How-to: MS3 Pivot Shaft Seal, Bearing, Breather Replacement

[DynoBunny]

I know there was a write up on how to do this, but I think this being a little more thorough would help people who are less confident.

“jrzy ms6” did the original write up for the MS6. The MS3 seems to be easier.

First I ordered the part #s specified by “leo766” which are:
Bearing - A60217204
Breather - A60117530
Seal - A60117131

I’d like to thank Avondale Mazda @ Avondale Mazda Parts for the parts. Great prices and much lower shipping compared to some competitors.

Did this on my 2007 with 126,000 miles. It just started gushing one day after I had to slam on the brakes. If I knew it was a problem I would have done it before hand, guess I should frequent the forums more. Thanks to “jtaylor” for pointing me in the right direction.

ColdasFuk

Note: A lot of these steps could be skipped depending on what you’re replacing and how you like to work. I’m not in a rush when I work on my car so I was thorough and clean.

Here’s the parts:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-001

Here’s the tools I used in case you want to have them ready:
(You don’t need them all but I like to make things easy)
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-063

I jacked the car up, I’m tall:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-002

Remove whatever intake you have:
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Pop off the shift linkage. I used two small flat heads on either side.
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-004

Take out the two 12mm bolts holding the shift mechanism on:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-005

The shorter bolt goes in the back:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-006

I think this is the clip some people were referencing that could slide off into the trans. Since you take this part off before you take the pivot shaft out, just make sure it’s accounted for:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-056

Next take out the other three 12mm bolts that hold the shaft in:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-007
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This 14mm bolt is has the guide pin for the shaft so it needs to come out to pull the assembly out:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-009

This is self explanatory. I used a chisel, just stick it in the top and pull to the side. Works every time for me, and I feel safer than beating and prying on it:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-010

The inside, keep in mind you’ll need to fit the pivot shaft into that bearing in the bottom. It’s easy to get back in if you realize what you’re doing:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-011

Don’t get anything in there, you’ll need to clean that surface sometime before the final assembly. I use a razor and drag it away from the blade. Also put a rag in there to catch any accidental drops:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-012
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-039

Pull the assembly up and out, you’ll need to tip it forward a bit to get past the intake mount. Lay it down on something clean:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-013

See how the guide pin works:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-015

This pin has to come out. There’s two sides; one’s beveled, the other isn’t. This is the side it will go back in:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-016

This is the side you’ll tap it out from. I used a 5/32 punch:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-017
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Whenever I take things apart I mark them with a paint marker, good habit. Although this only goes one way, so you don't need to, but it’s still handy:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-019

Slide the piece off the shaft and then remove the boot from the plate:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-020
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-021

This is the piece that has all the parts you’ll replace. Here is the seal:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-022

The bearing:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-023

The seal came out really easy, I used my finger. If you need to get a screwdriver, just don’t maul the wall inside:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-024

I put it on two 2x4s and used a 19mm deep socket with a hammer to tap the bearing out. Also used a pair of vice grips to hold the socket, I don’t have the best aim with a hammer and it’s easier to hold. Always use safety glasses when hammering:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-025
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-026
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Make sure everything is very clean when you put the new bearing in. I applied some synthetic grease (mobil1) to the bearing to help it slide in. If you have a bearing press, great use it. If not a clean cloth, wooden board, and hammer will work just as good. Just take it slow, tap it in a little and make sure it’s straight. Once it’s in as far as you can get it with the wooden board, use the 19mm to go the rest of the way:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-028
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-029

Turn it over and make sure you’re in all the way to the lip. Don’t beat it in too hard or you’ll damage it:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-030

The seal goes in this way. I didn’t need to hit it in, just pushed it in evenly with my fingers. Again don’t push it in too far, just past the edge:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-031
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-032

I used that same 5/32 punch turned around to get the breather out:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-033
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-034

A 13mm deep will go over the vent but catch the lip to hammer it back in:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-036
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-037
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-038

Slide the cover back onto the shaft and attach the boot:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-040
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-041

If this piece came apart, it’s no big deal, it just slides over it:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-042
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-043

You can see how this only goes two ways, but if you do it the wrong way the pin hole won’t line up:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-044
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-047
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-048

When you put the pin back, hammer it in from the beveled side. Also the pin should have a slight taper. Put the smaller end in first. It should be just flush with the back side:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-049
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-050
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-051
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-052

