G2_Fella

first was the head, then the CEL, now the tranny!!! i knew my car was having either a clutch or tranny problem. i called around asking for labor on the clutch and the lowest i could find are 100 dollars. now i took my car to a transmission shop and did a free diagnostic test, they said it's the transmission?

he quoted me 460 parts and labor if it was just a small problem(bearings.) now if it was a big problem it would be close to a grand. i asked if i needed a new clutch anyway, he said he have to take a look and see. but it would be up to me, but he said it would be best if i put a new one on. now that i know, and we know what the problem is, is there anyway you guys can help me learn the tricks of the bussiness?(not trying to learn to fix) but what parts to buy...what should i tell the mechanic what's wrong with the car...i understand if you call and ask them to install a clutch in a bad transmission, they will charge you double for the clutch and tranny? but if you ask call and ask them to install a transmission, you can have them install the new clutch without them charging you for it? that's the case scenario with that shop guy. he would not charge me labor for the clutch. i'am not going to fix it with him,,,,i now know the answer to my car problem and go elsewhere. getting help here and calling up CL mechanics.

please give me the best advise you can give me. i've been putting in a lot of money on this car!!! and i'am not too happy

vtecb18c

well to give you a quote for 4 hund somethin they should have looked at the clutch and flywheel and everything else to give you that estimate so i think your gettin high balled... they gave you a quote without checking if the clutch was ok?? am i reading this wrong or am i right??

B18C5-EH2

What sort of symptoms/problems are you having to begin with?

What year/make/model is the vehicle, and what sort of tranny is in it?

It's hard for us to help you with no knowledge of your problem to begin with.

I can tell you that common issues with manual Honda trannies are:

A. Noisy case bearings as evidenced by a roaring noise while clutch pedal is out, and noise goes away when you press the clutch pedal in

You fix this by either replacing the tranny, or rebuilding with all 5 case bearings (two mainshaft bearings, three countershaft bearings) and ideally also include mainshaft seal, shifter shaft seal, axle seals, and a complete clutch kit including clutch disc, pressure plate, throwout bearing, pilot bearing, and resurfacing of flywheel

B. Grinding gears or popping out of gears

Fix the same way as above, bit also include synchro sleeve sets/gears for the affected gears

If this is a SOHC tranny then sometimes the sum of the new parts used to rebuild exceed the value of a JDM SOHC complete tranny with a warranty from any number of importers

G2_Fella

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vtecb18c &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">well to give you a quote for 4 hund somethin they should have looked at the clutch and flywheel and everything else to give you that estimate so i think your gettin high balled... they gave you a quote without checking if the clutch was ok?? am i reading this wrong or am i right??</TD></TR></TABLE> well, their "free test" was just driving the car and listening to the sound. over the phone he told me that he would take a look at the transmission oil and see if there's metal in the oil?

there was no opening the tranny up. if that's the case i would be walking home or ended up towing the car home. i just want that one exact answer; "transmission!" and i'm ready to shop and bop.

vtecb18c

so they took it apart to look at the clutch and flywheel when you asked before you got it back?

B18C5-EH2

Well there isn't a way to "check" the clutch other than test driving it and feeling how and where the clutch engages on the pedal travel. I mean to really check a clutch you'd have to pull the tranny out, which is crazy to expect anyone to do that for free.

Simple test to listen for bearing noise, and you don't have to be mechanically inclined to do it:

Crank the vehicle and let it idle - ideally a garage or enclosed area is good so sounds can echo off walls

With the clutch out listen for any roaring/slight grinding noises

Now press the clutch all the way in and listen for the sound to change

If there is a clearly defined roaring/grinding/ticking noise ONLY as you let the clutch out and it stays as long as the clutch isn't pressed in, then congrats - you need new tranny bearings or tranny, whichever ends up being cheaper for you.

No matter what though if I pull a tranny I don't ever like reusing a cluch unless the clutch is under a year old and shows no signs of friction wear or spring casing/enclosure wear.

G2_Fella

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C5-EH2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What sort of symptoms/problems are you having to begin with?

What year/make/model is the vehicle, and what sort of tranny is in it?

It's hard for us to help you with no knowledge of your problem to begin with.

I can tell you that common issues with manual Honda trannies are:

A. Noisy case bearings as evidenced by a roaring noise while clutch pedal is out, and noise goes away when you press the clutch pedal in

You fix this by either replacing the tranny, or rebuilding with all 5 case bearings (two mainshaft bearings, three countershaft bearings) and ideally also include mainshaft seal, shifter shaft seal, axle seals, and a complete clutch kit including clutch disc, pressure plate, throwout bearing, pilot bearing, and resurfacing of flywheel

B. Grinding gears or popping out of gears

Fix the same way as above, bit also include synchro sleeve sets/gears for the affected gears

If this is a SOHC tranny then sometimes the sum of the new parts used to rebuild exceed the value of a JDM SOHC complete tranny with a warranty from any number of importers</TD></TR></TABLE>

hey b18, nice to see you on my side again. you were there when i had the head gasket problem.

the car is a 1992 civic cx. with close to 200k miles. it's a 5 spd.

the sound that it's making; weird rattling noise on 1st, and 2nd gear. just as you described, noise appear when not stepping on clutch, and when stepping on it, it goes away. so far it hasn't pop yet, although sometimes i do have a clunk sound going in fourth gear.

could you explain to me from your quote?

