Automatic Transmission Rebuild

[Jett]

Documenting my Automatic Transmission Rebuild for posterity...

I took my car to my favorite mechanic (Car Doctor, Falls Church, VA) for a whining noise in the rear of the car. I had had them check this out once before, but the noise was worse this time. After checking it out, they determined that it was the transmission. Gulp. This is going to be expensive.

They referred me to Hi-Tech Transmissions Inc., an independent shop that specializes in transmissions. As I have absolutely no faith whatsoever in any other shop except the Car Doctor, and I especially have no faith in the local dealer, I was very anxious about this. But the Car Doc assured me that this was THE place, and that this is where they would take their own car.

So the Car Doc dropped the car off at Hi-Tech on a Friday, and after a weekend of anxiety I called Hi-Tech the following Monday morning to discuss. Hi-Tech told me that they would thoroughly test it out to determine if it indeed was the transmission. So that afternoon they call me back and tell me, yep, it is definitely the transmission and it is going to need a rebuild, for an estimated price of $3500, with a 3-year warranty. I asked them a lot of questions but they assured me it was the transmission and that they knew what they were doing, and had done "two or three" NSXes before. They would need to have the car for a week to a week and a half. In the meantime, I will be commuting on my Gold Wing as I don't have another car.

They called me the following Monday (last Monday) to notify me that they had finished rebuilding the transmission and said the noise was a bearing wearing out, and that they had some trouble locating one of the bands, but that the transmission would be installed that afternoon. They also told me that they discovered a leaking rear main oil seal in the engine and that it should be replaced while the transmission is out (makes sense, go ahead). But three days passed with no update so I called them and they informed me that they had received the wrong torque converter but that the correct torque converter was enroute.

I called them again today (Friday) and they informed me that they had received the correct torque converter in the morning and that the transmission would be installed Friday afternoon. So here I sit Friday afternoon, anxious, waiting for the phone call that the car is ready. The car has been away for two weeks so far...

 

[Dtrigg]

Good luck.

 

[Jett]

They called and said it was done. Grand total $3535.95 plus two weeks without a car (I rode my motorcycle) for rebuilding the transmission (3 year/36,000 mile warranty) and replacing the rear main oil seal. When I went and picked it up, the car seemed smooth and powerful and shifting is normal with no funny noises or anything weird whatsoever. I have put about 100 miles on it so far - will post a followup after I have some more miles on it, but so far all seems well.

 

[NSX69]

Thanks

Altho it saddens me to hear of your troubles, it was helpful information. I have driven automatics all my life & altho I have always wanted to @ least know how to drive a manual, it was never possible bc everyone I knew had an automatic.

Anyhow, I am now a proud owner of a manual NSX & learning how to drive it in my spare time. Granted it is fun but my A.D.D. & years of driving an auto is giving me fits: like automatically just stepping on the brake to stop w/out downshifting or putting it in neutral.

Back on Topic: my next NSX (yes there will be another after my 1992, preferably a post-2002) may just be an automatic. I am not a big driving enthusiast & have no problem w/ an auto (blasphemy, I know) so I may do it just to make my life simple. Therefore, it is good to know the cost associated w/ the 4 speed auto (wonder why Acura never upgraded to a 5 speed like they did w/ the manual to a 6?).

 

[Gman]

Jett, thanks for the post and I hope that all works out in the long run. Keep us posted!

 

[NSXrunner]

For what it's worth, $3500 doesn't sound too bad. I was expecting a little more.

 

[Jett]

Altho it saddens me to hear of your troubles, it was helpful information. I have driven automatics all my life & altho I have always wanted to @ least know how to drive a manual, it was never possible bc everyone I knew had an automatic.

Anyhow, I am now a proud owner of a manual NSX & learning how to drive it in my spare time. Granted it is fun but my A.D.D. & years of driving an auto is giving me fits: like automatically just stepping on the brake to stop w/out downshifting or putting it in neutral.

I don't think you have been missing anything. I don't know what gets everyone so excited about all that shifting - on the rare occasion when I do drive a manual transmission car, I get tired of all that shifting in about ten minutes. I bought my particular car because it was an automatic, not in spite of it.

Back on Topic: my next NSX (yes there will be another after my 1992, preferably a post-2002) may just be an automatic. I am not a big driving enthusiast & have no problem w/ an auto (blasphemy, I know) so I may do it just to make my life simple. Therefore, it is good to know the cost associated w/ the 4 speed auto (wonder why Acura never upgraded to a 5 speed like they did w/ the manual to a 6?).

The earlier automatics (like mine) were "regular" 4-speed automatics, but the later ones have paddle shift - that is what I would recommend to you. Kind of the "best of both worlds" if you want that shifting feeling (as for me, I'll pass.) I have considered buying a newer NSX, but I am really only interested in an automatic, and an automatic is relatively hard to come by in a color combination that I would want. I am just not interested in the manual, although most people seem to prefer it.

For what it's worth, $3500 doesn't sound too bad. I was expecting a little more.

I agree with you. Although relatively expensive, the cost was still $1000 less than the standard dealer quote, so I guess I can't feel too bad about it. The 3-year warranty is encouraging, and they seem like they will honor it. It does seem that Hi-Tech knows what they are doing, as the car is a little smoother and faster now and performs a little bit better than it did before.

 

[BATMANs]

I suspect that the rebuild tranny has some generic tranny juice in there which is OK.

Might be a smart move to think about the $3500 that you spent and this:

http://www.amsoil.com/a/synthetic-transmission-fluid

 

[oscar_driver]

I am glad you had a happy ending, with warranty ... and you're back to your NSX !!