I used Permatex gasket maker. It’s made to resist gear oil, specifically the additives for LSDs. Whether this is bullshit, idk. Be aware that this stuff takes 24hr to cure, you may want to opt for a different kind if you can’t be down that long:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-053
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-062

Make a small bead around. I go around the bolt holes as well. Keep the stuff to the outside edge since it’ll squish in:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-054

Here’s the big deal, put this mother fucker back in. This is how it should look when you’re ready. Make sure there’s NOTHING down in the hole. Be careful, don’t hit the sealant on anything. Remember you’ll need to have a slight angle to get it past that intake mount. There’s also that hole that you’ll need to line the shaft up in; it’s directly centered. If it gets to the bottom and won’t go the last inch, turn the shift mechanism a little back and forth and it will go. Be patient, be cool, you’ll get it in:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-055

Once it’s in put those three 12mm bolts back, but don’t tighten them down yet:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-057

Put the 14mm bolt in:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-058

Put the other piece of the shift mechanism in. See how it goes:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-059

Put the other two 12mm bolts in and tighten the four main ones in a criss cross pattern. I don’t have the torque specs but I did them around 15-20 ft/lbs:
ms3_pivot_shaft_seal_replacment-060

That’s it!

I took it for a hard 50 mile drive today after the sealant was finished drying and zero leaks.

I’d also like to note that I’m glad I did the bearing. I noticed a really nice difference in the shifter, it felt a lot smoother going between the gears, especially side to side between 2-3 and 4-5. I’m sure that made that difference.

[Jtaylor]

Damn dude, nice right up! Very high quality pictures and process documentation!

[DynoBunny]

Thanks man, small contribution for saving me the time of troubleshooting.

[LatinKraze]

Good write up. I never took out that bolt with the guide pin.

[Travisms3]

Great write up. I think the root of the problem is the breather getting gummed up. Do you think spraying out the breather with carb cleaner would be enough to fix it?

[DynoBunny]

I highly doubt it, this design is so simple and it's placement and the size of the vent would make it incredibly tough to clog. My old one was completely clear when I popped the cap off of it. Also when I ordered the parts it was a flat $7.95 shipping, the breather was only $6.31 so i just did it.

[coopsspeed]

Nice write up. Do you know exactly how it happened?

[DynoBunny]

Thanks. Are you asking how it leaked; the seal just wore out? You have not only rotational force applied to the seal, but also vertical force. They're just using a basic single lip shaft seal, it's cheap and effective for holding such a small amount of pressure.
I suppose they could have used something with a garter spring, double lip, made of Viton, but is it really worth the money? While they certainly would have sealed better, once they wear you're gonna have the same problem. Getting 100,000k+ miles out of it isn't a bad deal.

[coopsspeed]

Yea just wondering what caused it to leak. I saw you said slammed on the brakes then noticed it. This is the first time ive seen that problem. Curious as to how it leaked was all. Im getting close to 100k with my 07 speed so ill expect it and now know how to fix it. Thanks for the write up!

[DynoBunny]

My guess is the force of the oil sloshing up was the final push to kill the seal. It might have even been coincidental.

[franz]

Mine just blew out at 130k. The dealer said it cant be fixed and the whole shifter assembly needs to be replaced. I will be ordering the parts soon and attempting the repair.

[DynoBunny]

Wow! I always call them for a quote if I have something to fix. It's good for a laugh, and you can feel better knowing you saved $xxxx. This one they quoted me $1400, seems I had a similar response to others; them claiming they needed to drop the transmission and what not.

[Cheapspeed]

I really need to do this soon, but I'm going to look into that bearing and the breather after reading this thread. All I was going to replace was the seal. Love the detail in this how-to.

[franz]

I just did the swap this past weekend. Big thanks to @DynoBunny; for the how to. This repair is not in the factory manual, so if you go to the dealer they will tell you the whole transaxle needs to be replaced.

Couple of notes:
You can order the whole plate (#A60117470) which comes with a new boot, seal and bearing already installed. The only thing you have to buy is the breather. Its a lot more money, but its the only way to get the boot if yours is fugged up. Plus you dont have to worry about switching out the bearing.

I did the install without removing the guide pin. As long as the shift mechanism is in the neutral position it will come out. That being said, it would be a lot easier to just remove the pin. My OCC hoses were in the way so I chose the lazy but harder way.

