JAMMED in Gear after wreck? Mazda Miata Manual Transmission Teardown

For MIATA parts Email us at [e-mail] or visit www.Importapart.com.
Here's weekly dose of your catastrophic engine forensics! Every week you can find a new teardown of some abused, misused and/or poorly designed engine. Here are some of my favorites:
GM Vortec 8100 • LOCKED UP BIG BLOCK 8....
F150 5.0 Coyote Gen 1 • 11-14 Ford F150 5.0L C...
8.0L Ram V10 • 8 LITERS OF DESTRUCTIO...
Audi V10 • DEVASTATED Audi S6 5.2...
Today, something different! A 5-speed transmission from a 2000 Mazda Miata! This transmission has 113K and we could not get it to shift in or out of gear. It seemed to be stuck between gears and likely from the wreck the car was in. This video is both a salvage operation to get the bell housing and tail housing off to fix broken transmissions, and a fact finding mission to try to figure out what happened.
I own and run a full service auto salvage business called Importapart and we specialize in Miatas. Don't hesitate to give us an email at or message listed above for parts!
I hope you enjoyed this video, as always I love all of the comments, feedback and even the criticism. Catch you on the next one!
-Eric

[@Ar0d]

We like different, don't we boys?

[@russelltoddinc]

Yes, yes, we do

[@benaldredge2671]

Yes sir

[@maartenderijke3591]

Oh yes

[@samholdsworth420]

Yes ⚧️

[@aaraar08]

As a matter of fact we do!!

[@MrMayNCMS]

Ok, the blue tape under the shift knob just confirms what I suspected. I owned a 2000 Evolution Orange Miata with just over 100k miles in Mississippi that I wrecked on June 11th of 2023. I purchased the car in the spring of 2021. It shifted ... ok... before the wreck, but when the tow truck was loading the car, I noticed the rear tires were not rolling and I assumed the transmission was jammed. The wreck occurred as I was driving on a two lane highway at about 45mph when another driver in a Dodge Challenger (rental) turned across my lane about 30 feet in front of me. I had no room to Dodge... the car and had to settle for standing on the brakes. No major injuries to the occupants of either car, but I was sore for over a month from the seat belt. I have been a follower of your channel for a while and hoped that somehow, my wrecked car would end up on your channel. Got my wish. Glad to hear the engine and other parts were salvageable and still live on. I miss that car.

[@I_Do_Cars]

Wow man! First off, I’m glad you were ok. Secondly, we sold the engine, torsen swap, rear bumper and a handful of small parts almost immediately. We gobble up NB’s and I’m not surprised with the Miata content that some day someone will recognize their old car.

[@ianriggs]

That's so cool that u happened to see the car on this channel. I hope you continue to stay pain free from that accident. Very lucky. F-ing rental cars :-(

[@DanDoerfler]

Malice in the rotational switchey palace...

[@tommydmot7725]

Eric is out here doing what 90% of what shop teachers should do. just tear stuff apart and talk about what to look for and what might cause it. Hell this goes for pretty much everything that you physically interact with. I learned so much, in less than 30 mins its insane

[@kivulifenrir]

It goes against modern mantra though. They want you to toss and buy new, rather than repair or rebuild. There's a reason why the saying "they don't make them like they used to" exists, though it's a shame. This was by and far the best explanation of the basics for anyone and we need more content like this.

[@chrisbayus5189]

100% agree. I have learned SO MUCH about engine internals and different failure conditions watching your videos

[@littlesquirtthefireengine5478]

And then have the students put it back together from memory 🤣

[@auntbarbara5576]

💯

[@markterribile6948]

What should the other 10% of shop teachers do? Resign?

[@thomastacker6485]

The shifter was stuck because the inertia from the wreck caused one of the shift hubs to move without the shifter being in that location. The detents between the shift shafts keep you from going into 2 gears at once. To fix this you can remove the reverse light switch and use a screwdriver to force the shaft back to the neutral position, thus aligning all the shifters again. I worked at a Mazda dealer back in the 80s and 90s. I was in the first Mazda troubleshooting contest in Arizona in 1989, I made 2nd place. Thanks for all the great videos! I really enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work.

