So I've recently acquired a 91 4 door in dark grey win 170k on it, and the motor / body are in excellent shape, and the car is worth saving. When I got it, I noticed it leaking trans fluid from the bottom, so I threw it up on the ramps and found the leak coming from one of the trans case bolts, tighened that bad boy up, and no more leak. I was advised that reverse was sticky, and thus why I got the car so cheap. ($150) So I registered / insured it yesterday, and have come to find that this trans MUST have been run dry, because it hits hard from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, and then from 3rd to 4th, it just grinds. sounds like the gear just isn't making it in, or like shifting with no clutch in a manual trans. same noise. won't get into 4th if it's life depended on it. Do I call this trans ROASTED? I've got the chilton's manual for the car and the transaxle replacement is a job that's........"do-able". . . but wanted someone's advice if they knew of any tips / tricks to getting that 4th gear to drop in. Thanks,

BK

 

i say from the sounds of it that the synco's are no good, look for a new trans, try to get a si trans from any 88-91 civic or crx, they are 5 speed and yes it will boly up perfectly, its not to hard of a job to drop the trans and put a new one in. you can get a new one for around 75-150$ depending on where you look.

 

maybe I worded that confusingly, it's an automatic.

 

well then get a new auto trans, or you can do a auto to manual swap and make it manual. have you pulled the drain plugs and checked the fluids coming out?

 

You could try draining and refilling with Honda automatic fluid, generic fluids cause problems (which may or may not be cured by changing the fluid). To replace the filter, I think you have to take the transmission out of the car and crack it apart. By the time you've done that you should just replace it.

Also check the cable from the transmission to the throttle. It tells the transmission to stay in lower gears when you floor the gas pedal. If it's misadjusted or stuck, it would stay in low gears all the time.

 

Hmm. Thank you MK for a more technical response. I've checked the downshift cable and it is all free, and runs fine in D3. It slams hard in general when your on the gas, but it just has no desire to push into for 4th. I'm thinkin it's SMOKED.

 

My other question while we're on the topic, I've heard that it is not worth the aggravation or the time to transfer over to a 5-speed manual. I'd love to have it w a clutch, but i read that you need to weld in new trans mounts, new ecu, etc...

 

I'm pretty sure the auto to manual is all bolt-on stuff, no welding. You do need to change the ECU and rewire a couple of things, namely the reverse lights and the key interlock.

 

so while we're at it, are there any different alternative engine / trans combo's that drop into this car? i.e. a 2.2 ?

 

something with a more or less....Direct fit.....