. I have to give props to the dealer so far, kepping me updated, They are doing the proper steps I suppose, before they have to pull the trans, and I'm sure they have to get permission from Mazda before they pull it, since it's a warranty issue.

This morning the same thing happend. Clutch in, push down on the stick, over to the right..ease of gas..MISS.

I had to grab the stick with two hands to get it into reverse this morning.

I am convinced now that something is wrong. I have 11k on my 8 and this is my first REAL problem.

I had the same problem with my 8 last march, it did it a couple of times and i proceeded to go to the dealership and while en route i was on an exit ramp and started slowing down to stop at the top of the hill to cross the overpass, i proceeded to shift down into 3rd after slowing down to approximately 45 mph as i proceeded to shift from neutral to 3rd the tranny started to grind badly as if i had not pushed the clutch in <keep in mind that i had only had problems with it staying in reverse without kicking out> as soon as i heard the grinding i said to myself "oh no..." sure enough i held the clutch and the shifter in neutral and stopped at the stop sign then tried to shift into 1st to turn onto the overpass, grinding again, could not find the gear for nothing, i rolled the window down motioned for the people behind me to move over and let the car roll and steered it to the shoulder and called the roadside assistance, got the car to the dealer, <19 so no rental for me> had to call parents to come get me < fortunately my dad kept my old F-150 for me to tow and such so i had something to get around > they took the tranny apart the whole gearing assembly had fell out, they were not torqued to spec and loctited "what they told me anyway" anyway they ordered another tranny <took 2 weeks total in and out time> and sent me on my way, only problem i seem to be having now is the relative grind some of you are talking about while upshifting, except mine occurs from 1st to 2nd at 7k+ rpms, its almost as if it's a missed shift <i'm no expert with a stick but rest assured im no noobie> i have seen that someone said something about pulling slightly too much to the left when shifting into 2nd, i think i'll try shifting by just pulling straight down instead of diagonally left and down.. any comments?

Well, my Mazda advisor called me Tuesday, and told me to bring my 8 in on Monday, to have the trans pulled so they can take a look inside. He said parts would be order before hand, which I doubt since they don't even know exactly what is wrong with it. So I suppose they will have it for a few weeks also.

Quote" Okay guys..I need to vent! I Just got of the phone with Cap Maz..and my normal rep who I have been working with is on vacation... I told them I would like to bring my car in to get the reverse checked out. He was like well..u have to double clutch it to make it go into reverse..its a close ratio six speed transmision and reverse takes a little bit more to get into. I was like...man, I dont' have to double clutch my car..THATS WHAT SYNCROS ARE FOR...two I had my car since AUGUST and I have never had this problem. Make my apointment check out my car AND DON'T TREAT ME LIKE AN IDIOT!! Argghhh.... man, I knew I was in for some bull when he told me my rep was on vacation"


If I am not mistaken, reverse gear does not have syncros. You always have to ease a car into reverse or it is a bit hard on the tranny. I've had several cars where I put it into neutral, and then carefully put it in reverse, or even ease off the clutch a hair to help things align as I slip into reverse.

Yeh, I had a 01 Protege, and sometimes it would drop down in reverse, and sometimes it took alittle work. I don't think there was a problem since I had over 50K on it. On my 8 rarely there is a time where I have to try a couple times to get it to go in reverse, seems like it's more when it's real cold. I think it's reverse in general, on manuals, atleast with Mazdas. Atleast we don't drive in reverse all the time. :D

Yet another update.... So they pulled the trans opened it up, and don't see anything that is obvious. So they decide to replace the syncros? and some other things, without mazdas' consent. Versus replacing the whole trans. Advisor said there isn't a PN listed for the whole unit, right.... anyway they said the mazda rep is coming out on friday. This sucks 2 days before I put it back in the shop I put wheels and tires on. Now I have a set of Tein s-tech springs sitt'n in my garage. I figure I won't get it back until the end of next week, that will be 2 weeks total. Oh well better safe than sorry.

UPDATE! My advisor just called me and told me that Mazda gave them the O.K. to order a new unit(transmission). He didn't have an ETA, but said he could give me one on Monday. He also said that the shipping of the unit will probabley take 4-5 days while putting it in will take just hours. I give him props, he has called me every evening with an update. It's nice to know that I have a new car that I baby, already needs some major warranty work. :rolleyes:

I just got my 8 out of the shop. It was grinding with quick shifts from 1st to 2nd. They said that 2nd gear was chewed up and replaced it & some syncros. I only have 3k miles on it. Now it shifts just fine.

i also get that GRIND from 4th to 5th. sometimes at 3rd !!!!!!!!! =( and its getting worse

Well, the trans showed up on Wed. around noon. So they said I would be able to pick up my 8 this afternoon. :D I can't wait.

