I need a replacement trans for my unmodified 91 civic dx, 5 speed. Just a basic cable clutch, non-racing. I'm trying to be cost efficient, not fast. My car's got some rust so i'm not wishing to invest a ton of cash in to it.

I'm looking at used trannys imported from japan. They seem to run about 400 w/ shipping. I'd rather spend an extra few dollars and install something decent as opposed to paying a mechanic to install a trans thats in worse shape than the one i have.

I'm also willing to pay a little more and going through an established business or someone with a good ebay rating. I've heard that there are some scams out there in the 4rth generation community.

I don't want to buy a used tranny at a junk yard if the bearings are worn. The trans i have now shifts fine but the bearings are loud as hell.

I'm on the east coast and have a little time to shop around.

Anyone have experience with this? Opinions?

All advice is welcome. Thanks.

 

If all you want is a stock DX transmission, look for someone who is doing (or has done) a swap. There is a VERY good chance that you can pick one up for little to nothing. I have always given my DX transmissions away for free when I swapped. And many others do the same. Of course, you are always taking a chance with ANY kind of used transmission. You can always check to make sure that it shifts smoothly though all gears and that the transmission makes no odd noises as you turn the input shaft in all gears. But this will not tell you if there are bad synchros. On the other hand, DX transmissions (unlike SI transmissions and B-series transmissions) come from non-performance oriented cars. So many of them are actually in pretty good condition, since they tend not to be abused.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by StorminMatt &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You can always check to make sure that it shifts smoothly though all gears and that the transmission makes no odd noises as you turn the input shaft in all gears. But this will not tell you if there are bad synchros.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'll add to what StorminMatt says by saying that the input shaft bearing is very easy to replace (assuming you have a little bit of mechanical know-how) and the bearing itself is not expensive. A great job to do on a day off.

 

thanks to both of you, wish me luck

 

I'm buying a trans from this outfit, 50 miles away for 150 bucks. Japanese low miles import.

http://www.jdmenginesinc.com/index.html

 

Well
let us know how it is seems like a nice deal, I guess the NJ port area gets import stuff too not just West Coast. hmm

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ***-assin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well
let us know how it is seems like a nice deal, I guess the NJ port area gets import stuff too not just West Coast. hmm
</TD></TR></TABLE>'


yes,,we can get it here in nj to,you'd be suprised whats in this state .. ive been to that place in paterson a couple times,,its not far from newark..they have alot of stuff..

but seriously listen to storminmatt,,you can get dx 5spd trannys dirt cheap if not free..look on here in the classifieds,,

 

the 3-4 jdm trannies ive taken apart have always looked to be in pretty damn good condition. i would take a jdm sourced tranny any day over some 150-250 thousand mile DX tranny.

however you dont need to pay $400 for em.

you can buy "sohc ZC" trannies and they will be just like Si transmissions in specs for $125 plus shipping on ebay.

 

Thanks to all for giving advice. I appreciate the idea of getting a used tranny cheaper from classifieds. But I have NO mechanical skills. And I do NOT want to buy a used tranny off of someone i don't know. I think your advice is good for people who have more time and/or more ability and knowledge.

For me getting an import tranny from a reputable seller is worth a little extra drive and possibly an extra dollar. (a junkyard close by wanted 100$ more for an American tranny w/ higher miles!)

I've spent far too long putzing around with different tranny fluids, etc. Too much time pricing rebuilds, etc. Time to get this done.

Thanks again.

 

I am very happy with the low miles transmission that i bought from jdm engines. Trans shifts smooth and quiet. Way way cheaper than a rebuild.
They have a solid Ebay rating. 97.8% is an excellent rating in the used parts market.

Paterson, NJ. a few miles out of manhattan.


http://www.jdmenginesinc.com/index.html