Transmission Issues (not my DD)

[Rusty Accord]

Transmission successfully installed! Probably took about 5 hours of actual work; so not too bad. But good lord would a hoist have made things a billion times easier. Got a new axle installed as well

After getting it back together, I ran it back and forth in the yard, let it settle, topped the fluid up, and felt it out. Felt so much better; smooth into forward and reverse and no slipping or smell.

Decided to take it for a ride even though it was snowing like crazy because I was excited and wanted to know if it was fixed. I headed down the road and that was probably a bad decision. The car has old summer tires and I was almost getting stuck at red lights on flat ground. So after about 5km, I turned around and headed home. So 10km round trip.

It shifted smoothly into all the gears; so smoothly that you could barely feel them changing. Which might have a lot to do with how careful and slow I was going because of how slippery it was.

It probably needs to be topped up again, too, since it just shifted into all the gears for the first time since I filled it up. I find that is usually the case with automatics.

Definitely needs a longer test drive to verify everything and see how she shifts at WOT, but that is going to have to wait until tomorrow when it gets warm and the snow melts. But it sure feels fixed to me.

Here's a quick video of the Accord family from yesterday after I finished everything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Ygs2EcHgU

Nice looking fleet you've got there. The backyard art is interesting too. A couple more and you could kind of fence in a section.
And yes, I was wondering if you got it in and up and running. Congrats on that. One less thing to worry about while you're gone.
Damn, you guys did get some snow. I guess we've been lucky in that all we've had was that 1 dusting so far. Yes it did try to snow more, but it melted as it hit the ground.
Let us how it is after a longer run once you top it up some more.

P.S. You definitely got your 200 bucks worth out of that 1 car.

 

[Kimbo80]

Connie, do any of your Accords have the infamous subframe rust (passenger side subframe rust caused by the A/C drain tube dripping on it)?

 

[Connie]

Connie, do any of your Accords have the infamous subframe rust (passenger side subframe rust caused by the A/C drain tube dripping on it)?

I haven't noticed it, but then I haven't really been looking for it, either.
Probably helps that the AC doesn't get used often around here.
I'll take a look tomorrow when I don't feel so awful. The way I feel today makes me feel old after fighting with cars all weekend.

The AC on Connie hasn't worked in 5 years and has been mostly removed aside from the compressor; I'd love to find a belt that allows me to delete that, too.
The black car hasn't had AC since I got it, and I haven't checked it out on the green car yet. But I've had 4 of the 5 subframes out now, and nothing stood out at me.

Leaky power steering pumps have probably played a large role in protecting the metal on that side from rust lol.

 

[Connie]

Nice looking fleet you've got there. The backyard art is interesting too. A couple more and you could kind of fence in a section.
And yes, I was wondering if you got it in and up and running. Congrats on that. One less thing to worry about while you're gone.
Damn, you guys did get some snow. I guess we've been lucky in that all we've had was that 1 dusting so far. Yes it did try to snow more, but it melted as it hit the ground.
Let us how it is after a longer run once you top it up some more.

P.S. You definitely got your 200 bucks worth out of that 1 car.

Yeah, the silver car was good to me. I actually just used the alternator from it in Connie on Sunday afternoon.

I'm going to take the green car for a longer drive tomorrow, it's supposed to be +7. I think that's like mid-40s american.

You get that civic rebuild running yet??

 

[Connie]

Congrats on a successful operation. Still waiting for results from mine.

So you're fixing it, eh? Good. It'll be better than anything else you'll be able to get for a few thousand bucks. You'll miss the V6.

You planning on doing it on the ground or you have a hoist?
Trust me, this is the time to call in favours to your friend with a hoist. I am SORE today hahaha.

 

[Kimbo80]

I haven't noticed it, but then I haven't really been looking for it, either.
Probably helps that the AC doesn't get used often around here.
I'll take a look tomorrow when I don't feel so awful. The way I feel today makes me feel old after fighting with cars all weekend.

