ND Manual Gearbox Discussion

CeramicND · Postby **CeramicND** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 10:31 pm

As far as I am aware Mazda are now up to version 4 of the manual gearbox (version 2 was the major upgrade but has also had failures) and any car from November 2017 onwards will have the latest iteration fitted. There appears to be after-market 3rd and 4th gear sets available in America for MX5 Global cup cars but not currently available for road users. A UK user that races multiple ND's has also had multiple gear box failures and has apparently had gears made to order as his relationship with Mazda sound tenuous currently. Interesting times ahead?

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 11:13 pm

last page of MT.net ND thread Feel free to peruse the preceding 176 pages. :shock:

There is probably something on the big board, but I don't go there much these days.

:mrgreen:

CeramicND · Postby **CeramicND** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 6:35 am

Thanks, never seen that forum before. I read the Miata.net 26 page failed gearbox thread but that wondered off into meaningless gossip.

Luke · Postby **Luke** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:46 am

Yep, waiting for mine to break although since we are not even at 1500kms yet, I have some time to go.
Maybe I can get version 6 by then.

I don't know if Diffs have come up as a topic of discussion either yet.
At 1400km's the oil in our diff is showing what looked like small amounts of material floating in it by checking through the fill plug.
That is what my dad told me when he took it to Mania a few weeks ago.
Hopefully it is just a bit of crap from the manufacturing process and not the gears wearing down.
Next service will be dumping the oil out of it and having a look at what comes out.

CeramicND · Postby **CeramicND** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 7:55 pm

Changed the gearbox and diff oil at 28000kms. The gearbox sump plug had a little sludge on it with a few small metal particles (nothing I didn't expect with a few minor gear grinds in that time). The oil was grey and in my opinion due for a change.

The diff sump plug had a similar amount of sludge on it but no metal particles and the oil was still amber coloured and clean.

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Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:19 pm

CeramicND, ironic username choice given the subject of this thread and state of the ND's gearbox

CeramicND · Postby **CeramicND** » Sat Dec 16, 2017 7:23 am

Let's hope the username remains a reference to the colour and not the gearbox. Of interest, based on no other responses so far in the 'facts only' topic there appears to be only 2 manual gearbox failures in Australia so far and when you sort through the chaff on other forums, not too many elsewhere in the world. What is of greater concern is that some of those failures have been multiple gearboxes by a single owner. Here's hoping my other topic gets no more responses.

JBT · Postby **JBT** » Sat Dec 16, 2017 7:32 am

Bear in mind that most Australian MX-5 owners do not contribute to this forum.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Sat Dec 16, 2017 10:43 am

On the surface of it the gearbox mods and possible failures are not a good look. Needing to change oil and diff at 28000klm that seems a very short frequency? It gives an impression of a really underdone stripped out lightweight toy car. The story on the run flat batteries on RF also signals something that should not happen. The NA's were sturdy and reliable.JBT is right- many on forums are asking questions about old MX-5s as younger people cycle through to getting an SUV or a twin cab behemoth.