Need advice on 2001 Accord 4 cyl Transmission repair vs rebuild
 

Hello!

Looking for some advice on my 2001 Accord 4 cyl. A little history on the car : Bought it brand new in 01 and in 2003 Honda replaced the original transmission due to assembly defect. So, my current tranny has approx. 170,000 miles on it. The car is at 216,000 miles currently and I hope to keep it for my daughter who is in college now.


My primary concern is to get the car running safely and economically, a long-term fix. Not going to buy a new Honda tranny as can't afford.


In researching my alternatives (buy a used one, rebuild it or repair it) I had a local shop (1 out of 5 called) that told me I should NOT rebuild it, as it might be too costly, which they won't know until they actually get inside of it. He said that the Honda tranny's are one of the only one where the filters are on the inside, instead of the outside. Is this true?


His advice was to install a 'refurbished' tranny, that he buys from a company back east, w/a 3yr & 100,000 mile warranty. His quote was at $2600 bucks.


I've never heard of being able to get a 'refurbished' tranny. Are these refurbished trannys a viable option? Was wondering if you have any knowledge regarding such, and possible advice over which option would be better in the long run, safety & economically.


Any advice would be appreciated, Thanks!

I recently replaced my 94 5 speed manual with a rebuilt unit from Synchro-Tech out of California and have been as pleased as possible with the result. I bought the car used with unknown mileage (not the original odometer) and it always had a synchro issue when upshifting to 3rd or 5th gear.

I lived with it for years and just double clutched when upshifting to those gears (no issue with downshifts on any gears). Recently what I believe was the transaxle differential bearings started to make a "snarling" sort of sound when initially launching the car from a stop. It had gotten progressively worse, so I decided to replace it.

Synchro-Tech shipped the rebuilt transaxle with return freight included. It was a bit difficult getting the transaxle shaft to engage the opening in the flywheel (which I also replaced, along with clutch, throw out bearing and pressure plate), but once I finally managed that, it drives like a new vehicle! Shifts are flawless and I couldn't be happier with the results. I had some health issues which delayed me completing the job, but they were terrific and patient on receiving the core transaxle back. I would give them a 5 out of 5 star rating... good price and excellent service...

They race Hondas and are very experienced with Honda/Accura transaxles. I would be suspect of "local" shops rebuilding one, and I certainly would not endeavor on a rebuild myself. Swapping it out was a bit challenging, but I did the whole job, including purchasing an engine lift and transmission adapter for my floor jack for less than half the price you mentioned you were quoted. This was a 5 speed manual... If yours is an automatic... I would even further recommend buying a rebuilt unit from an experienced firm. For Hondas the choices seemed limited, but again I give the highest possible recommendation for the Synchro-Tech product. You could have a shop install it for you, if you don't have the time/means/experience to do so yourself. It might still cost close to the same total for you, but you would at least have peace of mind to the quality of the rebuilt transmission/transaxle itself...