Oscar

 

[Jett]

I don't know what kind of transmission fluid they use...I will try and find out.

 

[skillz4587]

Is there anything we can do to preserve the transmission? Or is it just a given that the Automatic transmission will need rebuilding at some point in time? From what I have heard the auto transmission is not as durable as the manual transmission. I can't remember the were I saw the thread on prime but I remember seeing some place that it is not really recommended that any servicing is done on the transmission because the mechanic will probably do more harm then good. Is it safe to get the transmission oil changed as frequently as you get the oil change or at least every 30,000 miles as it is recommended (in the scheduled maintenance section)?

 

[Jett]

I had a regular automatic transmission service (fluid change) done on my car twice before the automatic transmission rebuild, neither of which seemed to do any harm. I am of the opinion that having the automatic transmission fluid changed every 30,000 or so is beneficial, just be sure to find somewhere that knows what they are doing. Still, I think it is just a matter of time and/or mileage before any automatic transmission will need to be rebuilt. The paddle-shift rebuild costs more I think.

Clutches also don't last forever, and while not as expensive as the automatic transmission rebuild, they aren't cheap either. You will probably have to do two clutches for every one automatic transmission rebuild, so the cost is probably comparable either way. In any case, I would much prefer to have the automatic, so it is worth it to me regardless.

 

[wilsonp]

I think that is a very good price, as I paid more to have a used transmission installed in place of my failed transmission.

I paid $3300 for the transmission alone, for a used 1992 with 28,000 miles, and then paid the dealer to install. Still cheaper than the dealer refurb.

Unfortunately, never got core charge back as they wouldn't pick up old transmission. I think dealer mechanic was going to take it apart to see what went wrong.

 

[BATMANs]

I don't know what kind of transmission fluid they use...I will try and find out.

I suspect it's the bare minimum (either Honda or some generic fluid), not something high end like Amsoil.

 

[BATMANs]

Is there anything we can do to preserve the transmission? Or is it just a given that the Automatic transmission will need rebuilding at some point in time? From what I have heard the auto transmission is not as durable as the manual transmission. I can't remember the were I saw the thread on prime but I remember seeing some place that it is not really recommended that any servicing is done on the transmission because the mechanic will probably do more harm then good. Is it safe to get the transmission oil changed as frequently as you get the oil change or at least every 30,000 miles as it is recommended (in the scheduled maintenance section)?

Aside from not flogging the gas pedal, ur best bet (and it's the most economical) is to use the BEST fluid, like Amsoil, especially from the beginning since flushing and auto tranny once everything is in place doesn't get everything out (alot of residual fluid sits in the Torque Converter).

 

[Jett]

I don't flog my cars. I never track my car and I have only raced three times, all on the interstate - once against a stock BMW M5, once against a supercharged S2000 and once against a stock BMW 735i. I pulled away from the M5 easily (he ran out of courage at about 125), but the latter two races ended in a draw. The BMW 735i was the most formidable opponent. I would describe my driving style as brisk but otherwise normal, most of the time I don't go hotfooting around, I just drive.

The main intent of this thread was to document my experience with an automatic transmission rebuild and to establish an opinion as to whether or not the shop was qualified, as well to discuss the process and cost, in order that the next guy needing an automatic transmission rebuild have something to base a decision on. Although I have only put a few hundred miles on the car, it is shifting smooth and running strong. All seems well and I don't foresee any problems. So at this point I will cut to the chase: I enthusiastically recommend Hi-Tech Transmissions Inc. for anyone in the Northern Virginia area (or someone from out of area that doesn't have a qualified shop in their town) needing a transmission rebuild on an automatic NSX.

 

[1oldpoop]

Just to add to the database, in June of this year the differential of my 91 automatic sheared all of it's splines off on the side that drives the left axle. Not sure why, probably part of what you get when you buy one with an unknown history.

Anyway, took it to Tri City Transmission in Johnson City, TN and was satisfied with the work. I was very blessed to have someone on Prime put an automatic transmission up for sale as junk the week before, (it had a hole in the case, and he just wanted it gone - $100) so I drove to Atlanta and got it.

Mike at the transmission shop says that the insides of an NSX transmission are not all that different from the rest of the front wheel drive Hondas or Acuras with the big V6 in them, he put a kit in it, all new clutches, seals, filter, etc, swapped all the guts from the donor trans I picked up into my case, sent the torque converter out to be rebuilt, and put it all back together for $2320, and used genuine Honda trans fluid in it when he rebuilt it.

Has a 1 year or 12,000 mile warranty, but IMO, if it hasn't blown up by next spring - I already have put 2,500 miles on it - then it ought to be good for the duration.

By the way, I still have all the rest of the tranny parts except the differential sitting in the shed, if anyone wants them, PM me, we'll work something out.

Merry Christmas

 

[Jett]

Thanks for adding. It is nice to see a little discussion about automatics on here. I love mine and wouldn't want my car any other way.

 

[Jett]

On a recent drive-by of Hi-Tech Transmissions Inc. I noticed another NSX in their parking lot.

 

[BATMANs]

Like an update how the tranny is holding up. Wasn't there a shop that does upgrades to the auto tranny?

 

[JLCoolman]

Looks like he sold the NSX, based on his signature.

I, too, would like a follow up and more information on his experience.
Mostly, what mileage the issues/rebuild occurred at. I know it's at least 60,000+ miles based on his stated two fluid changes.

Although, he hasn't been on Prime since 2013.


Either way, good thread on automatic transmissions.