bandit67

Guys, just installed a JDM tranny in my 93 D15 DX. Original one had bearing that got too loud at only 389k miles.....can t believe this little trannies wont go 500k before wearing out..ha ha. New tranny seems to be winding motor up an extra 4 to 500 rpm s a highway speeds. What final drive ratio tranny were available from 93 to 2000 and how can I tell what this new used tranny has. I know these cars came with 13, 14, 15 and maybe 16 wheels and were the drive ratio s changed to accommodate. My gas mileage is suffering and I don t want to run these higher rpms if it came be improved with bigger tire/wheels. This little DX came with 13 inch and I have been running 14s as of last retire. any opinions....thanks

OneBadTurboCRV

Honda Tranny Gear Ratios

MFactory® Competition Products - Gear Ratio Calculator

bandit67

Thanks ONe Bad T, just what I was hoping to find. Couple of questions if you know. the chart lists only two code trannys, S20 and L3 , but I see several different ratios listed for each tranny.....anyway to know what you have if you do not know what it came from. Maybe the A003 or B000 will help. The chart list D series, so does that mean any D tranny from 89 thru 2002 will interchange correctly. I am assuming I went from a high 3 or low 4 ratio to maybe like a 4.250 tranny. Did any model cars come with 16 inch tires, like the EX. I put thousands of miles each month on the little car and getting the most gas miliage is what I am after. Hoping maybe and tire will work and I do not have to replace the tranny.....thanks again.

OneBadTurboCRV

Honestly, all the information you requested is in the first link I posted. Technically speaking, be it cable or hyrdo.D-series transmissions from 1988 - 2000 will bolt up any D-series engine in the 1988 - 2000 range. Of course, there are some variances with flywheels/clutch setups, but for this thread it's irrelevant as it pertains to cable transmissions


Looking at the link, you will see that L3 only pertains to cable transmission. In the USA those were discontinued after 1991. You have a hydraulic (hydro) transmission and it is much easier to identity than marking and counting revolutions like on the cable transmissions. So your concern is between 1992 - 2000 year range. Technically you would be looking for a 1992 - 1995 year transmission. The problem with JDM stuff is they are somewhat confusing because they don't follow the USA exactly.

Looking at the chart again, if you have the stamp of P20-A000 you have either a DX, CX, or VX transmission (from the sounds of it this isn't the case). If you have the stamp of P20-B000, then you have an EX transmission. You need to look by the fill plug for this stamp (passenger side, between the where the axle goes into the transmission and the rear crossmember).

So, then if we move to the second link I provided, you can literally take the ratios in the first link and play with your tire size until you get what combination you currently have. From there, you can further play with tire sizes to get where you want to be. Generally speaking, rim size doesn't mean anything. Of course there are minimum overall tire sizes you can run on a given rim and brake clearance issues, but none of this pertains to our discussion.

So as long as you can get the right tire size for whatever rims you choose, pick what you want. If you are after gas milage though, pick the lightest wheels you can and the firmest tire you can find. The only issue you might run into with your current situation is being physically limited in the tire size, since you WILL need a taller tire to compensate for the shorter geared transmission.

Just to recap, all the information you need is literally in those two links I provided.

bandit67

Thanks again, Looked this morn and I removed aP20 A000, the original for the DX and installed a P20 B000, from an EX, it appears. And yes , I see , my goal will be to get the tallest tire possible. Just looking at the chart I was not sure how you had so many 5th gear drive ratios the same but the listed final was so different. Figured in must have been because of tire sizes.....thanks for the time to get me looking in the right direction.

bandit67

Still cannot get that second link to work for me....thanks anyway.

OneBadTurboCRV

The second link is just a manufacturers gear calculator. You may need to use an actual computer and not a phone. They changed the website and it doesn't work well with phones or tablets anymore.

MFactory® R&D - Performance Driveline Solutions

If you know your information, there are plenty of tire size calculators out there, just search Google. The final drive changes how the entire transmission feels, just like changing tire size. Some of those transmissions are made for extreme gas milage and is why the FD changed rather than the gears. It's more cost effective from a manufacturing stand point if you think about it.