gearbox

iTrader: (95)

yeah its very complicated to determine which filter to use, and you can actually cause damage if the filter is too restrictive. thats why i stuck to the honda oem. the honda tech guys are right.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

not sure if i posted this, but here is where i installed mine. it was super easy, maybe a 15 min job cutting the line, pushing the hose on, and bolting the bracket to frame. its easy to change too by just loosening the clamp bolt and swapping it out. every trans should have a replacable filter.

bravo79

Finally I found the time to put in my Transmission filter yesterday
When I opened the Oil Drain Plug I found alot of black gooey stuff on the magnet !!! I dont know what the previous owner have done to the transmission before but there were no actual metal shiny partials just the black gooey thick stuff that looked like grease at first when I looked at it. However the transmission shift fine. I have to Drain and refill 2 more times


I would attache a picture of my work but it says you may not post attachments ?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

just use photobucket.com

bravo79

Ok

I have a question about Engine Oil . I don't want to ask it here but I want your input GB

Here is the picture

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG00046.jpg

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

nice looks good. you can pm me about oil if you want.

bravo79

PM'd

Shehzad Qureshi

Hi gearbox

I have the M4VA / CVT gearbox on my 98 EK1 here in the UK. Without the pictures I am having trouble figuring out which is the return line back into the transmission. Is it the pipe that goes into the left side of the oil pan [viewed from front of car], directly into the internal filter? It comes from the lower right of the radiator [again viewed from front].

Thanks in advance

Shehzad Qureshi

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

sorry for some reason i never saw this post. it really wont matter on a civic which way you hook up the cooler before or after the radiator. hot fluid comes out from the passenger side of the trans cooler line and goes to the passenger side of the radiator. then thru the radiator to the driver side, and a hose goes back to the trans with cooler fluid. ideally, you want the cooler connected after the radiator for best cooling.

Shehzad Qureshi

Thank you for your reply.

I wanted to know not because i installed a cooler but because i installed a magnefine filter. Fluid can flow through it from either direction but for the 'release valve' to work it must be installed the right way round.

Anyway I had it fitted onto the pipe that goes back into the internal filter next to the sump and the fluid at least is flowing properly. Also replaced internal filter, and cvt fluid.

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/...427_170232.jpg

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

okay yes that should be fine. generally external filters should be installed on the "hot" line before the fluid is cooled, because it flows thru the filter better when hot. i have my external filter on the "cool" return line tho and have not seen any issue.

Civicnoobie

Hey interesting that you took off your trans cooler. So you dont use it anymore? You just run the filter?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

yeah pretty much i dont care anymore lol. the cooler would get so hot already i started to wonder if it actually helped. technically if you keep an eye out on the fluid color, it will tell you if you are running too hot (turning orange fast). changing the fluid every year should eliminate the need for a cooler. pretty much a hotter trans will just "use up" the fluid faster. if you keep changing it, no problem. this is ofcourse ignoring the mechanical defects. a normal trans should last a very long time with regular fluid changes.

Civicnoobie

Well I have a 04 civic, the defects were fixed in this year (05 too). Honda released a TSB with list of trans serials that are affected and mine isnt on the list. Thanks for the tip, I still have my trans cooler sitting in my trunk unopened, I think ill just refund it and install the OEM filter I ordered from Honda last week. It sounds to me that the ext filter IS worth it....or should i ditch that too? How do I tell what line to install the ext filter on? And does it actually help?

Also, is there a way to add a temp gauge to the dash that monitors our trans temp?

Civicnoobie

Hey i just got my ext filter, can you tell me in steps exactly how and where to install it? The pic helps give me an idea but im lost.

Thanks.

Civicnoobie

Which is it dog? Is the left hose the send or return line? But yet in your pic, your filter thats on your return (cooled) line is coming from the left of the radiator. What the hell? I cant be anymore confused.

For the love of god please help me.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

it doesnt matter which line or which way you install the filter. it works any way you do it.

airwolf123

Does anybody know where I can get a hold of the external OEM filter for the 2004 HX? I have a 2004 EX with AT and I want to setup an external filter. I can't seem to find it online... am I going to have to buy one from a dealer?

