oh by the way, can anyone tell me if there are any diffrences in the 1st and 2nd gen trannys?

i can pick up a 2nd gen tranny right now for practicly nothing and cant find if there are any diffrences to keep me from useing it

 

OK firstly Welcome to the forum, you will find just about everything you need to know here. (Don't forget to post pictures )

Now, the transmissions between the 1st and 2nd generations are very different as the 2nd generation had the engine mounted longitudinally where as ours are mounted in a normal East/West front wheel drive configuration.
Even the transmissions within the first generation were different...
1986-1987 auto transmissions had internal solenoids and did not have a TCU.
1988-1989 auto transmissions had external solenoids and a TCU.
1990 had some slightly different modifications and do not work with any other years.

So in your case, you are going to need a '90 auto transmission.

If it is slipping, you can try changing the transmission fluid and adjusting the kickdown cable, but by the sounds of it, it is probably toast. (Unless something is way out like the shifter position, or the kickdown cable)

Make sure the kickdown cable is as it should be first without any slack and take it from there. Does the auto make any slight winding or grinding noises? (I know the one in my new Legend whines like crazy, which is always indicative that a replacement is needed )

DIY Kickdown Cable

4 x Tranny Flush by Gil

 

well i have a whine but im not sure if its comeing from the transmission or not.

also after it starts slipping, when i go to put it in park i hear something grind as it kicks into park.

im about 80% sure the current tranny is toast but just wanted to see if there were any other posibilitys that i could manage to go without changeing it.

kind of looks like a pain in the ass to work on these legend transmissions compared to my integra or my civic that i can have out in less then an hour and aamco wants 500 just for labor to change it out.

 

The grind into park is ok, a lot of Honda automatic transmissions do it. I hate the sound of it myself but I keep getting re-assured it is ok.

I would say it is on the way out, go for a reconditioned one and save yourself the headaches if you can afford it.

 

well got a new transmission put in, and it was a pain in the ass!

runs and drives great now, but have another question


it slips a little when shifting into the next gear, is that normal? could my fluid be low or anything else?

and not sure if this has anything to do with it but i busted the kickdown cable as well, i doubt it would have any bearing on it but thought i would just add it in incase.

let me know what you guys think

 

Replace the cable and see what happens.

 

i plan to pickup a new cable tomorrow, just wanted to get ideas in the mean time

 

Pics plz.

 

Legend automatic transmission are notorious for their fast and hard shifting. So, anything less than that means something's not quite right.

Any slip would fall into that class.

I don't know if a kick-down cable would help solve this or not. But, if not, it could be the tranny you received is less than rebuilt. Don't know if it was sold to you as rebuilt or just recovered from another car.

As others have said, you'll always need only a 1990 transmission since those are unique.

Are you getting any Blink Codes on the ECU/TCU (TCU in particular)?
Does your "S3" light blink or stay solid "ON" on the Instrument Cluster?

Do you have any reason to believe your current TCU may have been changed? Was wondering if perhaps it got swapped with a non-1990 TCU.

 

i'll have pics soon, i've been focused on getting it running correctly so havent even taken a single picture yet

the transmission i got was from another car, unknown mileage but looked like it was driven easy. shift linkage was broken at the connection inside the transmission houseing so i figured that's why it had been totaled out.

i can be gentle on the throttle and get it to shift flawlessly, but it is only during one specific shift that it slips and then catch's, which is from 2nd to 3rd

as for codes there are none, although my anti lock light is on

and i dont really have any reason to belive my TCU would have been changed out, but i may end up going and getting the one i got my transmission from just to be sure

for now it drives like a champ and im fairly pleased, i only bought the car for $300 and am into it another $150 for the transmission.

im going to be saveing to get my old tranny rebuilt and swapped in for when this one goes out, only took me a couple days to do the swap, it was just a pain, im used to integra's or civics with roomy engine bays

 

If the kickdown cable is not adjusted properly the gear changes will slip slightly. Get a kickdown cable on and adjusted properly. You will be as good as new.

 

kick down cable was the whole problem

shifts beautiful now, hard and fast so im assumeing this tranny is in good shape

still going to keep my old one for a core and rebuild it though

i have a few other questions but nothing needed right now and i'll create new threads with the actual question. thanks for the help so far guys, i'll take pics tomorrow and maybe have em up tomorrow night. she aint pretty but soon

 

good job on rebuild and reinstall

 

Nice. Good thing it was the kick down cable.

 

Good work OP... all we need now is some pix

 

well here are pics of the beast, like i said not great looking, but for $300 i cant complain at all

 

Welcome. You'll have to make it to the next WA meet.

 

when and where is that at? depending on when it is i should be able to have a few things on my list done

 

That is one of my facourite colours. Looks very nice on a Coupe.

With a bit of TLC and a one colour paint scheme you will have a decent looking Legend by the looks of it.

 

That is one of my facourite colours. Looks very nice on a Coupe.

With a bit of TLC and a one colour paint scheme you will have a decent looking Legend by the looks of it.

Yup, take your time fixing her up and sooner or later, its gonna look gorgeous.