Any difference between swapping a 4 and 5 speed...

[Zman86]

I recently bought another Festiva with intentions of swapping the trans out of it into my black DD since it is manual, but found out it was a four speed after I picked it up. I've now located a five speed for cheap that I would rather put in since i do a fair bit of Highway driving. I told the guys at work and they told me to make sure first that I can use the shift linkages from the four speed with the five speed. So I guess my main question is what are the differences, if any, between the two swaps. And I've allready ordered a clutch for the four speed.Are the clutches the same between the 4 and 5 speed.

Its been a long day at work and my brain isnt functioning all that great at the moment, so sorry about the crummily worded question above. And my questionmark key is broken lol.

[nonamekid]

You can use the mounts, clutch, shifter, etc.... The only difference between the 4-speed and 5-speed is what is inside the case, out side they are identical and use all the same parts. There were two different 4-speeds. One had a fourth gear that was similar to fifth gear, and the other had a fourth gear that was like a fourth gear from a 5-speed. I don't know how to tell the difference between the two, and I don't think anyone else does either. The one with the better gas mileage fourth gear was the common 4-speed and I think the other one was a california car, but I can't remember.

[m715]

Just mark the back up light connection on the 4 speed before you remove it. You will not use the connector next to it that activated the "shift" light on the second sensor next to it. This was not used, and there is no sensor for it on your new MTX. (shift light only used 1988&89 on 4 speed MTX) Otherwise, you could get those two mixed up when you go to plug it back into the 5 speed. You may also notice that your speedo will be 5 MPH faster than you are actually travelling with stock size tires. My 89 now can read correct speed with 195/70/13s. Everything else was a direct changeover with no problems when I installed a 92 5 spd in it with a crate engine.

[ejp2fast]

4spd has shift light, 5 spd does not.

[GenevaDirt]

umm....you have one more gear with the 5 speed....

I had a 4 speed.....it did not have a shift light.....

[Zman86]

Sweet, five speeds going in instead of the fourspeed. Thanks guys

[FestYboy]

Noname, you have it backwards, the Cali car got the milage 4 spd and the fed was the regular 4th gear. FYI

[nonamekid]

Noname, you have it backwards, the Cali car got the milage 4 spd and the fed was the regular 4th gear. FYI

I figured it would be that way. I seem to get some stuff backwards. Though I had a four speed that was the same as a 5-speed. Some of the weirdest stuff makes it to North Dakota.

[doylerl]

Just a quick ?... What if you use the speedo gear from the 5spd car? Will the speedo still be 5mph off? I have a whole car that I have at my disposal, and I'm swapping the 5spd into my 89. Thanks

[FestYboy]

all are the same, mazda used the same gear and ring for many cars of that era.

[doylerl]

If they are all the same, why does the speedo read 5mph off? Is there a way to adjust that without changing the tires?

[m715]

All my carb cars had the shift light with 4 speeds in the L series. I think nonamekids comments finally solved a puzzle as to why I always seemed to be going slower than everyone else while I still had the 145R12s on the car after swapping to the 5 spd. When I started the tire size/wheel change, GPS and portable radars on the side of the road now say I am dead nuts on correct speed now with the 195/70/13s. I was not aware there were different ratios on some MTX.

[FestYboy]

If they are all the same, why does the speedo read 5mph off? Is there a way to adjust that without changing the tires?

if you're refering to the car reading 5mph faster than actual speed, that was built into the car for safety/milage reasons. a taller tire rectifies this.

[FestYboy]

All my carb cars had the shift light with 4 speeds in the L series. I think nonamekids comments finally solved a puzzle as to why I always seemed to be going slower than everyone else while I still had the 145R12s on the car after swapping to the 5 spd. When I started the tire size/wheel change, GPS and portable radars on the side of the road now say I am dead nuts on correct speed now with the 195/70/13s. I was not aware there were different ratios on some MTX.

it's not the ratios that causes the change in the reading, the speedo gear is run off a ring on the diff housing which reads wheel speed. no matter what your ratios are, the diff is turning the same as your wheels. changing the ratios will change the engine RPM at a given wheel speed.

[m715]

HMMM... Wonder why the 175/60 13 reads correct in the other two..... Thought that answered the question, but maybe not. GPS reads correct in the two Camrys, Dakota,
and the Taurus to speedo. Maybe they didn't trust those 12" Yokos with no speed/mileage rating????
Oh, and I always thought it strange that actually the 4 speed is a 3 speed with overdrive. Confirmed by service manual, and that is what the window sticker calls it!