Here’s the big deal, put this mother fucker back in. This is how it should look when you’re ready. Make sure there’s NOTHING down in the hole. Be careful, don’t hit the sealant on anything. Remember you’ll need to have a slight angle to get it past that intake mount. There’s also that hole that you’ll need to line the shaft up in; it’s directly centered. If it gets to the bottom and won’t go the last inch, turn the shift mechanism a little back and forth and it will go. Be patient, be cool, you’ll get it in:

I got hung up that last half inch or so. Took me 4 tries to finally line it all up. I kept letting the shift mechanism turn too much and it would line into the last notch. Patience is definitely key here. I may have messed up the RTV while doing this, so I will monitor it closely.

Overall it probably took maybe an hour or so with someone helping me. I will drive it a bit and do a fluid swap when the weather is a bit nicer, just in case any crap got in there.

[dagrimey1]

I did this too this weekend using this how to. Its a little different for the 6, only having to remove TMM. My transmission shifts so much better. 131k miles on the clock its now shifter when I bought her with 10k. Thanks.

[Mochi]

WOOT WOOT! great write up

[TiGraySpeed6]

Just ordered these parts...

90K+ miles on my trans, this certainly qualifies as old age maintenance!

[dagrimey1]

The breather isn't necessary as mine was good as OP but it's only like $4 so what the hell

[Cheapspeed]

I just did this. And without taking the whole intake out.

[sclark0610]

Great how to!! Banged it out in two hours today. Got my parts from Avondale Mazda as well. I live in AZ (Knoxville, TN transplant). Couldn't have done without the step by step making it as easy as it was. GO VOLS!!! #VFL

[DynoBunny]

Originally Posted by franz I just did the swap this past weekend. Big thanks to @DynoBunny I got hung up that last half inch or so. Took me 4 tries to finally line it all up. I kept letting the shift mechanism turn too much and it would line into the last notch. Patience is definitely key here. I may have messed up the RTV while doing this, so I will monitor it closely.

Good to know you can get the whole plate with everything installed, I never even thought about that. I'm sure the RTV will be fine, there's no pressure on it so it just needs to prevent the fluid thats sloshing up from spilling out.

[TiGraySpeed6]

Yeah, this how-to is the shit- on point all the way through. The only thing different was totally expected cause I'm a 6- the trans mount needing to be loosened to remove the one bolt under the mount. Everything else was exactly as shown.

For mine, I was seeing moist around the shaft, not the puddle. I found the issue when I pulled the 14mm bolt with the guide pin & heard the pressure in the trans vent out- yeah the breather, well, wasn't. Blowing through the breather vent after I removed it from the cover found it totally blocked.

Also, so glad I did the bearing!! So far I've only moved the car from the shop back to the top of the driveway and I can already tell how much better the shifting is because of that bearing. After 93K miles I'm not surprised it was in need of replacement, and it's a classic case of a part that ages so slowly you don't notice it until it's back in spec again.

So, for me the seal was secondary, the breather was the troublemaker, and the bearing might just be the best long term benefit for doing the job.

Thanks!

[nsxt2189]

I have noticed a bit of a leak for a while now, appears to be conducting on the same side of the vehicle... Initially i thought it was maybe due to the motor mount? But the fluid color is the same. It appears on the driver side, in a very similar fashion....

My question is, would you know if this would apply to a generation 2 MS3? I would assume that there is most likely similarities.... after noticing this leak did you replace any of TM fluid?

Also, would such leak cause issues with the TM and the sink rows? I noticed that shifting 2nd to 3rd is difficult under power.... Makes me think this has been my problem all along.

Thanks!

[DynoBunny]

I'm pretty sure this design carries over to the gen2. I know they changed the gearing but most likely the case and shift shaft is the same. If you look on top where the shift cables connect there should be transmission fluid collecting there if this is leaking.

Whether it would effect shifting; well if it leaked enough out that you're low on fluid then yes, it would definitely make shifting more difficult. I had just replaced the trans fluid 20k miles before when I did the clutch, so I just topped it off. You can take the fill plug out to check the level of trans fluid. Whether you want to replace it is up to you. I change my fluid around 40k usually (unless I was doing a lot of track days, then I'll change it after the season).

[nsxt2189]

I can confirm that this carries over entirely to the MS3 Gen 2.

I, however, was unsuccessful in removing the bearing. It was very apparent that the seal was the source of the problem. As you described in your post -- it was removed with little effort by using your finger.

I was careful not to damage the bearing. Without a bearing press I have no idea how I could physically remove this. Tapping it out almost seemed impossible. I spent thirty minutes attempting using lubricant to remove the bearing. The breather looked to be in fully functional condition....