Also, what is your take on this? Is it best to stick to OEM?
http://www.amazon.com/80277-Universa...hu-rd_add_1_dp

Thanks!

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

dealer only if you want the oem part. tell them to look under 'atf cooler' for the 01 civic hx with cvt trans.

Gearhead 1978

I have seen that some people (under the link for trans rebuild) hooked up the cooler directly to the cooler. Anybody notice any difference between hooking the cooler after the radiator cooler versus hooking up the cooler directly to the trans? ALSO Gearbox, thanks for the posts, I've ordered the EXT Trans cooler filter from Honda today and hopefully will be installing the cooler and filter within a couple of months (or when it's not so cold)!

EDIT: I've picked up the filter and the mounting. I think that I am going to have pics up soon if anyone wants them. I have a question on the filter though. The filter doesn't have any arrows in showing which way the fluid is suppose to flow. The Honda techs said that the cooler pipes with the smaller diameter are from the trans (in this case 145mm) the larger one (350 mm) are going into the cooler. Now when I actually pulled out the filter and test fit some hoses from Advance Auto, the ends are actually the same size and 1/2 in hoses will fit very snuggly onto the ends. I also have a spec drawing and parts list that I will scan Friday (after I pick up the last part missing from Honda). Please anyone help me with the filter.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

filter works both ways, there is no flow direction as it is a very simple design. i remember using 3/8 inch hose and it was a good fit. make sure you use transmission hose. it must say this on the hose. autozone carries goodyear brand that will work. using any other type and you will have serious problems with the inside of the hose being dissolved by the fluid and ruining the trans.

on these cars, the oem atf cooler is built into the radiator and actually doubles as a fluid heater (since the coolant gets hot before the atf). trans fluid generally should run cooler than engine coolant (200F for coolant, 180F for atf as a general idea), so putting the aftermarket cooler after the oem cooler works best. so the direction of flow would be hot fluid from the trans, to the radiator cooler, then to the aftermarket cooler, then back to the trans as cooled atf. on these cars, a cooler generally isnt required unless you drive long distances on the highway or drive with lots of heavy things in the car. a fluid cooler basically extends the life of the atf. so you can install the cooler and change the atf less often, or leave it stock and change the fluid more often. the honda z1 atf (now discontinued) has a very short life of barely under 10k miles. if you use valvoline maxlife dex/merc atf, it has a much higher life in in comparison, closer to 30k miles. but with heavy driving, any fluid should be changed more often. usually the color will tell you when it starts looking dark or orange. a trans cooler will never hurt, unless you live in seriously cold climates where it is always way below freezing. having the trans fluid run colder than normal is not a bad thing, but it will not shift and operate as well if the fluid is not hot enough. having the fluid too hot can cause serious damage however.

Gearhead 1978

Thanks gearbox for the great DIY. I completed my upgrade (filter only) in a couple of hours. I got everything from Honda and put it in right under the battery using one of the mounting bolts for the battery tray. I ended up getting about 3 feet of 3/8 in trans cooler hose to plumb it. I have noticed that it takes longer for the trans fluid to heat up BUT I think it is the for the best that I have an external filter to try to save the trans fluid.

tempo

Gearhead 1978, you have mentioned that with filter it takes longer for the trans fluid to heat up. If you have a thermometer could you please write what temperature you read now and before filter installation, also in what climate you live? I installed filter and cooler myself in 2009 and trying to get some data from people. I had a 2005 used transmission with 50K on it and I put about 45K in my car (overall 95K on transmission). Thanks!

tonee

Thanks for the DIY but could you please reupload the pictures?

OneJzSupra

what he said please.

Poopies

iTrader: (4)

Dude, Gear hasn't been on the site since 2012.

Gearhead 1978

Not sure if i can get a temp reading before. I have had the filter for about 3 years now. I can try. Sprry been trying to get it together with a k swap.