"If this is a SOHC tranny then sometimes the sum of the new parts used to rebuild exceed the value of a JDM SOHC complete tranny with a warranty from any number of importers"

G2_Fella

oh yea, he printed out 4 bearings, and 2 oil seals. this is the small problem as what he said. then the big one could lead to synchro, or some shaft something?

where would be a good place to buy those bearings? and do they sell it in a combo package?

94EG8

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by G2_Fella &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">could you explain to me from your quote?

"If this is a SOHC tranny then sometimes the sum of the new parts used to rebuild exceed the value of a JDM SOHC complete tranny with a warranty from any number of importers"</TD></TR></TABLE>

What he's getting at is that its often cheaper to buy a used low mileage JDM transmission than it is to rebuild your current one, especially if your paying someone to do it. Glad to hear that O2 sensor fixed your last problem Not so happy to see you having more trouble. If your hauling the engine out and you can afford it now would be the time to put a clutch in as well. A clutch itself is relatively cheap, the labour to install it isn't, as its time consuming to drop the transmission to get at it. But if the transmission is out anyway theres very little labour involved.

G2_Fella

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vtecb18c &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so they took it apart to look at the clutch and flywheel when you asked before you got it back?</TD></TR></TABLE>

they never did took it apart.

G2_Fella

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94EG8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

What he's getting at is that its often cheaper to buy a used low mileage JDM transmission than it is to rebuild your current one, especially if your paying someone to do it. Glad to hear that O2 sensor fixed your last problem Not so happy to see you having more trouble. If your hauling the engine out and you can afford it now would be the time to put a clutch in as well. A clutch itself is relatively cheap, the labour to install it isn't, as its time consuming to drop the transmission to get at it. But if the transmission is out anyway theres very little labour involved.</TD></TR></TABLE>

we'll have to see next year about the d or b 16. ever since the head problem, things just been going down hill.

94EG8

Err, that should have read transmission not engine. And as for the clutch, let me put it this way unless your gonna starve to death if you having tranny work done put a clutch in at the same time. Eat kraft dinner for a month if you have to, but don't skimp now, if you decide you need a clutch in 6 months time its gonna cost you a whole lot more than it will now.

G2_Fella

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C5-EH2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well there isn't a way to "check" the clutch other than test driving it and feeling how and where the clutch engages on the pedal travel. I mean to really check a clutch you'd have to pull the tranny out, which is crazy to expect anyone to do that for free.

Simple test to listen for bearing noise, and you don't have to be mechanically inclined to do it:

Crank the vehicle and let it idle - ideally a garage or enclosed area is good so sounds can echo off walls

With the clutch out listen for any roaring/slight grinding noises

Now press the clutch all the way in and listen for the sound to change

If there is a clearly defined roaring/grinding/ticking noise ONLY as you let the clutch out and it stays as long as the clutch isn't pressed in, then congrats - you need new tranny bearings or tranny, whichever ends up being cheaper for you.

No matter what though if I pull a tranny I don't ever like reusing a cluch unless the clutch is under a year old and shows no signs of friction wear or spring casing/enclosure wear.</TD></TR></TABLE>

all this time i thought it was the clutch, and never thought it was the trans. so today i decided to take it to a shop that does free test on transmission. they are 100% sure that i'm having a transmission problem. they don't know about the clutch yet cus it wasn't taken out. they said it would be a good idea to put a new one in there.

G2_Fella

just got off the phone with a CL mechanic. we talked for like 20 mins. he would charge me 350 for just the labor only. i asked him about the bearings and where to buy them and does it come in a combo package? he said yes. he said not too many people are familiar with this shop, they sell good drivetrain products at a good price. and luckily we have one in our city. i believed there's only five locations in the country. but they may ship elswhere. believe me, i've never heard of them before and i can't wait to call them up tomorrow. he said the bearings combo might cost a 100 dollars for my car. now all i need to do is call for a mechanic that i could afford.

he told me the name and gave me their number. i googled it and found their website. it's them...the number matched. i will order my clutch off of ebay. and i will go with the brand called, Exedy.(oe replacement)

natpronet.com- transmission and other parts

i will look into that or go with used low-miles jdm tranny.

B18C5-EH2

G2 where are you from?

Reason I ask is I'm wondering if anyone locally to you sells good quality JDM stuff. Here in ATL we have Pacific Engine Co. and I've bought hundreds, literally hundreds, of engines, trannies, etc. from them and they always offer a great warranty.

It's a tough call. If I were you I'd seriously look into trying to find an Si/EX tranny since they are shorter geared and will make the car accelerate more quickly, while at the same time also get rid of that damaged tranny and noise you have currently.

For tranny parts go with http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com - they sell genuine honda parts at wholesale prices to the public.

I'll pull up some diagrams of what I would replace if it were me building the tranny...be right back.

