Powered by Ihor Huk's Russian Wodka!!! by Monkman33

5 minute(s) of a 63 minute read

Found a stash of old pictures on an old computer I decided to fix recently. I remember getting a transmission in pieces when I purchased the car. Te previous owner had purchased probably $800 worth of new parts to rebuild the original transmission and had swapped in a replacement to do for the time being. Well, I ended up with boxes of parts and a factory service manual... and precisely ZERO experience with transmissions at the time. This was about 6 or so years ago. So, being the 22 year old that figured h had nothing to lose, I went to howstuffworks.com and read up on the basic principals. Then used the sop manual to start the assembly process. 

It was actually the most memorable part of the process so far. I learned how the Mazda 5 speed actually works down to the little spring on the inside each hub side with the 3 keys and the synchros and everything. I ended up using the 5th/Reverse pairing afterwards to teach people the basic workings for a few years until I just paid a shop to finish the job. The good news is the shop owner said that the work I had complete was done correctly. If he only knew how ghetto I was doing things back then. But it was SO MUCH FUN! SO here are a few pics of my first project on my FD (aside from taking the engine out).

How the transmission was delivered to me. I am surprised at the number of boxes the original owner managed to get inside the FD without damaging the interior. It was a trick to get everything out. Yes, all the extras came inside the car. 

Just one of the receipts with most of the transmission parts that came still in their Mazda packaging. He was really planning a complete overhaul.

I should have gotten pictures of this assembly process, but I didn't. I really wish I would have. Then you would have had some more to laugh at in my ghetto rigging practices with my Harbor Freight press. It was an awesome learning experience and a good way to get proficient with the FSM.

Getting ready to press some bearings in.

Needed something to block the end of the tube... at the time, I considered myself resourceful, now I consider that move "time to have another beer" worthy.

I still have that black toolbox too! Use it almost every day.

This is my grandparent's garage. It has undergone so many transformations and clean-outs since, its almost impressive. At the time, the garage I had rented at my apartment complex had to be emptied so they let me use their garage for 6 months. One catch, I had to clean up a spot to use. I have pictures of that mess too.

The drop off of parts. Still had to bring the tail housing... left that at home for some unknown or un-remembered reason.

And here's a shameless plug for the guy that did a great job of finishing my basket case of a transmission. When I called and asked if he would be willing to finish the assembly of a transmission and double check my work, he said "Oh, a basket case eh?" My response was "I'll bring in it two baskets if that helps"

And here she is in my garage today... which is about to undergo a major clean up after I can piece together a shed to move a bunch of stuff out. 

Even today, I still don't have my garage set up for me to have finished the transmission on my own, so I am glad I had a shop finish it up. But part of me still wants to prove I can do it. So I will be replacing the 5th gear synchro in the other transmission I have. At least then I will feel like I have done a whole one... kind of... but it