I had my transmission out and in twice since owning a lift. Both times with no tranny jack. Miata transmissions are super light. I huffed it onto my shoulder and popped it on and had a bolt waiting in a magnetic tray I could reach to thread one of the upper bolts to hold it on. Not to say I'm not in the market for a tranny jack, but one isn't absolutely needed if your aren't a *****.

But yes if just a clutch job just pop off the tranny.

 

QFT. Even edging it out on a creeper on jackstands wouldn't be that bad. I luckily had a lift and a third arm (to hold the engine in place), but I huffed mine over to the parts cleaner and gave it a good scrub a dub. I wouldn't pull the engine to get the tranny out for a clutch. Way too much stuff to break. You can also get to the bad cooling lines from the back, at least on the 1.8. Getting the oil cooler hose end wasn't easy, but it was doable.

 

Dear Scary One

You are scaring me! What is the bad cooling lines and what is the oil cooler hose? Thanks for your reply because I don't want to learn what these things are when I have my car on a lift and fifty dollar an hour mechanic helping me replace the transmission.

Thanks again. Please get back to me.
Road

 

If you have a 1.6 there's a coolant nipple capped off back there under the coil packs. Get a silicone nipple for it, the rubber ones WILL pop. If it's a 1.8 there's a factory oil cooler/heater/apparatus (under the oil filter) that is fed through a hose by a similar nipple coming out of the head. I used bulk hose to replace it. You might re-use the crappy snap ring clamps on the cooler side to make it easier. I didn't and got an angle that I could reach the worm drive hose clamp from the wheel well, just in case.

Replace the rear main seal. You're already there. Replace the CAS seal, it'll leak and you'll think it's the rear main. I think you should unbolt the coils before you remove the transmission, just in case your motor takes a dive and smashes them on the firewall. It's a good idea to replace the front and rear transmission seals (don't know about application on 6spd). I found this to be a good time to do motor mounts and differential bushings. Really stiffened the car up, now I'm looking at frame rails or seam welding the door frames.

I don't know if the 6-Speed is similar, but on the 5-speed I've been using the m.net recommended Ford Motorcraft Full Synthetic Manual Transmission Fluid. It's not a GL-5 that will coat the 5 speed's synchros and make them chatter, and it really does shift like butter. The Redline MT90 is a good option as well. I also installed a Beat Rush bronze shifter bushing and polished my shifter ***** for a smoother feel while installing a replacement OE delrin bearing kit, really tightened up the shifter. Your shifter boots will be bad. Do replace them. I didn't replace my insulating padding around the shifter turret, and have more road noise. I think it would have hurt the boots more long term, though, being as oily as it was.

If you don't have time to work on your car, replace the slave cylinder while you're down there. I also installed a Miata Roadster straight shot braided line that runs straight from the master to the slave. Gave good pedal feedback.

I can't confirm, but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the Miata had a tendency to bend the clutch fork over time. You might want to look into a replacement if it feels funny. I didn't and was all right.

Edit: And just in case you decide to to a compression test or anything where you crank the motor, make sure you unplug the coils FIRST. You will fry a set, and there will be none in stock, and it will be raining, and there will be crying.

 

scary one

Thanks, I am now fearless [Well at least 6 spped swap fearless.]

sincerely
R0ad

 

hahahahahahaahha yep
ive done it both ways also if there is no need to pull the motor then dont.
its fairly easy both ways the miata trans aint that heavy. my 95lb wife can lift it

 

Not heavy, psssss....

6 speed:


5 speed:

 

I don't trust many other people's opinions on how to do something. I've seen too many people complain about spending hours doing something that takes me a few minutes. I guess a lot of people just aren't mechanically inclined or something.

I can't imagine pulling the engine to replace a clutch, unless we're talking about a VW Type 1!

robert

 

Anyone know how much a 6 speed transmission weighs?

 

OOPs. Sorry, I was looking at my own thread and forgot there was a second page.
Okay 98.9 Pounds.
Sorry again.

 

Pulling the gear box or motor both suck ***** and are as much fun as herpes. In my case it usually means I've busted something.

But I found it easier to pull just the gearbox for the clutch.

 

I dont understand how it's easier. What do you do once you've pulled apart the trans from the motor?

I did this once to replace move a clutch from one block to another and it was rediculous trying to mate the trans back to the block. I think I rememeber even trying to use my engine lift to hold the trans up and swing it into place. I looked and felt like a retard, more than usual. I ultimately ended up making a box with bricks, so the crank/oil pulleys could fit, and tipping the engine completely verticaly and fitting it vertically.

On the otherhand, the biggest trouble I've ever had dropping the trans by itself was forgetting to remove a blot and fighting with it for a few minutes before realizing. I've used both trans and regular jacks and both work just as well to lower the trans easily and to put it back in place.

 

I've done both. If you don't need to do anything to the motor its realy not that hard to just to the trans. If you have a stupid FM brace on your car that you dread removing then just pull the motor also.

Honestly though, I have no idea how you guys can think that doing just the trans is the same or harder then just doing the trans itself on jack stands. I am boggled.

 

say what?

I would think doing the trans without jackstands would be pretty hard too.

Please clarify.

 

This is not nearly as difficult to do as you make it seem. I've done it lots and lots and lots of times, and it has never taken me more than 5 minutes solo.

 

im weak and puny.

 

Sorry I meant to say that changing the trans while the car was ON jackstands isnt that bad. All in all its much easier on a lift with a trans jack BUT on jack stands with two jacks to balance the transmissions is not that hard. I am not a macho man and laying on your back benching a trans while trying to align it with the cluch is possible but not ideal.

 

I've done it both ways. With the engine out and hanging from the crane, sit on a shop stool with the transmission on your lap. You're smart so you will have moved the engine to the correct elevation and spun the balance bar so the crank is level with the plane of your lap. The lever in your Achilles tendons are the the strongest levers in the human body and you can bounce that transmission on your knees all day like Santa at the mall in December. Piece of cake.

I agree to pull the whole thing if there is anything else you need to do on the engine related to seals or hoses or fabrication inside the engine compartment that would be easier with the engine out. I would also bring the transmission with the engine anytime you are pulling the engine anyway - no reason to not take a few minutes to not have deal with aligning everything while catching the motor mounts at the same time on the way back in. F*ck that.

If you are leaving the engine in, a transmission jack is mandatory. It's not that you can't bench press 90#. The problem is that there isn't any room to extend your arms. Laying flat on the floor you are wrestling the thing a few inches off your chest while applying forward pressure and aligning the spline through the clutch disk and into the flywheel. F*ck that, get a jack.

A great trick I picked up on the other site: Go to the hardware store and get two long bolts that match the transmission bolts into the block (M12 1.5?). Cut the heads off and dremel a slot into each so they can be run with a flat screwdriver. Install them finger tight in the lower two holes to serve as extended guide pins. They will help align everything and stabilize the transmission as you spin the driveshaft stub to align spline. Once the input shaft sets in the pilot bearing and you get two real transmission bolts started, back them out with a screwdriver and put them in the toolbox with the clutch alignment tool.

 

Depends what model mx5, but for example NB8C, you will not remove those 2 bolts at all with the engine in without making tools or cutting tools up.

Dann

 

Ill be pulling out mine this weekend