B18C5-EH2

Here we go - image and prices taken from HERE



From this pic you'd want:

#14 main shaft seal - $3.84

#9 - main shaft bearing - $15.62

#11 - counter shaft bearing - $22.02

#12 - axle seal - $6.34

#13 - shifter shaft seal - $5.36 (looks like a #3 in bottom left corner, but it's #13)

If the tranny has 200K+ then unfortunately the diff bearings might be bad too:

#10 - differential bearing X2 - $22.84 ea.

Now the COUNTERSHAFT page



#12 - countershaft end bearing - $21.01

#13 - countershaft bearing - $15.62

Now image and pics taken from HERE



#12 - main shaft bearing - $20.14

Now THIS page



#10 axle seal - $6.98

I came up with a total of $116.93 before tax, and $162.61 total before tax if you include diff bearings.

All of this assumes that you have no tranny gears grinding, or that once the mechanics pulls it all apart he doesn't see any other gear/synchro damages. If you have any grinds ditch the entire rebuild idea and buy another tranny.

Also not included is a clutch kit. I'd do this no matter if you rebuild or replace your tranny. My recommendation is an Exedy OE replacement clutch kit. They can be found for a little over $100.00 on many different sites - Google it, Ebay it, etc. All 92-95 Civic D series clutches are the same.

2fastek

gl

G2_Fella

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C5-EH2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">G2 where are you from?

Reason I ask is I'm wondering if anyone locally to you sells good quality JDM stuff. Here in ATL we have Pacific Engine Co. and I've bought hundreds, literally hundreds, of engines, trannies, etc. from them and they always offer a great warranty.

It's a tough call. If I were you I'd seriously look into trying to find an Si/EX tranny since they are shorter geared and will make the car accelerate more quickly, while at the same time also get rid of that damaged tranny and noise you have currently.

For tranny parts go with http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com - they sell genuine honda parts at wholesale prices to the public.

I'll pull up some diagrams of what I would replace if it were me building the tranny...be right back.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i want to thank you for printing up the diagram for me, you have made my life so easier.

i'am from the southern california area location. i did not know that the si/ex tranny fits my cx? i'm still clueless right now....the car still runs despite the noises that i be hearing. some mechanics said it could be just the throw-out bearing. again, this is diagnose only over the phone. and to come think about what i did yesterday...? i took it to a transmission shop? you outta know what sup, they want more money! some say get a used tranny, some say rebuild it.

i'm just hopeing that when a mechanic open up the tranny, it turns out negative. if so and so then we'll have to talk.

right now i'm still talking to more independent mechanics and shops. shops like to talk bad about them mobile mechanics, and mobile mechanics like to talk bad about them shops.

sageuvagony

I'm using an Exedy OE clutch and I'm lovin' it! Got the whole kit on ebay for like 80 bucks which included pressure plate, pilot bearing, throwout bearing, alignment tool, and of course, the clutch. I do regret not having my flywheel resurfaced though. I get chatter/shudder when I ease out on the clutch at very low rpm. Other than that it's just fine. I almost never feel the chatter.

B18C5-EH2

Dude if you're in SoCal and can't find a decent Honda mechanic that's bizarre.

You should post up a topic in the regional SoCal forum here and link some of these problem topics and ask if anyone around your area is a good Honda mechanic, or knows of one.

...and yes an Si/EX tranny will bolt right up in your car with no additional mods needed, and yes it will greatly improve accleration at the cost of higher rpm in 5th gear on the freeway.

Also being in SoCal there are a million importers willing to sell you a good JDM tranny - seriously you also need to ask in the regional SoCal forum where a good importer is that sells warranty-backed trannys/engines.

G2_Fella

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sageuvagony &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm using an Exedy OE clutch and I'm lovin' it! Got the whole kit on ebay for like 80 bucks which included pressure plate, pilot bearing, throwout bearing, alignment tool, and of course, the clutch. I do regret not having my flywheel resurfaced though. I get chatter/shudder when I ease out on the clutch at very low rpm. Other than that it's just fine. I almost never feel the chatter.</TD></TR></TABLE>

which seller did you buy it from, and for what car?

i hope i do get the complete package like you, except i spend $3.00 less.

G2_Fella

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C5-EH2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Dude if you're in SoCal and can't find a decent Honda mechanic that's bizarre.

You should post up a topic in the regional SoCal forum here and link some of these problem topics and ask if anyone around your area is a good Honda mechanic, or knows of one.

...and yes an Si/EX tranny will bolt right up in your car with no additional mods needed, and yes it will greatly improve accleration at the cost of higher rpm in 5th gear on the freeway.

Also being in SoCal there are a million importers willing to sell you a good JDM tranny - seriously you also need to ask in the regional SoCal forum where a good importer is that sells warranty-backed trannys/engines.</TD></TR></TABLE>

there are many, but you have to be careful of who you deal with. many just look to make a quick cash and dash.

i have done many research online and asking around, from looking in the yellow
pages to local classified ads. i'm the type of guy that likes to shop first before spending, even if it's going to save me a dollar.

you have pointed me to the right directions on here and i will take a look and see what they have in store for me.