All in all this instructions were spot on - easy to use. Took me roughly 45 minutes to pull the assembly apart. The trickiest part was getting the assembly back in. Like described - be patient. Thank you for all your help dynobunny!

-- Justin

[MazdaLand]

One of the best DIY's I've read on multiple forums. Nice job, great pics, & important info. Thanks! I sold my 07 MS3 with less than 80k, & my Genpu has only 61k so hopefully I have many more miles before needing this repair.

[Blueturtle]

Thank you very much for posting this guide! Unfortunately we did not have a press so we just left the original bearing in place. The local mechanic shop here quoted me $400 for the repair (without the parts) and said the car will need to be left in the shop for a day. We did the fix ourselves and the only hassle we came across was getting the assembly to come off the casing (the chisel trick wasn't working). Had to wedge a tire rod and slowly ease it off.

[dagrimey1]

You don't need a press to remove or install this bearing. The how to explain how to do without one. Replacing that bearing made shifting a number night and day difference.

Sent using Moto Fo Sho Doe

[Blueturtle]

Originally Posted by dagrimey1 You don't need a press to remove or install this bearing. The how to explain how to do without one. Replacing that bearing made shifting a number night and day difference. Sent using Moto Fo Sho Doe

Yeah we tried tapping it out with a 19mm deep well but we just couldn't budge it. I didn't want to risk damaging the bearing and then having it stuck inside.

[impossible]

Awesome writeup with great detail and high res pics, will be tackling this with a friend who did it on his 09 already but had no idea there were other parts I should replace besides the seal itself. Thanks OP!!

[dagrimey1]

Way to revive the dead,. Good thread though. Replacing the bearing will make a huge difference. The breather if it's not dirty there is no need unless you want to.

Sent using Moto Fo Sho Doe

[manu]

Wow thanks sooo much , this is a life saver for me too

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[manu]

I most likely have the same problem, since the guy from Firestone pointed out for me that i may have a leak by the transmission, only it must be very little since i m pk ing only in garage and not notice really any on the floor but it was really oily on the cars trans.. and never went on the track or barely driving it at all. .and all this at only 57k? , even though it is an 07 still its really early i think

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[Shadley]

Thank you soooooo much DynoBunny!

Just finished this job. I wouldn't have even tried this without your tutorial here. It wasn't that hard because I just followed the pics (and I wouldn't say I'm mechanically smart).

Dealer wanted to charge me almost a grand to do this. I'll have to see how it goes the next few days. If it works, I just saved like $900.

Thanks again guy.

[TurboKidd3]

great write up!!! made my life much easier. The details are amazing! By any chance do you remember what the play was like where the seal meets the shaft? Was there a light wiggle? just did mine and it had some play, I would think this leaves room for a leak. I'm just putting back together so I'm not sure if it leaks or not.

[rpetrenko]

Originally Posted by dagrimey1 I did this too this weekend using this how to. Its a little different for the 6, only having to remove TMM. My transmission shifts so much better. 131k miles on the clock its now shifter when I bought her with 10k. Thanks.

Can you please list what's different from this tutorial for MS6?

[Stuntjunki]

I'm new to this site and new to this car. I have an 08 speed 3 and I honestly wish I hadn't have bought it but this place gives me hope especially like dynobunnys write ups. I really hope to learn this site and these people accordingly. Thanks for everything in advance. Also isn't there an app for this site?

[Thor Hammer]

Originally Posted by rpetrenko Can you please list what's different from this tutorial for MS6?

How many old threads are you going to revive asking for part numbers and such? You need to read better and take some initiative.

Posted by TiGray in previous response in this very thread:

The only thing different was totally expected cause I'm a 6- the trans mount needing to be loosened to remove the one bolt under the mount. Everything else was exactly as shown.

[Brak42]

Great write up! I did this yesterday and test drive today. Leak test looks good but my shifter seems notchy and first is a bitch to get into. The bearing went in straight, so not sure what else it could be.

[Lex2007]

Having written many of these DIYs myself I can attest to how time consuming they can be and how much they interrupt the process. So I thank you. Gorgeous pictures, great detail.

- I simple pulled the unit up and the liquid gasket seal gave way. There is barely any sealant holding it in place

- Wish I had known about the bearing ahead of time. Its easy enough that Id it apart and do the bearing since you guys say it makes a noticeable difference. I think my baby shift just fine, but Ill take your word for it.

121k on my 2007.

This is a good time to change the gear oil if you need it.