The AC on Connie hasn't worked in 5 years and has been mostly removed aside from the compressor; I'd love to find a belt that allows me to delete that, too.
The black car hasn't had AC since I got it, and I haven't checked it out on the green car yet. But I've had 4 of the 5 subframes out now, and nothing stood out at me.

Leaky power steering pumps have probably played a large role in protecting the metal on that side from rust lol.

Ha! You have automatic rust roofing from your leaky power steering pump.

Question for you based on your experience pulling the subframes: I was quoted a minimum 4.5 hours of labor at $110 an hour ($495 minimum) by a Honda spe******t. They said it could be more, depending on if parts break, bolts snap, etc. Another shop with excellent reviews quoted me at $600. I would be supplying the rear frame I sourced from Vegas (looks practically new), sway bar end links, new front and rear motor mounts and a mixed bag of a bunch of bolts I purchased from Majestic Honda.

Do you think the 4.5 hours is a conservative time frame?

 

[Connie]

Ha! You have automatic rust roofing from your leaky power steering pump.

Question for you based on your experience pulling the subframes: I was quoted a minimum 4.5 hours of labor at $110 an hour ($495 minimum) by a Honda spe******t. They said it could be more, depending on if parts break, bolts snap, etc. Another shop with excellent reviews quoted me at $600. I would be supplying the rear frame I sourced from Vegas (looks practically new), sway bar end links, new front and rear motor mounts and a mixed bag of a bunch of bolts I purchased from Majestic Honda.

Do you think the 4.5 hours is a conservative time frame?

I see you are in Chicago, which sounds like a place that probably salts the roads, so you probably have some rust.

Are you talking about the whole subframe or just the front half? I didn't have to reove the rear beam of the subframe for the transmission; the last time I did that it was in that smashed silver car in the backyard, and that involved 4 hours of cutting away crumpled metal just for access to the front motor mount, so that job wouldn't be a very good guideline lol.

If you're talking about the whole frame, I wouldn't doubt that's what book time is for it. The knuckles have to come out, the 19mm bolts that hold the fork bars for the front hoop are a pain in the butt access-wise unless you pull the axles (learnt that the hard way; take the axles out, it's faster lol), all the 10mm fasteners in the wheel well holding the brake line and ABS wire are likely to snap off from rust. The transmission mounts on the driver's side (if you're a V6) need to come out, too, and they will be fragile if not already broken unless thy've already been replaced. And to remove the rear beam, the steering has to be disconnected along with the rack, meaning messing with super old power steering lines, and the other motor mount. For just the front hoop, 4.5 hours is way too much, though. I'd say 2.5 hours tops for that.

Are you just trying to fix the rusty area on the subframe? If so, if the rust is on the front hoop (front three sides of the subframe if you think of it as a square), you don't need to take the rear beam out. And that will save a lot of time, and a lot of money in labour if you're having someone else do the work.

 

[Kimbo80]

I am only going to replace the rear beam. I have a 4 cylinder, so no ABS sensor on my coupe. The subframe hasn’t snapped, but the top portion is badly corroded. The second mechanic said I could still drive it but to try to avoid potholes.

 

[Connie]

I am only going to replace the rear beam. I have a 4 cylinder, so no ABS sensor on my coupe. The subframe hasn’t snapped, but the top portion is badly corroded. The second mechanic said I could still drive it but to try to avoid potholes.

All the 6th gens I've worked on have been V-6, so yours will be different. Any pics of the rust? Also I wonder if the drain for the AC is in a different spot on a 4-cyl car, so maybe that rust problem is a 4-cyl only problem.

If you're only doing the rear beam, it might be possible to leave the front hoop hanging on the front 2 bolts and not completely remove it, but that wouldn't really save much time and you'd probably be hitting your head on it anyways. And 2 of those 3 bolts that are going to most likely going to need a torch are for the brake line; the ABS wire can be zip tied in place, you NEED to get the brake like ones out clean. If I was going to charge someone to do it, I'd probably charge at least $500, too. I don't think anyone's trying to rip you off with the prices you've quoted.

 

[Kimbo80]

Here are a couple of pics I snapped a month ago. The top is badly corroded, but the bottom of the rear subframe is still solid.

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