Transmission Options?
 

So Im having quite a few problems finding a transmission to swap into my 86 NA, which has got me wondering what other options might be feasible. Im mostly curious about what options are out there and are recommended without needing a ton of modifications to get everything to work. Also if anyone has any odd setups they like and would want to share.

What are you trying to accomplish by doing the transmission swap?

+1

power goals and intended use are quite important.

easiest and cheapest of course being just stock and turbo components.

Well right now my 2nd and 3rd gear schrynos are on their way out, so a transmission swap will be needed eventually. Sadly Im having problems finding a S4 NA one and was just curious what my other options were without having to do any huge modifications.

depends on what you mean by huge. but if it's a stock car then just keep looking for a used transmission. you can use a series 5 n/a transmission as well but you will need the crossmember with it from a series 5 car. the rest is all bolt in with no difference.

an FC turbo II transmission will also work but will be a bit spendy since you need the transmission, starter, crossmember, clutch, flywheel, throwout bearing, slave cylinder and a modified driveshaft or ream out the holes in the diff flange with a stock turbo driveshaft.

most anything else would either need an adapter plate with all the above and/or transmission input shaft modification.

you could also just look into having it rebuilt, which usually runs about $600 for the n/a transmission.

I run a 6-spd in my FC.... it bolted to the engine :rofl:

Haha, a 6speed out of?????

an RX8, which requires about as much work as the TII transmission which is still more durable, and likely more expensive unless you get lucky. the RX8 also requires a fabricated transmission mount since it uses a power plant frame.

Clearly you don't know about what I've done to this particular transmission to make it fit, work, and stand up behind ~400rwhp and repeated track days..... onto my favorite question,.....

What makes you think the RX8 transmission is weak?

because i know of owners who have repeatedly broken them behind n/a renesis engines.

Define broken.

i was able to use FB transmissions, but i think i either 1. changed the tail housing (somewhat easier) or just fudge one of the transmission mounts some.

id like myself some RX8 transmissions. friend has two he would sell me. then i need to talk about fixing them.. (2nd gear is pooped, as you would expect)

because it's weak...... right?

i think because they are 04s and there was some sort of defect with the length of the shift linkage.

In all reality this will just be going into a street ported NA motor, so Im sure any trans will be able to handle the power. Sadly with the scarcity of FC transmissions they are either going up in price, or are in questionable condition.

really? i never seem to have problems finding them at the pull apart

It wasn't a defect, but there was a TSB put out and a different part available if the shift rod was at a diffrent spec.

It has nothing to do with power why these tranny's "break." I've never seen one break from torque input, that to me defines a weak tranny.

By the way, I have at least one n/a tranny if you're interested.... condition unknown, shipping would cost you more than the tranny...

If you wanan go all out, we offer fully rebuilt, cryo'ed, basically "blueprinted" trannies for the ITS racers that we have legions of... shoot em a PM if you're interested in that option

Any Mazda "Type M" transmission can be swapped in (all N/A RX-7'd, old B-series pickups, '04 and earlier Miatas, RWD 626's, etc.). This makes any number of gear ratios available. You can even mix/match 5th and reverse gears if you'd like. You will have to swap the housings (bell, intermediate, and extension) and also pay attention to the length of the input shaft. You can't swap the input shafts but you can turn down the longer ones to RX-7 specifications.

Swapping any tranny into an N/A 7 really doesn't make much sense (sans maybe a race car). Just get another N/A tranny, or do a TII tranny swap, and be done with it. It's more than strong enough, and many people run them on turboed cars and have no problems.

ITS racers usually strip the teeth off 4th gear after a few races.... These are 180rwhp race cars....

K. Sans race cars.

Are they shearing the teeth off both the input shaft and the cog on the mainshaft or just one of those? Just curious because I plan on road racing with my Miata transmission.

I've been trying to follow the bread crumbs you've dropped thus far, but I'm not sure if I've still gotten anything from your cues. maybe i'm slow. at any rate, what's the deal with the Rx-8 tranny? full commentary/dialog is fine with me. hell, even conjecture on your part is welcome.

for me, despite what I've been seeing people say about them, I can't say I was ever swayed into thinking of them as a lost cause. I had/have every intention of using mine in the event I decide to put an older 13B in my 8.

I always assumed input shaft issues and that was from simply reading between some of the lines of bullshit over at the Rx8Club. if I recall, one of the turbocharged 20B Rx-8 guys had his pulled apart and fashioned a custom input shaft for it. to my knowledge that was all he did, but obviously I can't say for sure.

so is that in line with whatever secret you hold?

... and just a general question since we're talking trannies ... are there any other models out that there that used the Type R? i'm asking simply because i'm curious if there would be any other choices for gear ratios outside of the T2.

My understanding is the Type R transmissions were used in turbocharged/heavy duty applications. So think turbo RX-7's, RWD 929's, later B-series trucks, etc. I've not read anything about people swapping gears with those, however. This page has some information toward the bottom: http://www.solomiata.com/Drivetrain.html.

since i had another 8 in with a "broken" transmission i figured i would take a picture for you..

http://imageshack.us/a/img534/4773/65w5.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img163/3904/9b4v.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img51/4039/2wyv.jpg


i have never pulled a 'turtle' out of any other early transmission, though they have different weaknesses.

was not turbocharged, did not have an engine swap, all 190ish whp glory of the renesis engine.

you did say that, correct? i suppose you are half right. the issue isn't with the amount of torque input, it is with the amount of output and the problems in the back half of the transmission.

I think I might go with a T2 swap. Im just trying to sift through all the chaff and figure out what I actually need for the swap. I know I need a T2 driveshaft, but there seems to be debate over which flywheel/clutch I need to mate it up to.

you will need a t2 flywheel and clutch to run the t2 trans. THat is if the t2 flywheel will fit. Im not sure what the diameter of the rx8 flywheels are.

no debate, use the turbo flywheel/CW for your series engine and the turbo clutch.

for the turbo driveshaft to mate to a non turbo differential though you would need the Turbo yoke swapped or use a dual flanged shaft to fit the n/a yoke. you will also need the turbo starter and clutch slave.

The easiest way to run a TII transmission is to get the transmission, clutch, and flywheel from a TII. Then pickup the TII transmission-to-N/A rear end driveshaft Mazdatrix offers.