[@drewfleming7065]

Its reverse gear...common problem, easy fix....happens a lot in shipping and being set down hard standing bell housing face down or front impacts...the gear is only held in place by a ball detent between reverse and 5th on the internal shaft and can move forward jamming up the forks....Some trans you can get to reverse gear through the fill plug...slid it back and your good. In the video it was 5th/reverse shift rod that was out of place, moved forward...the shift detents keep you from getting into 2 gears at once and can not get jammed up or its broken...

[@SLYDIT]

Google "Miata stuck in reverse". It's an easy fix by just pulling the reverse switch and using a screw driver to reset the linkage. It happens when people FK around with the gear stick and shift direct from 5th to reverse when stationary

[@jevenator]

@@SLYDITthere’s a lockout to prevent you from going 5th to reverse.

[@thomasrbishop8736]

Outstanding video. Old guy here I'm sitting here on the senior center bus from a Walmart run. As a kid back in the late 60's I had a old 1965 Mustang 3 on the floor and I had to rebuild the transmission. It was my first time doing anything like that. It did work after that also.

[@George-Edwards]

Me too, 1st car 1963 260 V8 Comet, blew the trans, took it apart in my parents basement, went and got the needed parts (cluster gear and 2nd) from a Ford dealer put it back together, back into the car and it worked perfectly. Next car 1965 Mustang changed it from a 3spd to a 4 spd, I had some paper route customers that worked at Ford that got me a brand new 4 spd, (smile). Ford top loader, one of the best 3 & 4 speed transmissions ever in my opinion. I pulled the one out of my 70 429 Cobra Jet Cyclone Spoiler once to work on the clutch and it was the first one that I just couldn't use muscle back in. I was working pt time at a gas station while in the USAF and the owner said here set it on this floor jack and we got it back up & in NP. God how I hate being old now, 75 in May, Tear.

[@yeahitskimmel]

​@@George-EdwardsOoh that top loader is a great one to drive a car with

[@randomsomeguy156]

@@George-Edwards I've blown a lot of trans in my car but never needed to rebuilt nothing... Hmm I'll keep it in mind and send them an invoice if something goes wrong down the line...

[@phlodel]

@@George-Edwards For some reason, I tore up the Munchie transmission in my Pontiac GTO several times. Being an aluminum case, I could muscle it in and out.

[@Paul1958R]

303 Toploader. Good transmission

[@PaulLorenzini-ny2yw]

I almost spit out my soup during your intro. almost.

[@user-ru3rq4jv3f]

lololol

[@DanMasters]

He said the quiet part out loud!

[@MrHanichak2]

The fact that I finally get to see the inside of a manual transmission since I drive one. It really lets me know more about how I'm driving! And I'm so happy that I don't set my hand on the stick! 😂

[@frankdesbaux]

I only hold mine when in third....to stop it from popping out.

[@MrHanichak2]

@@frankdesbaux I've only had that happen once while I was on the highway and I hit what I would consider to be a speed bump from the road. Buckling but since they fixed it it's not that bad anymore!

[@frankdesbaux]

@@MrHanichak2 You need to drive older crap then.

[@timfellows9898]

What’s a shop teacher???

[@MrHanichak2]

@@frankdesbaux so what does old mean to you? 10, 20, 30 years plus?

[@FinnBojorgensen]

You have earned a new fan, maybe your youngest fan ever... A few weeks ago, my grandson, just turned three, joined me behind my computer watching you tear down an engine. He stayed there watching for over ten minutes and then went to some other occupation. Ten days later, he joined me and immediately asked me to put on a video. I suggested a cartoon, but no. He wanted to see mechanics. I switched to a car repair channel like Rainman Ray's, but he insisted that I switch to "the channel where the man takes apart things". I opened up one of your videos and he was happy ! He stayed watching for quite a while. I think that my next gift for him will be a set of spanners... 🙂

[@davestark2015]

Intro was way wicked funny. And your honest approach to business is something we don't see much anymore. Thank you. Cheers Sir.

