Well crap, 3rd gear is popping out again
 

The performance/mechanic shop I've used for years addressed the issue for me two years ago. The transmission has shifted better than new ever since, but now third gear is popping out again. I don't have the money right now for another expensive transmission fix or a replacement. Damn it. :(

One of the original threads:
https://www.rx8club.com/series-ii-te...issues-254145/

Maybe this time the adjustment procedure will fix the issue. It didn't the first time.

This has been a problem for me too. :sadwavey: Interestingly enough, before my engine replacement, I had very occasional 4th gear pop-out when under a light acceleration only. Afterwards, it's 3rd gear that kicks out of gear under moderate to heavy load. I have to really push on the shifter to keep it in gear. Only happens when transmission is warm though. Also hoping the 3-4 throw adjustment will take care of it...

New to the mazda, but with my Subaru a good mix of oil in the tranny (50% motul / 50% redline lightweight shockproof) did a pretty good job extending the transmission life.

the adjustment didn't work for me - it kept on popping out. Mazda took it apart and ended up replacing the transmission. They didn't tell me exactly what was wrong, but basically 3rd gear was bad.

It would only pop out under heavy load at high rpms first, and then after it got worse and worse, it would pop out in 3rd gear under any load... I started driving 1-2-4 until it was replaced, lol.

I think I was quoted $2500 for a new mazda trans installed by another shop, or something like $3500-4k for a new mazda trans installed by mazda if it wasn't warrantied.

Update to the story. The adjustment procedure did not fix the issue last year any more than it did two years prior.

When I took it to the dealer last year, they basically told me to go to a transmission shop, as it was an internal transmission problem. I asked for a quote for a completely new transmission just to have a price. It was just under $4,000, including labor.

So I took it to the shop I've been using for many years for performance part installs, etc., and had them look into it. They're the ones who fixed the problem the first time around, which lasted not quite two years. This time, they did some research and managed to talk to someone "who races these cars" and was familiar with the issue. Based on that person's advice, all of the 3/4 gear transmission internals were replaced with new parts from Mazda.

The problem appeared to be gone when I picked the car up from winter storage (it was stored at that same shop), but now it's happening occasionally. It's much less frequent, but still happens (and now also happens to fourth gear). The shop is continuing to research, and so am I. When I picked up the car, I noticed that it shifted a bit differently, being notchier and requiring more effort to get into gear. The first few times it popped out again, I thought I was just not getting it all the way into gear. Now I'm thinking that's probably not it, as I'm pretty careful now to push it all the way until I'm sure it's at the end of the range of movement.

Any other ideas? In my recent searching, I found reference to a "billet selector fork" that helps. I had not heard that before when this first happened. I'm wondering if the root cause is something external to the transmission box itself, since the shop has apparently replaced all of those 3/4 internals.

EDIT: The car has almost 59,000 miles on it, and is just over 8 years old.

I had a persistent 3rd gear pop-out issue as well until... I had a Mazda dealership change the transmission oil.

I had noticed bottom of transmission housing covered with oil, thought it might be leaking at the drain plug, so I specifically asked they put in a new gasket. I didn't mention the popping out of gear issue when I took it in. I don't know what they put in there, or maybe if the oil level was just low, but it hasn't popped out of gear even once in two oil changes worth of miles since then :fingersx:

Generally speaking popping out either means the synchro/gear interface is bad/worn, or the synchro is not fully engaging into the gear interface. The adjustment procedure only addresses the latter situation

The 1st thing to do is at least change the oil, but what you use matters. Put the oil in the link below in it, do not use Redline MT90 (or anything else imo)

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tec...7/#post4816868



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Thank you. I'll give the Ford Motorcraft XT-M5-QS oil a try. That's not one that has been used yet in the last three years I've been fighting with this. I would love for the fix to be something as simple as a different oil.

It might be too late, but I try to steer people away from Redline MT90 because it usually causes synchro problems by not letting them engage well when cold. It requires a lot more care to shift slowly and correctly in that situation. The Motorcraft oil doesn't have this issue.

I think the shop put Royal Purple transmission oil in when they worked on it late last year, but the car hasn't been driven many miles since those parts were replaced at that time.

I seem to recall that over the years a lot of people here had issues with RP trans fluid ....

Team: yup, mine did NOT care for RP fluids.

Your recollection is correct.

MANY members had issues with RP fluids.

I guess RP was designed specifically for MOPAR because it seems their the only vehicles that this stuff doesn't destroy.

Travis

Well, that gives me more hope that swapping out for the Motorcraft stuff will actually fix the issue (which happens pretty rarely). RP would not have been my choice, but I didn't think it was a big enough deal to take it back and have them put something else in. I need to give him a call and see if the oil has arrived, yet. It doesn't normally take long.

I have 1000 mi with RedLine MT-90 in my MT and it performed flawlessly on DGRR 2017 roads, high speed fun on the Interstate slab, and fun WV roads on the way home. I'd do the Motorcraft fluid next since it sounds like MC is more cold weather tolerant.

Is it possible this is a PPF alignment issue? I mean, I don't see how but we're out of conventional ideas so why not entertain the crazy ones?

Worst case scenario, a new S2 gearbox is $1750 + freight through Mazda Motorsports Development. Swapping the transmission is actually not hugely hard. If worse comes to worst, you can drive down to Chicago and we can knock it out in an afternoon in my garage.

But I'd definitely try the different fluid first because even Ford Motorcraft XT-M5-QS is cheaper than that.

I think I experienced the exact same thing as you did! My 4th gear would pop-out under very light load or cruising, 3rd pop-out when rpm pass 7k. I did the adjustment at the dealer and it is still doing it. I had to hold the shifter when I am on these gears and I have to apply some counter force so it won't pop out. Did the adjustment fix the problem for you?

So far, so good with the Motorcraft tranny oil. It's been a week-and-a-half since it was changed. Still too soon to know for sure, but there was a noticeable improvement in shift quality/smoothness. This may sound strange, but third gear feels more like it's actually engaging fully into gear. That may just be wishful thinking inside my head.