How-to: Taller 5th gear using PSE/Escort gears

[sawo]

You can also use the 5th gear from Mazda 626 GE diesel cars (97 or similar year). The is the longest gear i have found so far. Here are some numbers from another forum:

34 counter(0.755/0.680) part 17-308
50 - 0.680 17-631C <-- diesel (626)
45 - 0.755 17-611 <--Mazda3/323 FS/626 FS - this is something in between the longest diesel 5th gear and the short mx-6/probe gear.

[MonoxideChild]

^ You can also get them from the 88-92 GD chassis cars also.

[sawo]

^ I guess they would be similar to the FS 5th gear ?

[MonoxideChild]

Its the exact same part # as the FS 5th actually. It was carried over from the GD.

[cacsmret]

Well, I pulled the trigger and changed 5th gear on my 95 PGT with an Escort gear set. The Pull and Save had 7 97 or newer Escorts, 5 of which were automatic's. The 1st standard tranny was ready for the picking, engine gone, it was just hanging there. As I started to chisel the nut, I noticed 5th gear was missing a tooth. Finally, on the last car, a 99, I found a good gear set. Cool thing, when I went to pay for it, they didn't know how to code it, so for $3.00 under miscellaneous parts, I got the gears. Installed, waiting for the gasket sealer to set. Tired of cruising 65 mph at 3200 rpm... Great thread!

[Eunos30x]

What are your rpms like now cacsmret?

I'm thinking of doing this as some point! The hard part will be sourcing the 5th gear. No 4cyl probes or mx6 here (australia). Only option is the 626 or Ford telstar 2.0L 4cyl models with manual I believe.

Am I right in assuming that having the 4.1 final drive gearbox AND having the longer 5th gear swap will result in a rather large rpm drop? I currently have the 4.1 gearbox from a MX6. 5th is still too short for a light MX-3 with a ZE in it.

[97-gts]

Eunos,

I think you will be right about the major rpm drop with that final, but I am unsure.
When I did the ZE swap last winter I got a fifth from an escort I think.

I made a really nice google doc if you would like:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

[97-gts]

Oh! almost forgot. One thing that I learned when sourcing the gear was that it doesn't matter how long of wrench you are trying to use to remove the locking nuts. Impulse is what counts. I spent about 30 min lying on my back in Jan/Feb in the cold Ohio winter trying to remove those damned lock nuts before asking someone near me for help. He tried his electric impact to no avail, and then took a hammer and hit my slew of wrenches with one hit and broke the nut free! I know I'm a rookie and others probably know this, but just thought it might help.

[Eunos30x]

Thanks 97-gts!

Any tips on removing 5th on a tranny that is already out of the car? I have a my old K8 tranny that I was playing with so I would be more familiar when doing the 5th swap with the one in my car.

I easily got one bolt loose, but then getting the other loose is impossible as it spins the shaft and the loose bolt no longer resists against it if that makes sense.

[KLZE Porsche]

Thanks 97-gts!

Any tips on removing 5th on a tranny that is already out of the car? I have a my old K8 tranny that I was playing with so I would be more familiar when doing the 5th swap with the one in my car.

I easily got one bolt loose, but then getting the other loose is impossible as it spins the shaft and the loose bolt no longer resists against it if that makes sense.

A penny between the gears?

[Mike 99]

Do this - from Post #25, JKpgt96

"put the car in gear, then remove the pin from the shift fork then engage 5th. This in effect locks up the transmission so it is easier to bust loose those nuts on the end of the I/O shafts"

Works really well, you will be done pulling the gears in 5 minutes.

[Eunos30x]

A penny between the gears?

Wouldn't that wreck the gears pretty quickly seeing as the gearbox is made mostly of glass?

[97-gts]

essentially, yes. In practice...more so. (*fingers crossed* yet to shred a gear here)

[panic37]

Excuse me for not reading the entire thread---just had a quick question. I'm in talks with someone about purchasing their rebuilt gt transmission. He said he used every gear from an SE and swapped them into the GT housing and needed up with a 4:11 final drive. Is that possible and or reliable. I know about switching to a taller 5th gear from an escort, just never heard of it. He said something about getting the idea from the mac1 build thread. Please shed some light on all this.

[KLZEEscortGT]

Can anyone verify that the festiva 5th will work? Or has anyone tried this yet?