1981 280zx 5 speed

[Captain Obvious]

What year was the junked 5 speed from?

[Zed Head]

It's 23 teeth and in great shape.  Couldn't get my old rusty circlip pliers to get the clip off though.  How are your bearings/bushings (not sure what's under there)?  Might be better to just pull the whole shaft, bearing, and gear complete from the adapter plate.  I assume it's a press fit.

[Dave WM]

Its all really good, at least from what I can tell by looking and turning. I could not detect any radial play at all.

[Dave WM]

is that lower nut with the staked washer hard to get off? I think the one large reverse gear is the only one that has to come off the lower shaft in order to get the reverse idler free from its shaft.

[Dave WM]

sorry let me rephrase that it looks like 5th gear on the counter shaft (lower shaft) that has to come off to let the reverse idler slide off. The nut on the counter shaft looks like its staked and would need to come off.

I made another video but cant upload right now showing what I am trying to describe. will post later.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Dave WM

[Zed Head]

Mine's already torn way down.  This is what I'm looking at.  I need a better circlip plier anyway.  You can have it for shipping.  I got one of then there PayPal things out there somewhere.  No hurry, see what's out there.  See what else you need, although this box was pretty trashed.  This is why I keep old stuff.  Hate to see it wasted.

[Dave WM]

Fantastic, PM me and we can work on the details

[Zed Head]

I'll go ahead and get it removed, run by a postal place to see the cost, probably just flat rate in the box USPS, and PM you some details.  A day or two.  If you're in a hurry, let me know.  Let me get it off the shaft first.  You never know, I could be defeated by a circlip.

[Dave WM]

No hurry, I can wait now that I know I have a fix coming. Loving my Z. Took my wife out yesterday for a drive (funny back in the day I took her for a drive in a NEW 260z that belonged to mom). Really nice to be back in the saddle again of one of these old cars. Besides mom 260, I had a used 240 around 1980. Only thing wrong with it was a bad diff whine right at 55. I ended up selling it to an inlaw a couple years later, he sold it a couple years later, we both miss it. I am really glad I was able to get one again.

Added on more video showing the issue with the gear and which one I think I need to remove to get access to the reverse idler.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Dave WM

[Zed Head]

I hope you have some good strong circlip/snap ring pliers.  Nissan used a super strong clip on that gear, probably because that's all that's holding it on.  Took me quite some manipulating and tweaking to get it removed.

[Mark Maras]

 Ah, the memories of that snap ring and the many snap ring pliers I broke.  Small screwdrivers poked into the gaps you see (under or behind) will grant you a small victory while you regroup for your second assault on it.

[Zed Head]

Sounds like we followed the same path.  I ended up shortening the tips on my old single-function pliers so they wouldn't bend, using a pair of small vise-grips on one side so the tip clamp wouldn't torque loose, and using a screwdriver on the gap created once I got an edge over.   All kinds of tools involved for one little snap ring.  It took many "snap"s and sparks as the tips kept letting go while I was trying to get over the edge.  Maybe that's why call them snap rings.