[@GeekBoyMN]

I learned as a teenager in auto mechanics to not use the gear shift as an armrest or the clutch pedal as a footrest.

[@barneymiller6204]

This was a fine teardown, didn't mind that it wasn't an engine at all.

[@TurboJoe304]

Watching you abuse that 3/8 stubby impact was what made me finally get one for myself and my obs lsx build

[@samholdsworth420]

🙌🏼 OBS 🙌🏼

[@bradhaines3142]

he doesnt abuse it at all, he literally breaks the bolts with a bar or rachet, then uses the impact to get the easy stuff. he's being delicate with it if anything lol

[@alejandrogodinez5770]

I'm not much into cars, buf your videos I do like to watch. Partly because of the comedic bits here and there, but mostly because the sheer amount of knowledge you have explaining the teardowns. Also the integrity you show for your shop is a huge plus, so keep it up!

[@fuse8052]

Integrity. Eric is the definition of integrity. Entertainment is just secondary.

[@carsncabins1349]

I love how humble you are man.. you deserve every bit of success that comes your way

[@TracyCorbett]

Love the teardowns and mechanical content, but it's the business logic/commentary that make this channel super unique and valuable for me. Thanks for all you do!

[@christophertstone]

I'd call it rebuildable, but she's tired, and not worth the cost. Love doing something a little different. Keep it up!

[@dougdority5589]

Had a 90 mx5 , a known problem is a weak detent for the shift interlock dog. Had the transmission locked in 1st and reverse at the same time. Easy fix, (10 minutes under car) remove reverse switch and move reverse fork with a screwdriver. Dog then can move again. That transmission was fine for another 250k miles. I image a lot of people replaced their transmission because of this easily fixable issue.

[@rx7racerca]

I liked this, because I'm a huge manual transmission fan, but also because I've owned the RX-7 version of this transmission for 26 years, in the form of an FC. Glad to say when I've done my fluid, I saw nothing like the sludginess you found here.

[@paulvaz5846]

Hey Eric, thanks for that one! Never seen a gearbox dismantled like that

[@therealebolaboy]

Sir, that was the best opening 1 minute I've heard in a while. There needs to be an award for that. : )

[@cam32112]

Love the intro & the midweek videos. A little hump day happiness to get us through till Saturday! Thanks Eric!

[@tedsaylor6016]

As the owner of a '92 NA I super appreciate this video as the shop manual makes the dis-assembly of the transmission seem way more complicated. Luckily, when I have done fluid services on mine I didn't get glitter mud, and the plug magnet was pretty clean. Something you know but forgot to mention, the shift knob area has its own separate fluid from the gear area and I run SuperLube Synthetic Grease instead of fluid there - makes for buttery shifts.

[@PaulG.x]

In case you did not know: Superlube grease is available in several viscosities , one of which (NLGI-Grade 000) is like honey and is ideal for this application. NLGI-Grade 00 is the next stiffer grade

[@melvinjones3895]

Now he is a Gear head shifting into high. don't let your gear run dry. Thanks for the transmission show.

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

This is a pleasant change from pistons, rods, crankshafts, lifters and came. YES! I enjoyed this video. THANKS.

[@johnwardale6010]

Oddball tear-downs are the best! The business side is always cool too.

[@emilschw8924]

I agree with Eric 100%. Too many red flags with that transmission. Not worth the risk. Nice to have something different for a teardown, it was very interesting. Thank you

[@mattmcbee7109]

This is so cool. I own a 1999 Miata, and now I have a much better understanding of how it works. Cheers!

[@wbnethery3]

Eric is the medical examiner of the car world… doing autopsies, taking dead stuff apart not worrying about how to put it back together and make it run. So much less stress than being the doctor… his patients are already dead!

[@Mazdafan59]

I had a 72 vega with an opel sourced 4 speed. I broke that one 3 times. The most fragile transmission i have ever swa. I finally broke the cluster gear in half. With a stock 2.3 engine. I replaced it with a Saginaw that was built proof. Thanks for the video.