Picked her up at 1:00pm and it is alot better. The trans. feels more solid, it might be that it is new, and needs to be broke in. No more grind in the downshift to 5th. :D

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to see if the original poster had his problem fixed. I have 8600miles on my 8 and am having the same problem, anytime I shift from 6th to 5th I get a grind I feel in the shifter. Regardless if I downshift fast or slow it grinds. This is around 60-70mph, about 4k-4.5krpm. Now, if I am in 6th and let the car slow down to 50-55mph and downshift to 5th it doesn't grind but still feels alittle sticky going into 5th. Anyway, I have an appointement Wed. to have the dealer look at it. Installing a RB flywheel wouldn't cause this would it? I had it installed at the dealer but it started to happen several thousand miles after that.

Identical problem is occurring to me now: downshift from 5th from 6th and a grind I feel in the shifter. Very pissed off.

I guess I have to go get it checked out.

Identical problem is occurring to me now: downshift from 5th from 6th and a grind I feel in the shifter. Very pissed off.

I guess I have to go get it checked out.

OKay, Tranny is out and they said that the syncro for 5th was no good and they are replacing it. The fucker mechanic was looking at parts and reading a manual then looking at the case over and over again :mad: :mad: :mad:

He can't even figure out how the case comes apart and he's going to fix my transmission???? I sense I'm going to get the shaft big time from these guys and I'll be back there in 2 days with the RX8 in tow. I can almost guarantee this won't work with this money working on it. At least if it breaks again, I'm going to insist ona new transmission.


Update tomorrow night to follow.

Can't say that I have ever experienced that challenge. :cool:

OKay, Tranny is out and they said that the syncro for 5th was no good and they are replacing it. The fucker mechanic was looking at parts and reading a manual then looking at the case over and over again :mad: :mad: :mad:

He can't even figure out how the case comes apart and he's going to fix my transmission???? I sense I'm going to get the shaft big time from these guys and I'll be back there in 2 days with the RX8 in tow. I can almost guarantee this won't work with this money working on it. At least if it breaks again, I'm going to insist ona new transmission.


Update tomorrow night to follow.


Are you kidding? Your dealer is that inept with the car? Man, I normally would not make this suggestion, but I think you might want to send an e-mail to Mazda about that.

It is one thing to have the tranny go out, but it is quite another for the Service Tec not to know how to handle the needed repair. :eek:

the problem is most techs aren't trained well enough to overhaul a transmission. IMO it's a big mistake on Mazda's part to not be sending them off to be swapped out by an official rebuilt center the way most manufacturers do.

It ends up breaking again and then the dealership claims you are abusing the car, just wait and see ...

the problem is most techs aren't trained well enough to overhaul a transmission. IMO it's a big mistake on Mazda's part to not be sending them off to be swapped out by an official rebuilt center the way most manufacturers do.

It ends up breaking again and then the dealership claims you are abusing the car, just wait and see ...

You are bang on. I agree with you 100%. I'll give them a fair chance to get it fixed properly by tomorrow as they promised. If they delay or same/other problems surface, I can promise you it won't be a pretty site when I go back there. If they fix it properly, I guarantee you I will promote their competence to other RX8 members.

Until tomorrow.... :mad:

im having issues if i speed shift into 1st to 2nd.... it holds me back.. anyone else? driving "normally" im fine . but still..

I would not recommend speed shifting this transmission unless you are intentionally trying to spin all the 2nd gear teeth off the countershaft

I would not recommend speed shifting this transmission unless you are intentionally trying to spin all the 2nd gear teeth off the countershaft
yeah i understand but b4 i could do it np. even chirping. but now... can'tt

yeah i understand but b4 i could do it np. even chirping. but now... can'tt
Your "b4" activity may have bent or broken a shift fork in which case it may or may not be covered under warranty. That will depend on how the dealers' service people view the damage. If they conclude that the damage was caused by abuse, you will likely have to pay the repair bill yourself.

