bthomas67wagon

I just bought this car w/240,000 miles and have been driving it everyday for the last month and am thrilled to be getting 36-41 mpg (since I drive an hour each way to work).

This morning at a stop when I went to go into 1st, it started whining. It freaked me out!! I noticed that when driving it's fine and no whine. When the clutch is pressed in and I'm in neutral or just in neutral, no whine. When I have the clutch pressed in and am in gear but not accelerating, it whines. (hopefully that makes sense)

The only other oddity, is when I went to go into 5th on freeway, it feel like it won't go, but after a try or two it went. (maybe I was just flustered...)

I dropped it off at a Goodyear for an oil change and have them look at it, but wanted to see what other CRX owners with specific exp have to say?

Fluid Low?
Throw out bearing?
Input Shaft bearing?

TIA!!
-Brent

Freemananana

iTrader: (3)

Whining is generally bearings. Do you know if the clutch has been replaced previously? Could just be improper lubrication during installation.

bthomas67wagon

Idk what has been replaced and or when. Since everything seemed to be functioning and everything looks fairly OE (of course w 240,000 miles surely things have been replaced!!) i havent really poked around it too much...

bthomas67wagon

So Goodyear doesn't know, but suggesting I go ahead and have trans dropped and replace the clutch/pressure plate, flywheel and throw out bearing to see if that fixes it. ($550 in labor, plus parts...)

Looking at Rockauto, I can get the kit for $120 and flywheel for $50-60.

So, I'll probably do it myself this weekend or next. What else should I replace while I have the trans out?

Input Shaft Bearing?
???

Freemananana

iTrader: (3)

I'd replace the clutch, pressure plate, resurface the factory flywheel, new axle seals (if they look worn), throw out bearing. Check for damage while you are there. I'd just check everything and replace anything that is suspect.

bthomas67wagon

Tomorrow O'Rielly's should have my...
- Clutch Kit
- Flywheel
- Input Shaft Seal

...but can't find...
- Input Shaft Bearing (or number to cross)
- Counter Shaft Needle Bearing"

What other bearing or hard parts or seals will I want?

bthomas67wagon

Wow did the Goodyear techs have to put 50-60 miles on my car to see the issue?! >

Well, the drive home was interesting!!
So...
- if the car is in neutral and the clutch is engaged or disengaged = no whirring.
- if the car is in gear (1st) and clutch is disengaged = whirring (like a spinning bearing)
- if the car is in gear (1st) and the clutch is engaged (moving forward) = no whirring or at least not much

It's hard to get into any gear now. Like a wall is stopping my shifter from getting into gear. If I keep trying or engage and disengage, it will sometimes go into gear.

It's REALLY sounding like the throw out is my issue. Maybe the spring broke or something and is allowing it to turn and not engage flush?!

Once in a gear it seems to be running fine with no noticeable issues.

Advice is welcome!!

Looks like this Saturday I'm diving in...

smilindave

wrong oil in trans, replace the throwout bearing. I prefer and recommend the oem replacement, manufactured by exedy, had a bad experience with a non oem clutch.
Regards
Dave

Freemananana

iTrader: (3)

Exedy +1. Very good set. Get the OEM disc, pressure plate, and throw out bearing kit. Super well priced. Check their official website for the part number and search it on eBay. Very fair deals.

bthomas67wagon

Well, to the people on Honda and CRX forums that say they pull em in 45-60 mins, I give you Kudos!!!! I'm no rookie to working on cars, but 90% of my exp is in American cars, so this CRX trans took me 4-5 hours to get out. :/

So, I picked up ALL the trans bearing and seals from Honda today (except for the two needle bearing and a dust seal, which he said he couldn't get).

WHERE is a good source for seeing how a CRX trans is disassembled?

I was looking at:
http://www.honda-acura.net/forums/do...ld-89pics.html

I really just need to replace the seals and gears and am not touching the gears.

Thanks

bthomas67wagon

I'm having a hard time finding articles and info, but this look like a GOOD ONE!!!!

URL:
https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-crx-ef-civic-1988-1991-3/well-its-almost-been-year-time-build-thread-wizco-56k-get-lost-1998300/

smfq189ef

sounds like the throw out bearing, mine does the same thing!

bthomas67wagon

It look some time, but after tearing the transmission down, only 1 big internal bearing seemed to be making noise. The throw out bearing wasn't too bad and while was a little loose, wasn't tore up or making noise. Either way, it got replaced as well as a couple of the internal bearings. I wanted to replace all the bearings, but most of them sounded good and were smooth and without the appropriate puller, I left them.

Everything spun smoothly and I have no binding, but am curious if there is anything I should double check before reinstalling? I can twist the shifting shaft to the left and to the right and the gear selector moves across the 3 paws, but IDK exactly what it's doing? (when I twist the selector to the right there is a louder click then the smoother twist to the left)

Advice welcome
Brent

Freemananana

iTrader: (3)

Just check clearances with some feeler gauges so that they are within spec.

bthomas67wagon

So, after everything, I think it was the clutch (see below) spring(s) had busted loose and was rubbing on the pressure plate. What do you think?

The throw out bearing seemed okay (but was replaced anyway) and while I went ahead a replaced some of the transmission bearings, the input and output seals, new CV shafts and the clutch/pressure plate/flywheel, the only items that really didn't feel right were...