[@spazmorat]

In the late 70s I worked for a TV shop in Montana that had a 1969 Chevy van with a 4-speed column shift. The shift linkage was very flimsy, and if you weren't careful shifting out of reverse, it would leave the reverse fork engaged when you went into first and it would take 5 minutes of jiggling to get it out of first and get the lever back to reverse so you could undo it. My own car at the time was a 1974 Mazda RX-4, which had a 4-speed that I broke by power-shifting from first to second whenever I could because it could spin the tires (hey, I was a kid!). Anyway, great video as usual!

[@wernerdanler2742]

I tore up the clutch in my 69 428cj Mach1 Mustang power shifting, but the gear box didn't bat an eye.

[@spazmorat]

@@wernerdanler2742 The part of the transmission that broke in the RX-4 was the collar that the selector slides on but the gears and shafts were fine. I'm pretty sure the spinning of the tires in 2nd and sometimes 3rd was related to the flywheel inertia at 7500rpm more than the 140hp of the motor!

[@nigelalderman9178]

Surprisingly nice. Rebuilt a FIAT 5 speed in the 70s the input and output shafts were dogged together for fourth. These were worn and jumped at greater than 3/4 throttle. My Mercedes 307D truck 4speed was caught in a flash flood. Didn't see it but mud was half way up the doors. Everything seemed fine. A month later went on holiday. Came back and the gearbox was noisy and stiff as hell. Drained out only rusty water. Flushed and filled with new oil.....it was fine for another 100k miles (death of truck chassis)

[@ads1035]

I've actually got an NA Miata right now, with that 5-speed transmission. Its so awesome, seeing how it works. A lot of us enthusiasts love to go on about how simple manual transmissions are compared to automatics, but there's still a lot of admirable complexity in there.

[@jfan4reva]

Design of manual transmissions, with all the synchros, shift forks, and gears compactly fitted together and set up so that everything works when it should and nothing works in neutral is one of the lesser of the dark arts. (I obviously know nothing about transmissions.)

[@CapnCelTiar]

A surprise to be sure but a welcome one at that

[@sta3539]

I can smell this video from here

[@thecatofnineswords]

It's good to see Blue doing detailed work @13:50. He's not just a brute.

[@gryfandjane]

Good one, Eric! Transmissions are fascinating. I know enough about them that I’ve vowed never to take one apart…

[@09corvettezr1]

Worth mentioning that 4th gear in this transmission(assuming these are single overdrive units) isn’t really a gear in the conventional sense. Selecting 4th simply ties the input shaft to the output shaft, for a ratio of 1:1. When any other gears are selected the input shaft spins the counter shaft, and the counter shaft spins the gears on the output shaft, whichever gear is selected is connected to the output shaft via the hub and collar assembly.

[@user-jk8li8bv7i]

I feel like I'm watching one of Richard's videos from Precision Transmission. I rebuilt my 4R100 from my 2001 F25 PSD. I had no clue what I was doing and was drunk the whole time. Six years later, still my daily driver.

[@steveblackbird5174]

Ahhh love a manual transmission breakdown. Pretty cool to see that one small nylon bushing can bring everything to a complete stop. The Miata guys would appreciate that. Decent amount of forbidden glitter in that one.

[@robert-ne1835]

I very much enjoyed this video. I have never seen inside a manual, and probably never will in person. I like learning about stuff in general, especially anything mechanical, so my vote is for more like this.

[@Gapines23]

Stay safe up there this afternoon, looks like some rough weather headed through and tornados just outside St Louis.

[@Rtryanp]

I had suggested a failed cvt but this is also good, he is always super good about listening to his viewers, i think he did like 3 engines i asked for, best engaging KZbinr i know, I’m a genuine fan and i will watch every video he puts out!

[@jppagetoo]

That was cool. I learned something new today. I have never done anything with standard transmissions.

[@woahhobble_]

Laughed so hard at the thumbnail it looked like you were about to absolutely rock that transmission

[@charleserickson7503]

Good day for South Africa that gearbox is still brand new inside . That 5th gear looks great.May you have a nice day bay.

[@TedSchoenling]

Pig mat should be a sponsor at this point....

