calvin924597

So today I noticed some oil on my driveway... jacked up the car and it appears that the transmission casing is cracked. I just got the car 6 days ago... and this definitely wasn't disclosed when we purchased the car. Is it a difficult repair? And since I just got the car 6 days ago and have driven it less that 200 miles, is there some way to get the seller to pay for the repair? I took a pic of the crack... it looks terrible

iamthefollower

it was probably a sold as is deal, so you probably can't get the seller to pay, you could try some quick steele on it and see if it'll work. I know a guy here has done that before and it worked, but if it doesn't work then you might have to get the casing swapped or just put another transmission in.

calvin924597

I'll probably have to try the quick steele then... how much do you think a new housing is gonna cost? I'm not sure I want to do the labor myself.. this is my first car

Frozen E

You're probably better off just buying a new tranny. I'm guessing this is off a SOHC something or another. If so, trannies are a dime a dozen. Really cheap all things considered.

iamthefollower

well you might be able to find a casing, but then again they are kinda hard to find. If you can get any B series hydro tranny casing then it will work. but when I checked on one it was $50, but I had to check around the net. If you do the quick steele, then drain all the fluid out, clean where the crack is, put the quick steele on and then make sure it hardens before putting any fluid back in the transmission. if you make sure it gets heated and hardened and make sure you get the whole crack covered then it should work for you.

iamthefollower

this is true, if it is a single cam then you can find a whole tranny for cheap, I was thinking it was a B series for some reason lol.. I was thinking bout my tranny.. yeah if you need to then you can get a SOHC tranny for cheap and put it in.

calvin924597

How much do you think a SOHC tranny would be?

EDIT: Including labor... I dont have an engine hoist or anything

zXeX

If u quick steel it, it has a better chance of sticking it if you use steel wool or a wire wheel on a drill to clean the area around the crack.

calvin924597

would using that stuff keep the integrity of the housing? or is it gonna be weakened...

Frozen E

Automatic or manual transmission?
Check craigslist for the MSP area. There's a guy parting out an auto SOHC civic right now.
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/pts/1274873408.html

DOHC tranny
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/pts/1273598449.html

Another EX
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/pts/1271701550.html

As far as price to do the work....you're on your own on that one. Start calling shops in your area. I can swap a tranny without having to putt the motor in about 4 hours. Shops tend to take their sweet time so count on at least 5 hours. $60 and hour, you're looking at about $300 for labor. Give or take a hundred.

iamthefollower

it's going to harden up pretty good but it isn't going to be the same as the transmission first was. I mean you could use it and if it ends up not working you could buy you a tranny. If you were here I could get you a tranny and put it in for you for $350 but looks like you are way off from Georgia.

calvin924597

Well I guess I'll have to try the quick steele then... im gonna give that guy parting out the civic a call... see how much he wants for the tranny. Whats a good deal for a auto tranny? I dont want to be ripped off.

What I'm worried about is the crack might be bigger than I think... If you look at the picture it seems like it goes around and under that end plate... which would make this whole thing a ton harder.

iamthefollower

true, it would be better just to get another tranny and put it in.. try and see how much it will cost for you to have your tranny swapped up there.

calvin924597

All the shops around here charge $100 an hour... It's ridiculous :/ And they'll probably go by the labor time guide in the books... so I'm probably looking at $400 in labor alone.

iamthefollower

do you know any "shadetree mechanics" up there?? if you know anybody like that then they might give you a better price on it.

calvin924597

Yeah, I don't know... I might just try to replace it myself. How long do you think it would take me to replace the whole thing? Its an automatic transmission. I have all the tools I think, except for the transmission hoist.

iamthefollower

if you can get someone to help you then you could have it done in around 5 hrs, but you have to get in there and do the job and get it done. Have you ever done any work on a car before?

NACvicSi

Unless it was stated to have a warranty a used car purchase is as is. I would clean it up real good (go ahead and drain tranny fluid), scuff it up with some steel wool, and lay some JB weld over the crack. Replace with some Honda MTF and should be good to go for awhile. Just keep a eye out for a cheap replacement tranny to buy when you find a good deal.

blacc_ej1

JB Weld?

NACvicSi

Available at any auto store or Wal-Mart

iamthefollower

lol jb weld comes in handy lol..

92lxsleeper

you don't need an engine hoist for the transmission lol. my si transmission weighs in at 66lbs.

calvin924597

Lol I doubt I could lift the transmission above my head and bolt it in at the same time... plus its an auto transmission so it probably weighs more

92lxsleeper

well once you get it lined up, there are dowel pins it sits on, so the transmission will hold itself to the block while you bolt it. but if you gotta pull the trans out, its a perfect time for a 5 speed swap. i just finished mine, along with a d15b6 TO d16z6 swap. new flywheel and a new stage 2 clutch kit

calvin924597

hmm... a manual would be nice. how much would it be to do a complete swap?