M1MECHANIC wrote:I have read other places that this is a problem with some of the manual 5 speeds at around 120k or more mi. Most have fixed it by putting the guts in a 6-speed housing. For some reason some of the 5 speed housing are having problems, not a recall or anything just what other owners have said. I have the 6-speed GT so haven't had to worry about this but found out as i was researching befor i got my 03 vibe. You can look on line for a salvage yard and have the case sent to the garage you chose if there are no salvage yards around you.
Why not just put a 6spd in there in place of the 5spd?
Ask thebarber. He has put a 6spd into a base vibe before. shorter gearing so you'll have a bit more get up and go. You'll lose a bit of gas economy on the highways. But I think its a good trade off. I've also had a 5spd in my XRS temporarily. And it sucked ballz compared to the 6spd!
The 6spd and 5spd share the exact same housing and uses the same axles. It'll bolt right up!!! Any 6spd from 03-08 Vibe GT, 03-06 Matrix XRS, or 05/06 Corolla XRS will work. The Celica GTS 6spd will require some modifications to make it work on your vibe(pm me if you want details).
Also, you should be able to find a 6spd for cheaper than a 5spd.