Oh no!!! my Tranny!!!

[CRrider1988]

Well yesterday i was kinda showing off in my 75 280Z with a 4-speed in it. Now, it dosnt have much of a tranny left. I took off from a light at a good rate of speed and went to shift into second but it made a pop noise and didnt move anymore. There were cars behind me so i tried putting it in 1st and the same thing happen, it was just like neutral. As i rolled to the side of the road i put it in 3rd and it was fine. I drove about 3 miles in 3rd and 4th but then they went out too. how it sits, the stick will move into 1 and 2 but wont go into 3 or 4 and reverse works great. Now im looking for a tranny. what is the deal with putting a 5-speed in it? what tranny will interchange with my 4-speed? i found a 77 4-speed i think im going to throw in right now. its like $150. What should i do?

[Zs-ondabrain]

any 5-speed up to 83' non turbo should bolt right up with NO worries. If you like the 4-speed, go for it. If you want a 5-speed, it'll bolt up just like the 4-speed.

You got a lotta options. read the forums on front page that we've been writing all week-end http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16908

[jmortensen]

Not 100%, but it sure sounds like the roll pin on the gear selector fork fell out. This would mean that the rail moves back and forth, but the selector doesn't move. This would only affect 1-2, or 3-4, or rev in your case. If nothing else got damaged it's an easy fix, but you have pull the transmission and split the case to get to the roll pin. A little safety wire through the roll pin will prevent that problem from happening again.

[CRrider1988]

Thanks for the advice. Since it is my daily driver i think im going to buy a good used for now and maybe fix the other as a spare.

[kmack]

I had this exact situation happens in my early "A" series 4-speed. Hammered the gas in 1st then heard a pop right as I was about to shift into 2nd.

Pulled it out and apart. Discovered that the rear counter-shaft bearing cracked. The outer race of the bearing just split. If I hadn't been less than a 1/4 mile from my house, I don't think I would have gotten it home without major irrepairable damage.

If you do decide to tear it apart and rebuild, keep in mind that you ought to go ahead and replace all the bearings. This will set you back about $80-100 for bearings and new seals. Keep that in mind while you look for a replacement.

[CRrider1988]

It sucks when it happens. Luckly, i found a 5-speed from a wreaking yard for $150 with a 6-month warrenty. It is said to be out of a 78 datsun pick-up but it is exactly the same (atleast on the outside) as the Z car tranny. I hope to put it in this week. I have to drive my dads hidious work van for now which is horrable. My Z is my daily driver.

[PrOxLaMuS©]

weird im running about 280rwhp on my Z .. no tranny issues

and ive beat her up

[Zs-ondabrain]

we're also talking aboput 4-speeds that have at least 33 years under their belts.

I blew mine up the first week that I had the car. Replaced it with a 72' 4-speed 3 1/2 years ago. And just put the 5-speed in last week, the 72 still works great.

[PrOxLaMuS©]

hop on over to HybridZ and many have actually proven the stock 4-speed will handle more power than the stock 5-speed..

the type A 5-speed is the SAME as the 4-speeds just with an extra gear, and I dunno why but the linkage or something must be weaker.. very odd..

[jmortensen]

Later ZX trans has aluminum shift rails. That might be a contributing factor. It's possible swap the rails out though, so if someone has a Z and a ZX 5 speed, it's not too hard to just swap the rails and keep the closer gearing for an NA car.

[kmack]

weird im running about 280rwhp on my Z .. no tranny issues and ive beat her up

The later series "B" 4-speeds that came out in the late '71 and '72 cars is much stronger than the earlier series "A" trannies.

Mine "popped" after it had been sitting in a guys garage for over 20 years. I figured that was probably the reason. So I rebuilt it. Had no major problems, until I started racing.

Now I have a series "B" tranny from a '73, but since I have a Series I car, I wanted to keep the console unmolested so I ran the early trans. I split the bearing again after 3 months of high-speed events w/ a Porsche club. Rebuilt it a 2nd time, and the same thing happened 5 months later. At the time of the 1st & 2nd rebuilds, I was only putting down 127hp at the wheels from a '73 L24. The last time it went, I had up the power to only 139hp at the wheels. Hardly a rocket by any means.

If you compare the "A" vs "B" trannies visually, there is a big difference. The later ones have extensive webbing built into the casting. They are much stronger.

To date, I have yet to hurt the later "B" tranny. And I just dropped my L28 in a few weeks ago. If and when it goes, I have a T-5 from a 280ZXT waiting in the wings.