Manual Transmission Problems

ThunderCoupe

Registered User
So here's the deal. I've searched the forum for as much information on the manual transmission and drivetrain as i can for the last 12 hours(getting side tracked with the occasional interesting performance thread) and haven't found much relevant.

First things first... this is what i have... 1990 supercoupe 5 speed with a centerforce dual friction clutch about 20,000 miles on it, new pressure plate (autozone variety) and resurfaced flywheel. car has miles on it.

i was driving and when i let off in second gear i heard a clunk noise from what sounded like the rear end and then all of a sudden i felt this steady ticking vibration in the shifter and heard a matching metal on metal clicking noise from under the car. today when i started to look at it, i started the car and the clicking noise and shaking was there, even in neutral... but here's the catch, i push the clutch in and it slows down and then goes away. it makes the noise in any gear when i'm driving and the speed of the tick increases with engine speed when in gear... dont remember if it speeds up if i do it in neutral... also, i dont remember it having any of these symptoms in reverse,but haven't done it to try and notice it.

i want to hear what you guys think it could be before i say what i think it is, because sometimes if you start thinking in the wrong direction, it's hard to get going the right way...
 
Tranny is messed up. You'll need to pull it out.

If it were the clutch it would be quiet when fully engaged. Sounds like a very bad input bearing. If you continue to drive it the gears will be damaged if they are'nt already. Most likely they are. Start looking for another tranny.
 
thanks... i haven't driven it since it happened... i was thinking it might be the teeth of the pressure plate either breaking off or getting damaged because it sounds sorta like when kids put pop cans on the rim of their bike tires. so then odds are the tranny isn't rebuildable? thanks for the input... neone konw of a rebuilt tranny for sale?
 
Our trannys have almost no replacement parts. You have to find them used. Only parts that you can find new OEM are blocker rings, and shifter stuff if im not mistaken right, Dave? Start searching the parts for sale forum and ebay for a nice tranny, or a parts car. Or you could dish out the $$$$ for a T5
 
how much money are we talking for a t5 and how much better is it than our trannies? is it a much higher torque rating or just like an extra 20 pounds. will it fit easily? what mazda cars used this tranny? thanks for your help guys.
 
Southern Gear has rebuild kits for our trannies. But if the gears are screwed up you'd have a problem.

The T-5 isn't rated for the torque our motors put out. It would need to be built up to handle it.
 
If I were you, I would pull the transmission out and find out what the problem REALLY is. You cannot drive the car, and cannot buy parts before you discover the true problem is, besides.......no matter what the problem is, you will have to take it out. Might as well do it now.


By the way, it sounds like a clutch issue to me but I am not there to hear it for real. I couls be wrong.
 
If you can't find anyone to rebuild it for less than 900, I would go to O'reilly's, if you have one. And buy one.

There are a lot of M5R2's, remember yours is the M5R2-RKE.

Stephen
 
it happened within a half mile of my home and i haven't driven it since... i was hoping that it might a pressure plate or such myself and am planning on tearing it out of my car as soon as i can gather some friends to help... i figuire i can save some money if i tear it before i take it to a transmission shop anyways. thank you for the heads up on the t5 not being strong enough, i wouldn't have known...how about a tremec though? i saw one advertised on ebay for a 3.8 mustang, but i dont konw the strength rating. Thanks everyone
 
that's a very interesting article... when you see something like that, it makes you think... it sounds like it's not too sloppy of a swap, but i think i'll stick to the m5r2 like it was intended.
 
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