S.O.S. 96 MX-3 tranny dont add up

[burningsno]

Hey, I have not posted on the site but have been a member for awhile and have looked through many threads here that have been very helpful .

I am currently working on my 92 festy putting a 96 1.6 mx-3 drivetrain in. I have most things figured out and it is mounted up.

The thing I am confused about is my transmission was supposed to be a F25M-R according to sources found here. When I first checked the mx-3 out, i saw it had an intermediate shaft which is not supposed to be on an f trans from what I have read here. So I went ahead and assumed it was a g series thinking maybe cause it was the last year they made the mx-3 here in Canada, they just threw it in for fun.

So today i got my capri xr2 axles to find out they don't fit. Many obscenities followed..
What I have found is that the output to the axles accepts a 24 tooth shaft which is what the intermediate shaft is. BUT the other end of the intermediate shaft that goes to the cv axle has 28 splines. As we know the capri xr2 cv axles have 26 spline from intermediate and tranny.

I am really not in much of a position to pay a ridiculous amount for custom axles since am going to school and now i need to make back the money from the capri xr2 axles. Any ideas or knowledge of this or any other cars with the same tranny would be an extreme help.

I am sorry if this was explained somewhere and i did not find it in my search, if so just tell me where to go. Thanks.

P.S. I am running the aspire brakes and suspension conversion so I will have an extra half inch on either side for axle length.

[JPT]

This came out of an MX-3?

I'm no expert, but the only transmission I know of that has 28 splines and a B-series bellhousing comes out of a Kia Sephia (98 and up).

Hopefully, someone more knowledgeable will chime in.

[burningsno]

Yes the the entire drivetrain came from a wrecked mx-3 that I bought it still drove b4 I parted it.

[Damkid]

The MX-3 is based off the BG chassis where our festivas are based on the BF chassis, thats where the differences are in the axles (length and spline count), so yes the axles issues are going to be a real headache for you, you will not be able to use the MX-3 axles for the swap unless you somehow figure out a hybrid axle that would work,

i have been working towards putting a KL-ZE in my festiva and i've swapped the diff's in a Probe GT tranny so it will accept the 323 GT/Capri axles

Here's the thread that shows my progress

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25209

I don't know if what i've done will work for the MX-3 tranny, but i hope it helps

[burningsno]

Hmm that looks like it would work but 323gtx's way too rare here and i don't really want to rip everything apart again.

Do you think regular 323 axles might work for the time being even tho it will have a real long passenger one like the festiva? (without using my half shaft that is)

[Damkid]

The capri axles you have are the same thing as the 323 GT ones i have, the 323 non-turbo axles that have the long axle like the festiva are from the F-series tranny and have a different spline count where they go into the tranny, so they won't work in a G-series tranny either

But again i'm not too familiar with the MX-3 tranny and how different it is compared to the Probe GT/MX-6 tranny's

[burningsno]

Ya i knew the capri xr2 and 323 gt axles were the same. I was just thinking the mx3 tranny I have is kind of like a combo of the f and g series because I found it to have 24 splines to the axles like the 323 non turbo, but it has the half shaft like the g series, so in theory, I am hoping the 323 non turbo axles will be the right length and I can use them until manufacture a hybrid passenger axle so i will be able to use my halfshaft.

[nonamekid]

If the axles that went into the transmission had 24 teeth than it is an F-series. Ignore the intermediate shaft as it could be 1996 only. The US did not get the mx-3 in 96 so I can not verify any information about it. From my understanding the 1996 mx-3 was unique in many ways and that may be one of them. Use the axle from a 1986-1989 non-turbo 323 and you shouldn't have a problem.

[Biff]

Would it be possible to take your shafts apart and replace the splined end with one of your festiva's.
I just rebuilt a pair of axles using the boots I had from a chevy sprint.
just a thought

[Damkid]

If the F-series tranny axles will work in an 96' MX-3 tranny that would make a V6 swap so much simpler then what i did

Try them out and please report back what you find!!

[Damkid]

I just realized your trying to use the 4 cyl. instead of the V6 tranny ops:ops:

[burningsno]

Ok guys this sounds good . I'm thinkin we are on the right track here, this year of mx-3 IS unique, but the 86-89 323 NA or 86-89 tracer NA should in theory work. I'm goin to try to make it to junkyard tomorrow to find some.

I do plan on making the intermediate shaft work, using seamless pipe and half an mx3 shaft and half a festy/aspire shaft. But I'm hoping I can just use the 323 ones for time being because my explorer I killing me in fuel bills.

[burningsno]

Would it be possible to take your shafts apart and replace the splined end with one of your festiva's.
I just rebuilt a pair of axles using the boots I had from a chevy sprint.
just a thought

oh yes and I did take apart the axles themselves but the mx-3 has much bigger ends then the festy, and different number of splines on the shaft itself. I have been running in circles for the past couple weeks on what would work. I even considered using my mx-3 hub and brake assembly but of course the stupid hosers had to use a larger diameter shank for the lower ball joint on the mx-3. This sucks cause I think it would have fit besides that. and I know if I pressed them out and tried a swap they would get damaged.

I refuse to give up on this car, It is going to work whether it likes it or not!

[Nerd Racing]

just use the BF f-series axles and you will be just fine.

[burningsno]

just use the BF f-series axles and you will be just fine.

Ok what are these axles in? I take it a 86-89 tracer or 323 like stated previously right?

But anyway I found a guy with some 88 323 axles today for 40 bucks and will get them on weekend I am thinkin.


found a festy wing at the junkyard today for $50, pretty friggin pumped about that!