- The clutch springs against the pressure plate
- The ISB (input shaft bearing) had one ball that was pitted and was making a little noise.

I ran out of MTF last night and need to get my CV shafts FULLY seated (about 1/8 to 1/4 inch gap on each), but after that I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be back on the road!!!

Freemananana

iTrader: (3)

You may be right with the spring coming unsprung. I have had that happen. Once the spring comes all the way out, the clutch pedal feels like a box of nails. It's a pain to push and often won't engage.

To seat the CVs all the way, use a 2x4 piece of wood and maybe a cloth. Put it on the inner joint, near the transmission, and tap it with a hammer. Should seat itself pretty quickly and easily.

Did you 'resurface' the flywheel? Basically cleaning it and rubbing it with scrotch pads or high grain sandpaper.

bthomas67wagon

CV Axle seating - I was reading that with the lower ball joint and what ever the forked vertical suspension piece is undone, you can swing the spindle with some momentum and have it "pop back in" the diff, but since I'm already assembled and on the ground again, I'll have to try the block of wood thing. I was really hesitant and about hitting the part of the CV Joint near the trans because it's covered with the rubber boot and didn't want to damage a new axle w new boot!!

Flywheel - Nah. At $50-60, I was fine with just getting a new one. In addition I didn't really know what mine was going to look like and wanted the parts on hand instead of waiting 1-3 days till it came in.

Thanks
Brent

Freemananana

iTrader: (3)

Flywheel- Good choice. Nothing wrong with that.

CV axle- you don't have to hit it hard. Just light little taps all the way around it. You won't hurt it if you are doing it right. I know the scare you are talking about though. Been there myself!

bthomas67wagon

Idk if i should feel happy or sick... I spent an hour trying to get the axles seated but no luck. They are 1/8 to 1/4 gap and i tried too hard im afraid and tore the damn boot. Only 1/4 to 1/2 inch tear but pisses me off and have to decide what to do about it now....i popped the cv axles on and off and feel like they are clicking into place, so idk?!

So i pulled out of the garage and took it around the yard through 1st and 2nd and everything seems smooth w no whirring or anything, but i have no 3rd or 4th gear?!?! I have 1st, 2nd, 5th and reverse. Any suggestions?! Its gonna suck to have to drop trans again!!!

nicknack25

Can you feel it shift into 3rd and 4th? Here's a good detailed video of how to inspect everything thoroughly
Did you hear any griding when you started it? when i bought a trans from someone on craigslist, i found out i didn't have a 5th gear. Opened it up and both 5th gears were grinded all the way down.

Best bet is to tear it down again..

bthomas67wagon

Nick - No grinding and took it out for 10-25 min drive twice and 1st, 2nd, 5th and reverse were all good.

When I broke the case open for inspection, everything was even clean and looked really good. It took 10-20 tries to get the gears dropped in while trying to get the gear selector forks lined up. Once I lined up the holes and put the 2 shaft bolts in everything seemed to be fine when turning the shaft left and right, but wonder if I needed some fine tuning for the middle fork (ie. 3rd and 4th). I wish I would have understood the pushing and pulling of the rod then as I do now so I could have validated it would get into all gears.

Sort of why I asked if anyone had any last minute advise or things to check before reinstalling. I read and heard from people saying that if I went back together and spun, it was all good... I read and heard from people, to just install it and see what happens...
:/

Well, I might just drive it a while w/o 3rd and 4th and maybe in a month or two when I have less to do, I'll drop it again and look at the forks and binding.

thanks
Brent

bthomas67wagon

So I re-dropped the trans over the weekend and I confused to what the heck is binding or causing to be locked out of 3rd and 4th gear?

After the 1st drop and some seal and bearing replacements, I reinstalled and had no 3rd or 4th, just a brick wall trying to get the shifter to go into the slots, so I re-dropped her this weekend. I looked at the gear selector shaft and fingers and everything looked okay. I tried to under stand what was keeping it from pushing and pulling the gears and every so often I could get it into 4th, but like 1 out of every 10 tries. I pulled the gear set out and reset it thinking it was binding and twice in like 50 tries, it went into both 3rd and 4th, but after switching to 5th, reverse and or 1st/2nd, it was locked out of 3rd and 4th again. (all this was with the case off)

At one point, I had it going into 3rd or 4th (I can't remember which), so I decided to put the case back together and was back to nothing being into either again?!

I thought it might be binding on the new (Honda OE bearing, the one that is opposite the ISB and fits into the case) bearing? I put it on the gear set first before putting the case on and then put it into the case, but neither seemed to make a difference in allowing for 3rd or 4th.

So, I'm baffled and threw the towel in and just reinstalled the trans for the week, shifting from 2nd to 5th is no doubt going to kill MPG and hopefully not put too much stress on the gears.

HELP!!
Thanks
Brent

RanCRX

It may not be the same issue, because mine was grinding in. The shift fork, or selector shaft as you call it, was the issue on mine. The actual fingers of the fork that stays stationary in the synchronizer sleeve, thinned out. The fingers were basically way thinner than specs allowed, so it would bring the synchronizer sleeve up and down crooked at an angle on the 3rd/4th synchronizer. I also had to shift to 5th. But your problem sounds like a bent shift fork or something. I would try to figure it out before buying another transmission. Make sure you check your shift linkage, and its bushings. Good luck man, you may just have to pick n pull yourself, or craigslist a tranny, or a online engine/tranny depot.