[@zwhitehead403]

If they haven't secretly given him 5k in cash in an anonymous envelope they're crooks

[@zwhitehead403]

If they haven't secretly given him 5k in cash in an anonymous envelope they're crooks

[@jfan4reva]

Bet Eric's been tempted to use some when changing diapers (lol!)

[@Sir_Uncle_Ned]

That knock off joke caught me off guard. Well done!

[@yeahitskimmel]

Man the looks of an RX anything, with the actually living with in real life of a Miata engine, would be a sweet ride

[@kschulz76]

Won’t leave my hand on my shifter anymore. No one ever told me that wears anything out lol

[@rickh8380]

I had a 1987 Mazda B2000 that I had a hard time shifting from 1st to 2nd when it was cold. I bought the truck new. Yeah I know, I should have taken it back to the dealer to look at or fix. One day I was looking in the back of a Car and Driver magazine and saw Red Line oil. So I bought three or four quarts of their MTL oil. What a difference. It shifted like butter cold or hot. I recommend that oil to anyone with a manual transmission.

[@boogerhead0]

Thanks for posting this operational. I have not seen a 5-speed (exactly like this, except for housings), since 1980. Mine was a Borg Warner 5-speed in a 1978 Buick Skyhawk. . As you were shifting it through the gears, I knew, a priori, exactly what was going to (and did) happen (happening), as I had watched mine during rebuild.

[@johny2469]

14:39 I know he’s not reusing it but I can’t be the only one who chuckled at using the hammer on the input shaft but the rubber mallet on the bell housing 😂

[@pcallah3442]

Looks like a fairly sturdy gearbox.

[@innesm]

It fantastic to see something different. I could never fathom out how the hell gears worked. But a big massive thank you to you. I now have some knowledge of what goes on. Keep up the great work Eric. See you next teardown.

[@Sleepydwagonman]

I had a similar with a FWD transmission. It was tough to get into gear and sometimes I'd have to coast a bit. So when I got the car home (I'd not long bought it off my mum in a bit of a car shuffle !), I changed the gear linkage bushing* and the gearbox was fine for the 30000+ miles I put on the car over the next year and a half 😀 Thanks for this one, instructive and it's good to look inside all the different bits and pieces that make up our cars :-) *Instead of the shift lever going straight down into the back housing, the lever went down to a rod that went forwards to the FWD transmission. Then there was a cube-ish bushing that linked that rod to the one going into the gearbox. The bushing was shot there too ... Think that was like a £10 part and an at home fix. Job's a good 'un :-)

[@mateosanchez4623]

Anything you do that's from a car is welcomed. Thats the name of the channel, "I DO CARS" not just engines alone

[@polaris6933]

It was pretty cool to see a transmission deep dive, keep doing off-beat stuff! Also, it's always interesting to hear the business logic behind your decision cause it's not something most people doing work on their own cars would consider.

[@emilschw8924]

Transmission's back on the menu, boys!

[@TheNationalTrails]

4000 rpm at 80mph with 40mpg on Dec of 1989 build. Had Jackson Racing headers and polished the MASS Air flow sensor, throttle body, and exhaust ports. The intake was super throaty for a 1.6, actually loader than the exhaust.

[@ScottJ175]

Thanks for this one. I have successfully rebuilt one transfer case (1990 Bronco) and one automatic transmission (2003 Dodge Ram 1500). One of these days I'd like to tackle a manual transmission.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Gearboxes that OEM were "redesigned" from a 4 speed to a 5 speed (1970s to 1980s) sometimes required far more fluid in them... way above the unchanged position of the 4 speed fill point on the trans case.. An extra litre or two of fluid needed to be tipped in via the shifter being removed.... which was also a good time to check the plastic ball-bushing....

[@ronriley952]

Transmissions are fascinating. Thanks for the teardown.

[@jamesclapp6940]

the induced slop in the shifter mechanism is an equation where each out of tolerance part ads to the problem!

[@paulodisano502]

Absolutely love your channel, Peter. Going to be nice watching you restore this beautiful Tundra to its original state. Cheers my friend.🇨🇦🇺🇸👍

[@ivertranes2516]

A rotary swapped Miata sounds fun!

[@johnelliott7375]

Was worth every second of watching it.

