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I recently purchased a transmission for my civic and am just curious that it is the right one. Definitely not my thing. The transmission I bought was v-tec D17A2. Im concerned because my transmission now says bmxa on it and the new one says slxa. Its the little things that confuse me. Thank you for any help

 
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More information required... Is it a manual transmission? Is your engine a D17A1?

IF it's a manual... they are different, but compatible. The A2 has shorter gears to feel more "Sporty"... It bolts right up and you will probably never be able to tell the difference. The A1 transmission is nicer on the highway because the car revs ~500 lower.

 
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Automatic, and to be honest im not sure the engine type. Im pretty sure its a d17a_ something... sorry for the lack of knowledge.

 
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D17a1

 
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I'm not as well versed in automatics as I am in manuals. But I'm willing to bet there is a similar difference between the two to make the A2 feel sportier. It will bolt on directly though... because in the end the engines are the same so the transmissions will work as well. As far as transmission codes I have no idea.

 
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The size of the trans was what got me worrying. Didnt expect it to be that size... wish they gave us a little room to work with in these cars lol

 
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Well you made no mention of the size in the original post. What is worrying you about the size? I understand it's big but is one transmission bigger than the other?

 
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Lol im a noob with this stuff. Didnt think transmissions for a little honda were that big... Haven't taken the old tranny off yet to see how big it is.

 
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Honda didn't want to pay Borg Warner's (? think it was them) licensing fees way back when... so Uncle Soichiro commissioned his own design -- two parallel shafts like a manual, with a motorcycle-like multi-plate clutch for each ratio. This is both why Honda auto trans' like the BMXA are not only physically larger but use different trans fluid than all the other planetary gearset autos out there. Easy to abuse, since you're basically putting all of your automotive torque and heavy driveline inertia through a motorcycle's fiber/steel pack. The more torque, the more this trans design becomes prone to failure (ask any early V6 Odyssey owner about their transmission durability. Bring a snack, and possibly an umbrella).

 
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I told one instructor at a training center that if I ever really learned how a Honda automatic works, I'd never be able to pass an ASE auto transmission test again. LOL


I loved them! These were a huge moneymaker for me for quite a while.

 
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So bmxa's=garbage. What would be the best way of dropping the trans out of the car? Cant wait to get this thing running again. Thank you guys for all the answers.

 
Rep Power: 314

Out the top is always easier for a beginner because the subframe does not have to come off. It will seem there isn't enough room. You have to remove everything above (intake, starter, etc. also axles) then remove the bolts holding the transmission, slide the transmission away from the engine. Remove the clutch and possibly the flywheel with the transmission slid back then you will have enough room to pull the transmission out the top

It's not as graceful as from the bottom but it requires a lot less work.

 
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Thanks, will have to give that a try. Sub frame was the route I was gonna take but always looking to make a job easier.

 
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Biggest problem with the subframe is it requires alignment after or the car is very difficult to align. Now some say it's easy to align and others say it's not. I wouldn't even bother with all that I'd just remove it from the top