Smalltalk

The trans in my G2 Legend has been flaring on the 3-4 upshift. It's noticeable in the cold, and it only seems to affect the first time it shifts into 4th gear - it seems OK on the second time...and isn't even noticeable in warm weather. I decided to change the transmission filter (screen), and to disassemble / clean the Main Valve Body. Maybe the shift valves are gummed up (preventing them from sliding smoothly) - or maybe the various solenoid screens were clogged.

In the end, nothing was gummy or clogged. Things were much cleaner than I expected. And I'm not sure whether my problem is cured because it hasn't been cold enough to test it definitively. But, I took some pictures and got some experience that might help others.

I'd suggest getting the right pages from the Acura service manual - I'm not sure whether the aftermarket manuals discuss the trans valve body, but the Acura manual is available online (there's a link in one of the Stickys at the front of the G2 forum). In particular, it might help you get the check balls back in the right holes. I'd also suggest taking pictures along the way - one part that fell out of the valve body that was mentioned NOWHERE in either the Acura manual nor the DelRay parts page. More on that later.

I ordered the various O-rings, solenoid screens, main filter (screen), and pan gasket from Delray for a total of about $120. Delray's website lists two different pan gaskets - with no way to differentiate them. Entering my VIN didn't help. So I called them and they told me I needed the PY4 vs. the P5H. I later realized that the PY4 designation is stamped on the outside of the tranny oil pan (see photo), so this should help you order the correct pan gasket. As a caution, I've seen posts on this forum suggesting that the P5H is for 1995 models - yet mine is a 1995 model and it uses the PY4. I don't know the difference between the two gasket versions.



Removing the pan and filter was easy. The pan bolts are all identical, so you needn't catalog them. Conversely, the filter and valve body bolts are all different, so I cataloged them by screwing them into the open pan bolt holes (in the transmission housing) nearest their original location. It worked great - I had no trouble returning them to their original locations. See picture.



BTW - Alot of trans fluid dumped when I pulled-off the filter/screen - so keep a drain pan underneath. Not as much fluid dumped when the Valve Body was removed, but everything drips constantly, so have some newspaper underneath, and have some Cat Litter nearby.



To remove the Valve Body, you need to disconnect a wiring harness that passes thru the side of the transmission and connects the internal solenoids. The harness is sealed (where it passes thru the transmission housing) by a round plastic plug with an O-ring that seats in a 1" diameter hole on the driver side of the transmission housing. The plastic plug is held in place by a "forked hold-down" that simply unscrews, allowing the harness to be pushed INTO the transmission housing as the Valve Body is removed. It was somewhat unintuitive, but the harness easily pushes INTO the transmission housing after the fork is removed. To access the forked hold down, you'll need to remove a black metal shroud that protects the shift cable. It's easy - just two bolts. BTW - The book says to disconnect the shift cable linkage, but you don't need to.



As you remove the final few bolts of the valve body, keep in mind that it's somewhat heavy (10 lbs?), so don't drop it. I lowered it into a plastic tub. Note that some of the bolts don't hold the valve body to the tranny, but rather they hold the layers of the valve body together...it's no big deal if you loosen them, but you'll soon realize they're different from the valve body mounting bolts.



My filter / screen seemed clogged at first, but as I looked closer, it looked like most of the gunk was only at the opening, per picture below. As near as I can see by looking deeper within, the screen has plenty of clog-free surface area for the fluid to filter thru. I'll eventually pour some fluid thru the old filter to see if / how much it's clogged.



The pan was quite clean and free of gunk, though in the picture below, I had already cleaned the plug magnet. The amount of gunk / filings on the magnet was surprisingly little - much less than on my previous Legend. Incidentally, in a pinch, you could probably reuse the pan gasket - it's firm plastic and came off intact (apparently the original is installed without gasket sealer). I had bought a new gasket (actually 2), so I replaced it anyway.



To disassemble the Valve Body, I removed the Linear Solenoid (the big solenoid), the Accumulators (the large round holes), and the solenoids. They came off easily, and I tested them using an ohm meter (12-24 ohms) and a 12 volt power source to make sure that they all responded to electricity according to the book. This test was easy and they all behaved fine.



Next I separated the upper half of the valve body from the lower half. There's a metal plate between them. Once separated, you'll see dozens of oil passages (looks like a brain). Be careful not to lose the checkballs in the lower half (9 of them) - just lift the upper body gently and you should be fine. Note that there are a couple bolts that screw up from below that must be removed before the upper and lower halves can be separated. Not visible in the picture are the 2 small "shift" solenoids (they're behind the tub). Also, not visible is that the lower half of the valve body has a 'bottom cover' that also separates - it should also be removed and inspected (it has more oil passageways and a tiny screen, but no additional parts to 'fall out' and get lost).