[@jasonwitters7860]

Thanks , love all your teardowns.

[@The3chordwonder]

I'm definitely liking the trans teardowns, keep it up and let's see some T5 and some Subi gearbox synchro-nuggets!

[@rleger123]

Loved it! Always fun viewing! Thamks

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

Interesting open design after the bell housing is removed!!

[@mikekuschka998]

Yes, the mistery behind the multi-cylinder explosion controler. Time to see how many booms make you go fast.

[@Chef42]

I enjoyed seeing a transmission teardown, thank you!

[@user-fi3fx5my2s]

Great vid! Fun to watch.

[@dot6849]

Thank you for taking the time to show all the parts and how it works. Very interesting.

[@johnelliott7375]

I'm happy to see you are tearing in to something different than a engine for a change! Going to be a great video! Thanks for sharing this with us!😊

[@peterwilding1203]

Thanks for this one Eric! Seeing the teardown gave me a much better understanding of what goes on - and what can go wrong.

[@CaptainSpadaro]

1:55 gave me a solid chuckle. Although... 4:05 kinda looks like the diff fluid that came out of a Titan that I worked on yesterday. 2011 truck, 53k miles...and 13 Illinois winters.

[@michaelskinner896]

Hey, this was a great tear-down! Thoroughly enjoyed watching the working gears and your explanation of the shifter/gear relationship.

[@TheRealTomLauda]

Oh i very much like those changes of pace ! Even if engine teardown is the star of the show, these "side projects" are very interesting. I assure you you don't have to apologize for it. Don't hesitate to try different things, i'm sure we would all watch whatever you do. In my case (and probably others), it's because i'm passionate about the subject, AND, your personality makes it so much better.

[@ohmyonionpie]

love it man, ive learned so much from you i cant keep track, the way you take things apart while talking about it is great.

[@yodasbff3395]

Good teardown. 👍 I replaced a second gear sychro in a 1984 Mercedes 190D, not too bad of a job. Manuals don't scare me but automatic transmissions do.

[@liver.flush.maestro]

I really like your introductions with extra info like the failure prone years, etc, very good to understand what second hand cars to get, thank you ❤

[@jdwxly]

This one was very interesting. Now I know what my shift knob is connected to in my '91 NA 🙂

[@akripper6248]

Nice change up from the always enjoyable engine tear downs.

[@Ab-om9qe]

Great video, love seeing the guts of a transmission!

[@FrankyRedEyes]

I appreciate your channel man.

[@richardgersch3175]

Also used in Ford Explorers and Rangers. I had 94 Explorer with this transmission with 120k miles; driving down the highway I lost power when a bearing disintegrated. Sounded like someone had thrown a handful of gravel in the gearbox.

[@coryholzhauer1049]

Love your vids bro!!!

[@walter68bug98]

Every time I look at the gears it reminds me of how the crank and cam gears look on my aircooled beetles engine

[@jimmyj244820]

Eric I’ve said a million times you would do very well at improv 😂

[@Patrick94GSR]

Man FINALLY! There’s like 2 Miata trans teardown videos on YT, and none of them go into this much detail of the parts and pieces. And none of the other ones are NB gearboxes. The factory service manual doesn’t show transmission teardown at all. I do have a whirring noise that stops on clutch pedal in, so I assume it’s the ISB. might have to look at replacing it someday and this video will definitely help. Doing the Miata gods’ work!

[@18Macallan]

Thank you Eric!👍

[@dennisgoans701]

Love the tear down. Always wondered how a trans worked. Many thanks From kansas

[@ike2010]

Great vid. Mixing up content every now and then is good (variety is the spice of life), and you’re a good dude who cares about his customers. 10/10 would buy a beer.

[@refurbansuburban]

Excellent Video, I'd never seen a transmission pulled apart before. Very cool!

[@pkfiedorowicz]

I learned a lot from this, thank you!

[@cordovanbee]

Thanks for this tear down, I learned not to rest my hand on top of the shifter!! Awesome to see how the gears interact!!

[@johnlacroix1639]

WOW amazing TY so much ,,Keep up the great work