Mazda Trans @%&#@

[bishopma]

I have a 94 Explorer that currently has 10200 on it. At about 85K I noticed that it was hard to put into first or reverse when stopped. A little research yielded the slave cylinder problem. I decided to let the problem go and at about 95 the slave finally gave out and I put the truck in the shop for a complete clutch job. Yes, I had the rubber plugs replaced with the metal ones. After the job was "finished" I was still having the same problems. I took it back to the shop and they said the clutch needed to loosen up and all was fine. Well, about three months later the slave let go again (at least that was what the shop told me). All I know is that I had no pedal. They replaced the slave (or so they said) under warranty. Well its been about two months know and here is the list of problems. 1. The clutch seems awfully tight and does not engage until the pedal has almost reached the floor. This also complicates starts since there is very little play before the clutch is fully engaged. 2. It still has some problems with first and reverse sometimes. I have also noticed that when approaching a stop and trying to put the trans in first it has a tendency the grind and kick the lever out of the gate even when the pedal is to the floor. What gives? Is this an adjustment problem or a more ominous trans problem? Thanks.

 

[Brett]

Your problem is probably not the slave and clutch. From your posting, it sounds as if you have already replaced these parts. I had the same problems at 67K in my 94 sport. I had the clutch, slave, and tranny done at the same time. Your problem is very common to the 1st/2nd gear slider. You will probably have to have the tranny rebuilt to fix this problem.

Keep us posted on what you find out.

Brett

 

[PunkChild]

I don't know what the problem is with the Mazda tranny, but I've had my share of the problems. I only have 45,000 miles on my 96 sport but I've gone through 2 tranys and 5 clutchs. At 38,000 I somehow managed to blow the reverse gear to tiny bits, thats the first. Then at 41,000 I snapped the input shaft in two (according to the dealership I was going somewhere around 20-30 mph in reverse, I then put it into 1st gear and then I droped the clutch). I don't know what the deal is but if you find out what it is, please tell me.

 

[rpenner54]

Uhh... If you are going 20-30mph in reverse and throw it in first no wonder you have had so many problems! If you stop to think about what you did, it would make sense. You basically took a moving object that probably weight over 3500 lbs stoped the motion of it, right away, and tried to make it go forward. Well something had to give and it was the gear, or clutch. I know that when I was taught to drive a clutch you were not supposed to do anything like that!

Anyways back to the original problem, I agree with Brett. My Tranny is starting to do the same type of thing. I think I might try bleeding the clutch to see if that fixes it first, if not that then I will have to drop it to replace the slave cylinder, and probably do the clutch at the same time just because I am in there.



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Ryan Penner
1992 Explorer Sport

 

[DrewP]

I'm not Ford Explorer expert, but I have had a lot of experience with Toyota hydraulic clutches and know that BOTH the master and slave cylinders will fail. Have any of you replaced your clutch master cylinders? It should be a lot less work and $ to replace this than having the tranny rebuilt.

Drew Payne

 

[PunkChild]

Yeah I know what your saying with the reverse thing. The only problem is that I was starting from a complete stop when the input shaft snapped. I'm not as dumb as you may think.

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

I have not had a problem with the trans isself but have they checked the clutch mastercylinder... A few months after owning the truck I replaced the fluid in the trans with redline oil (it made a big difference in the shifter much smoother) But the loss in pedal pressure sounds like the master cylinder... My truck was on jackstands for a week and dropping the tranny and replaceing the slave before I found out that what was wrong...


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Kris Guilbeaux
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http://www.tisd.net/~guilbeau/explorer.html