Hey guys -

I purchased a 97 Automatic from a local used auto center downtown cause I trust the guys and they wouldn't sell me junk. When I bought the thing the ECU threw a torque converter code, but when I checked the tranny I found nothing wrong. I took it to a local tranny shop to have them check it out and they pulled it out, looked it up and down, and found nothing wrong with it - I figured I'd just deal with a problem if it ever manifested.

I was on a trip last week with some 200 miles to go when the tranny started behaving erratically - 2nd, 3rd, and 4th all had huge trouble engaging, and after parking when I shifted to D4 it would jerk the entire car to engage 1st. Unfortunately, as I wasn't home and had no place to stay on a Sunday night I had no choice but to drive the 200 miles home with a bum tranny.

I parked it Sunday night when I got home and haven't driven it since. This morning I got up to drive down the street and talk to the tranny guys, have them put together some numbers for a rebuild. When I parked back up the street at my apmt., some 200 feet up, it left a sizeable puddle of fluid underneath. The question I have is this: Does anyone think it worth it to consider a conversion to manual, or should I dig up the anywhere between 2k-4k to overhaul or replace with a rebuild?

Help!

 

might as well do the manual swap for that price

 

for even the lowest of your price range $2k, a manual swap is worth it, staying with the auto is only asking for more problems, those things suck alltogether, just do the manual swap, search my name for info on doing a manual swap, its written up for a 4g prelude but most of it is the same, pm me if you need further advice.....

 

Talking with friends, manual seems to be the general consensus - of course, my personal preference as well, and actually easier to find than an auto! The only problem I run in to with that is this: where in the name of God can I find a manual ECU and Clutch Pedal Assembly!? Anyone???

 

firstly, i like the boondock saints quote

secondly, find a junkyard for that stuff, search around on here, the for sale stuff....

 

I would go to a pick n pull to save some money.. if you wanted to save more money you could just go to the pick n pull and get another auto tranny but thats asking for another explosion in the gearbox.

 

As easy as that sounds, you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a junked 5th gen in my area. I've called every damn salvage yard in a 300m. radius and have turned up diddly. Any thoughts?

 

keep an eye on the FS forums on here, and search other boards

also check ebay

 

I have an ecu that I got with my tranny ( I am currently doing the swap too) I am not going to use it

$50 plus shipping and its yours... I will even throw in the immobilizer and grey key that came with it.

 

OP: jump on that dude ^^ quickly, thats a deal

 

Thank God for you, Geramy. Thank God for you. E-mail me and we'll work out shipping and such!

 

FYI all wrecked preludes are a rare find at a junkyard. Every junkyard in utah doesn't have them and when they do get them there's a waiting list from local bodyshops and dealers for the parts. It's pretty much hell trying to find any parts off a prelude at a junkyard. Unless your lucky.

When I needed parts H-T or ebay was my best answer to finding them.