I have a 91 Accord LX sedan, Manual Transmission, 2.2L engine. Last night, I noticed that I could shift gears without having to step on the clutch pedal, while the car was moving -- but not everytime I tried. I took it to a shop today, they said the synchros are weak and the transmission should be replaced.

How much does it cost to replace a transmission on this car? New vs. used prices? (If a shop does it, what should I expect to pay?)

So far, I have noticed no slipping or seizing of the gears, and it shifts easily. Any idea how long I could drive it without any problems with the transmission slipping/seizing/dying?

Thanks for your help,
Wildcat26
91 Accord LX Sedan
Manual Transmission
2.2L Engine

 

I would say there is no problem, I drive without a clutch all the time, so do 18 wheelers everyday. If you shift at the correct RPM and the right amount of pressure then no clutch is needed, sometimes a feathering of the gas pedal helps, it just takes practice.

I drive cars to the shop that dont have a clutch at all, not even for stops. Longer story though.

 

Driving without a clutch on a manual transmission? Seriously? I've never heard of doing that.

 

yea its called powershifting. basically you jam it out of one gear and slam it into another.

 

It's still better for the car to give a partial clutch, even when powershifting.

Powershifting = bad for the synchros != good (since you seem to like logic nomenclature

 

It's not only powershifting. It can also help youlearn to rev-match really well.

Most people think the synchro's job is to synchronize the gears. That's only one side of the story. The synchro's other job is to block you from shifting until the revs are matched.

If you're in gear, accelerating, the gearshift lever seems 'stuck' in gear. You can't easily pull it into neutral. That's actually the teeth of the synchro hub holding it in place because of the torque being transmitted thru that gearset.

Now, if you have your foot completely off the gas, so you're using engine-braking. Same thing; you won't be able to pull it into neutral (unless you force it).

But there's a perfect balance where you give just enough gas so the engine is not pushing or braking. If you achieve that balance, the shifter will slide right out just as if you'd disengaged the clutch.

Same thing happens when you're shifting from neutral into a gear. If the revs are perfectly matched, you can shift right in without muscling it.

If the revs aren't perfectly matched, the synchro blocks you - preventsyou- from shifting into a gear. And if you force it, it'll grind.

 

All very true, but if you don't do it just right, it will cause extra wear on the tranny