The next phone zooms in on the lower portion of the valve body. The book says NOT to use a magnet to remove the checkballs, but I used a very weak magnet, and then I demagnetized them with an old tape-head demagnetizer. You could simply invert the unit and let the balls fall out into a tub. Two warnings: As noted in the picture, there's a small cylinder that's not mentioned in the Acura service manual nor in the DelRay diagrams. It's lucky I took this photo before inverting the valve body, else I never would have figured out where it belonged. The other warning...the shifter slide can (and will) simply fall out - and if it drops on a concrete floor, it might bend and be ruined! If you have the Acura manual, it's fairly easy to return the checkballs to their proper places. When reinstalling the valve body, make sure this shift slide engages the shifter linkage in the trans housing.



I removed two of the five (or six) spring loaded valves that are scattered throughout the valve body halves. Nothing seemed the slightest bit gummed up, so I didn't disassemble all of them (and I forgot to take pictures of that, but you'll see good drawings in the book). There's a couple ways to knock out the pins and allow the spring loaded valves to eject from their sleeves. And if they don't slide nicely, the book explains how to hone the sleeves with wet/dry sandpaper. Be sure you have the book if you do these -or do them one at a time so their parts don't get mixed up.

Re-assembly went very quickly. Everything was so clean that I didn't use carburetor cleaner on everything, as recommended by the book. Just be careful to engage the shift slide correctly when you reinstall the valve body. Be sure to get a good photo of the gears in your transmission as a trophy. And don't forget to restore the trans fluid that you drained before starting the project (gee, did I mention draining the fluid before dropping the pan? Where's that cat litter?).

BTW - about a month before starting this project, I added 6 ounces of Auto-RX to the Trans, then changed the fluid about 1500 miles later. So I'd hoped the trans might be clean, but I didn't expect it to be nearly "sterile" like it was. The car has 130K miles on it. I suspect the trans fluid had never been changed prior to my ownership at 92K, because the fluid was somewhat dark (though it didn't smell too bad). I had changed the fluid when I bought it (using Gil's 4x fluid exchange). My only regret about this project is that I didn't find anything wrong - so I'm worried that my 3-4 upshift flare might be a bad clutchpack afterall. I'm thinking about keeping Dexron fluid in the trans rather than Honda fluid, in the hope that it's friction properties are more "grabby". I've never had a problem with harshness of the 1-2 shift because I drive the car so gently. Still undecided about this part.

Hope this helps somebody.

 

stoffius

that was a great write-up. i just did the DIY trans + filter yesterday and noticed a bit of an improvement. i wish i had seen this first however because i would've checked a few more things. next weekend i'll do the rear trans mount and all should be okay and maybe at the end of the year i'll drop the valve body

rngwrm

i just did mine for the first time, and there was no gasket on the pan. was a previous owner just cheap and / or lazy? is there any reason for it not to have had one? it wasn't leaking anyway.

also, i had it flushed at the honda dealer 24000 miles ago, but the stuff that came out today was only barely lighter than used motor oil. the only reason i did anything w/ it today was that it started slipping and wouldn't get out of first gear. have i already guaranteed that my transmission is toast? i can't get any honda atf until monday, and the suspense will likely kill me before then.

finally, i thought that goop on the magnet was some kind of grease to make sure it stays in place. it'll be ok until the next drain + fill in 50 miles, right?



never mind. the transmission survived the first round.

Bushido95Legend

smalltalk, say if i only want to remove the pan and filter, i dont need to disconnect the wiring harness for that , right ?????
i drain and fill it my tranny 3 months ago. i want to change the filter within the next 3 month.

cnunez1987

WINNAR You win two internets. Please use them wisely.

Smalltalk

Sorry for the delay. No - you don't need to fuss with the wiring harness just to do the Pan and Filter / Screen.

Just watch the difference between Pan Gaskets. There are two different ones listed - PY4 and PH5. As seen in the picture in my DIY, the code is visible on the bottom of your pan - so crawl under the car and make sure before you order it. I bought two gaskets, in case something went wrong and I had to disassemble it again. But at $14 apiece, you might not go that route.

Good luck!

FromaQ

when putting the o-ring on the top of the new filter, should i first put a light coat of a/t fluid on the oring or just put it on dry?

jallenator

ok. first off... is this for ALL legends? G1 AND G2? because when i went to napa to get one they informed me that i would have to remove the tranny from the car in order to replace the filter.... seems like a pain if thats teh case. btw i have a G1. I need to replace it soon because my car shifts really hard at times. and when i go from reverse to neutral it kinda grinds and from neutral to drive 4 it about breaks my neck lol. i need a response soon. my grandpa is about to use his carlift and it will be out of use for the whole winter. so yea. this is the next thing on my list to fix.