Heres the problem:

About 4 months ago I purchased a SI tranny from a shop that did a little work on my car. The guy has a '90 hatch SI with a B18 that he had just put in, so I asked him if his SI tranny was still good, and he told me it was and that he'd sell it to me. Me trusting him and not knowing anything about a tranny, bought it for $175. I did know (after the fact) that it was a '90/91 tranny (2 groove on input shaft) and that it was an SI (PL3-3000). I took it to my mechanic about a month later to find out that the input shaft bearing was no good.

Well I got pissed and call and talked to him. He said bring the tranny back so that he could look at it. I took the tranny back to him and he flipped the script, saying that the tranny wasn't like that, blah, blah... I had gotten so ugly that my boyfriend and his friends got together and they were going to whoop his @ss. I stopped them though. I talked to the guy and he said that he would find me another one. I thought cool, I can wait. Another month passed and we got into it again.

So I guess he got tired of me (I was tired of him and was getting ready to call it a loss, charge it to the game) He called me yesterday and said that he found a tranny. So I went to pick it up. I get it home and the bearings and input shaft looks good, the tranny was cleaner and no pcs were missing like the other one, BUTTTT.. I just realized that it may be a '88 SI tranny (no grooves on the input shaft).

I have already bought my new clutch, which is for a '91, over a 1.5 years ago. My car is a '91 so of course that flywheel is a '91. Is there any way that I can make this combination work??? I was reading through the archives and this guy said that it can be done. Is there any truth to this??? Here's the thread. It is the last 2 posts there.

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=874914

 

I would have just kept the 90-91 tranny and changed the input shaft bearing and seal. Those two items are roughly $50 bucks in cost and u can do it yourself. It isnt that hard to do. A simple check that will most likely tell u the condition of that input shaft bearing would be to wiggle the input shaft. If there is play, then the bearing should be replaced, or else it will be noisy and eventually give out. When u wiggle that shaft, the whole tranny should move with it, and if it does, the bearing is most likely OK.

 

I can still get it back, but it was probably worse than that, gear wise. He told me NOTHING was wrong, that it was in perfect condition.
I work at a parts store and I was considering tearing the tranny down, but I couldn't find that bearing anywhere. And as far as doing it myself, I am a female that somewhat knows her stuff, but trannies are something that I am still learning.
Can anyone help me out here???? If not, then I will keep looking for a 90/91 SI tranny and sell this one that I have.

 

it might end up costing you more getting crappy trannys again. maybe inquire to have it professionally installed?

 

No, this 2nd tranny that I have now is good. What I am trying to figure out is, how can I make it work with my '91 clutch that I have already bought 1.5 yrs ago.

No grooves on the input shaft means its from a SI right. I believe I counted 21 splines too. Also if it is from an '88, then where did it come from?? An CRX SI??? Or were there any civic SI in '88?? Reason being that our computers at my job doesn't list a 1.6L in '88 Civics.

 

i'm pretty sure that if there was a 88 model si, it was only in the crx, but i think 89 is when both were offered....89 si hatches rock, only see a few

 

In case some of you were too lazy to see the link I posted. This is what I am questioning:
taken from another post

21 spline 190mm came in 88 crx/civics
21 spline 200mm came in 86-89 teg/79-87 prelude
20 spline 200mm came in 89 crx/civics
20 spline 212mm came in 90-00 non-b series crx/civics
21 spline 212mm came in 84-87 2.0L Preludes

My question is, will one of those other 21 spline flywheels work??? Like the 84-87 2.0L Preludes???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B16_madman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...89 si hatches rock, only see a few</TD></TR></TABLE>
Heh, i'm rockin' the 89 hatch SI, and yes, they do rock! If only I didn't get screwed on the sale

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by T-Mo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I can still get it back, but it was probably worse than that, gear wise. He told me NOTHING was wrong, that it was in perfect condition.
I work at a parts store and I was considering tearing the tranny down, but I couldn't find that bearing anywhere.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If the bearing is bad, it doesnt mean everything else is. I have seen totally shot input shaft bearings before and the tranny had no grinds (after replacing the bearing). I dont think the parts store will have what u need. A huge bearing manufacture might, but just go to the honda dealership and get it there, along with the seal. Ask around where u live and im sure someone will give u a hand or do it for fairly cheap. It involves splitting the case, taking the gear sets out together, then replacing that bearing, and prying out the seal and pressin the new one in carefully.

 

thanks for all your help fourthgenb17. I know about all of the info given and I understand what you mean. What I was saying about dude is that he was shady in giving me the 1st tranny saying it was perfect and it wasn't. So whos to say that it isn't worse off than the input bearing that I can SEE with my own eyes. I refuse to pay a shop around here (which will rape you in labor alone) to look at it.

I have a tranny that I can trust more because I know the guys car that it came out of. I just didn't know the year the tranny was. I am trying to work with this '88 tranny. SOOO.....

Anyone can answer the question about the flywheel???? Can the 84-87 Prelude 21 spline 212mm flywheel fit on the '88 tranny? Will the '91 clutch fit it?? Also with it being an '88, it isn't going to rob me of power is it?? Only difference is clutch and flywheel right??

 

No problem. Buying used trannys sucks unless u know the person (for trust reasons). Yea if the guy lied about the tranny being in perfect condition then who knows what else is wrong. Maybe, just maybe, the tranny was about to make noise and the bearing was on its way out??? If there is a lot of play on that input shaft, then there is no doubt it was making noise. But if there was a slight amoutn, then maybe the guy never noticed it. Just a thought. But the guy prolly was like "oh whatever shes just a girl and she wont ever know or find out"...

 

There was enormous play with the input shaft. My mechanic pulled the seal out to see the bearings, and they were dry as a bone and all of them chilling together side by side.

I think that since no one can verify the flywheel question, I am going to have to hustle me another clutch. The red car in my avatar is an '88 and just had a swap done. I can use his old flywheel. Now I have to figure out how to get out of this clutch that I bought 1.5yrs ago.