Your "b4" activity may have bent or broken a shift fork in which case it may or may not be covered under warranty. That will depend on how the dealers' service people view the damage. If they conclude that the damage was caused by abuse, you will likely have to pay the repair bill yourself.
hmmm i wonder how "much" it would be for repair if that is true..

you have to disassemble the entire transmission to reach the 1-2 shift fork, you may be one of these:

http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?p=806770&postcount=167

however, no 2nd gear at all with bad metal sounds in all the other gears is a lot worse (and expen$ive) than 2nd gear synchro grinding, just speaking from direct experience mind you, it ill only take it so many times and then POW, consider yourself warned

you have to disassemble the entire transmission to reach the 1-2 shift fork, you may be one of these:

http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?p=806770&postcount=167

however, no 2nd gear at all with bad metal sounds in all the other gears is a lot worse (and expen$ive) than 2nd gear synchro grinding, just speaking from direct experience mind you, consider yourself warned
hey thanks for the help. i'll keep that in mind

:eek: :eek: I can't beleive it but the dealer fixed the car perectly on the first try. When he was staring at the manual and all the bolts and bearings scattered accross his work bench, I thought for sure I was going to have to wage war with them. So it feels really good at this early stage. I am truly quite impressed with the jon they did.

The clutch even feels different in that its smoother and the gears feel like they have a revived spring action into each gear slot. It actually feels like a brand new transmission and clutch. I'll let you know if it screws up, but for the time being its great. :p

im having issues if i speed shift into 1st to 2nd.... it holds me back.. anyone else? driving "normally" im fine . but still..

Do you mean power shifting (without a clutch) or shifting quickly using the clutch but your floored? Sorry, not familiar with the term "speed shifting" up here in Canada.

edited, my bad, not the same thing

speed shifting = shifting without using the clutch

power shifting = shifting without lifting off the gas

I'm not sure which one he meant now, but either one will f--- this transmission up

speed shifting = power shifting

same thing


Power shifting=not lifting on gas

yeah, my bad, I edited the post above

sorry wut i meant was flooring shifitng using clutch. just my 2nd gear does this... it holds me back. won't let me put it in. shifting normally is fine... grr... i might have to take it to mazda and get this checked out. but wondering how much it might be. EEEK

Keep us updated Trigger.

sorry wut i meant was flooring shifitng using clutch. just my 2nd gear does this... it holds me back. won't let me put it in. shifting normally is fine... grr... i might have to take it to mazda and get this checked out. but wondering how much it might be. EEEK


You are in bad need of my shift kit. See the RP short shifter thread. There are three so look at the one that says installed, or read all three. Then see my website at: www.axialflow.com
Cure your needs pronto.

OOps, just read your prior posts. My product will not repair your trans once you have broken it. It will help you shift better once you fix what you have already done. I still beleive that you might take the advice of TeamRx8 and refrain from this type of abuse. Learn to shift quickly using proper shifting style. A syncro box cannot be shifted like a dog ring race style box. If you insist on doing this then have the gearbox rebuilder file every other tooth off the syncros. This will help you shift faster. It also weakens the syncro itself and shortens it's life. It's tit for tat, get what you pay for.

You are in bad need of my shift kit. See the RP short shifter thread. There ae thre so look at the one that says installed, or read all three. Then see my website at: www.axialflow.com
Cure your needs pronto.

OOps, just read your prior posts. My product will not repair your trans once you have broken it. It will help you shift better once you fix what you have already done. I still beleive that you might take the advice of teamrx8 and refrain from this type of abuse. Learn to shift quicly useing proper shifting style. A syncro box cannot be shited like a dog ring race style box. If you insist on doing this then have the gearbox rebuilder file every othe tooth off the syncros. This will help you shift faster. It also weakens the syncro itself and shortens it's life. It's tit for tat, get what you pay for.
thanks for the advice. i'll keep that in mind

hey guys, i seem to have trouble shifting smoothly from 1st to 2nd gear as well. all other gears are fine. there is no grinding, but seems to be very jerky. i've tried everything, holding the clutch in longer, shorter, etc. any advice?

hey guys, i seem to have trouble shifting smoothly from 1st to 2nd gear as well. all other gears are fine. there is no grinding, but seems to be very jerky. i've tried everything, holding the clutch in longer, shorter, etc. any advice?


Try steping on the gas a little sooner, the engine revs to slow. I haven't put one in yet but I'm positive that a light flywheel will help here. Anyone who has a light wheel notice an improvment in their shifts here?

thanks RP, i was thinking the same thing about the lightened flywheel. anyone else have any suggestions?

So i'm having the grind from 3rd to 2nd as well.... If i double clutch then it still grinds every other time.... If i show this to the dealer will they replace my whole tranny? or just the 3rd to 2nd synchros??? Another question... i still have factory warranty but will they try charging me?