737jettech

First post here and I am sure this dead dog has been beat to death.

I was just given a 2005 Hybrid from a family member and the transmission went out on it. 110,000 miles. After a $6000 dealer quote and remanufactured with local mechanic $3500 I decided to take a look at it myself.

I could not find any detailed information on a rebuild process and managed to score a factory Honda service manual. There is also a detailed parts picture on line.
When I opened up the transmission the friction discs were worn. Also, the whole transmission had very fine black powdered film all inside. The low clutch piston was also seized.

I ended up buying a rebuild kid and rebuilding my transmission. Just a heads up, I have a szca, the transmissions are very easy to rebuild. If you have some mechanical skills and mainly c clip pliers pretty straight forward. I also took several detailed pictures to show me how all parts were installed. The full rebuild kit, external filter, and Honda fluid it was about $200.

Anyway I am not writing to brag it was just a pain to find any information on what is involved in rebuilding them. Plus putting a used one in is just taking a chance on when it will fail. If anybody needs any further details hit me up and I can try to assist.

mac25

You should post a DIY for others.

737jettech

NDNV

Nice of you to drop by our site! Please stay awhile and allow us to benefit from your transmission experience.

For the regular BMXA transmissions the only thing you can do to prolong the inevitable is frequent ATF drain and fills with Honda DW-1? ATF strainer is inside the trans and not serviceable?

03hybrid

any tips or extra info you can give me? I have an 03 civic hybrid and just bought master re-build kit and have no idea where to start once i take it out. IT had the "Jutter" and forums told me to replcae the fluid, I found out the original owner never had the fluid changed but once in the car's lifetime, so when i did it it lubed everything up to the point where it failed. 268,000 miles, It will run and drive about 2 miles before it quits and has to sit a few mins and will restart and drive another 2 miles approx. So that gives me hope on the rebuild from what you posted about the discs wearing. I have a high pitched whine that I have determined to be the torque convertor being clogged. I can get a used one for $100 at pull a part with torque convertor but have to travel 3 hrs then take it out myself so I decided to try to rebuild it myself first.

alexdhatcher

Hi,
I too am just starting a rebuild/freshen of a 2005 HCH CVT. it was from a working but highway wreck.

i already screwed up the disassembly, and missed taking one picture of the open trans before taking things apart. lol.

not sure if the parking pawl spring goes IN the hole in the pawl or behind the pawl.

737jettech

I took a lot of pics but got a new phone and I guess they didn’t load over to this phone.

From what I remember:

The big machined pin, about 3/4”, goes into case. Pawl spring goes over that. Only goes on one way and one end of spring goes into small hole in trans case. Center of pawl goes on the top of machined pin. Other side of spring goes into parking pawl which has a small hole in it. This goes under the start clutch assembly. If put on correctly the parking pawl finger should catch on the gear that is on/under start clutch assembly. Basically with pawl installed correctly the start clutch won’t rotate. Move pawl out of way, against spring pressure, release from gear, then start clutch assembly will rotate.

Hope this helps?

I found out I should have kept trans together and just changed clutch pack assembly which is what wears out...that is why for 2006 there were no hydraulic start clutch packs. They are gear driven.

I tried to find a good schematic at Honda sites but couldn’t find one for you.

Hope this helps and for what it’s worth sell the damn thing. I could never get it to run right again. Don’t know what I screwed up sold to a guy who parts out cars. Not an unsuspecting victim.

alexdhatcher

That look right?

737jettech

Yes. That looks more like it. The pin in first and spring around it.

alexdhatcher

Thanks! I received the overhaul kit and starting the teardown.

even after removing the clip, cover and 2 half washers from start clutch, i can't get the thing off. I've rebuild clutch packs on motorcycle without this much fighting. watching the one video /?v=Ocl6kT75Cps&t=725s and its come up effortlessly.

update: I was being too nice. a few taps off hammer on the center puller, and it cracked and slid right off.

Pojectjunky

hey I have question about your transmission rebuild experience

cfahamilton

Hey thanks for the reply. I have been trying to figure out how to add pics from my computer to a PM. When I click the pic icon the only option it gives is to add a URL. So I made an album and I am going to use that as the URL location. Please let me know if it didn't work.
Pic 1 - Reference of Start clutch on far right still in transmission:
Pic 2 - Start clutch removed from trans flipped over with clutch pack (frictions & steels) still installed:
Pic 3 - Clutch with frictions & steels removed. I also removed the C-clip (#871) that holds in the domed part (#961). This is where I am but I cant get any further.
Pics 4 & 5 - Top & bottom view of the piston with molded rubber bottom that needs to be replaced:
Pic 6 - The diagram you posted with part numbers for reference:

From your diagram and another I found today, it seems that when C-clip #871 is removed, the domed part #961 should be pushed up by the spring and then easily taken off. The the spring #970 and the piece beneath it #870 can be lifted out. Once those are off, a smaller C-clip #962 that holds in the piston #960, accessed. Once that is out, the piston can be removed and you can proceed with replacement and reassembly.

For me, the domed part is completely stuck on. I can't lift it up. If I grab it with vise-grips I cant even rotate it. I don't know if another part has to be removed first but I can't see how that's possible when I look at the replacement piston. There are no grooves that would hold other clips in. I was willing to try forcing the piston because I knew I was replacing it. If I damage the domed part I may have to replace the whole clutch because I can't find that domed piece sold separately anywhere. (I tried looked for the site that posted your diagram but couldn't find it.)

I know it's been a while since you did yours but anything you remember could help.

Clutch installed on far right

Clutch removed. Frictions & steels still inside

frictions, steels, and first c-clip removed. Stuck here

Piston top. See difference from pic 3. There is another part (sort of dome-like) in that pic that has not been removed - stuck

Piston bottom. Molded rubber portion is visible.

Diagram 737jettech posted earlier for part number reference.

alexdhatcher

hi!
sorry about the delay getting back to you.

I have watched a new videos from rebuilders (the guys speaking portugese) and they used compressed air to pop out the hard to remove piston. Its very similar in design to insights, and the JAZZ.

I cannot find that exact video, but the one below is part of many:

reinstall fun: 1:12:20

cfahamilton

Hi Alex, thanks for the reply. The compressed air trick works only after the retaining clip is removed. The problem was that the retaining clip can't be accessed until that domed part is removed. I did eventually get it off. It took some engineering and a lot of persistence. Since the domed part doesn't move during normal operation it just got seized up somehow.

In any case, that part is done now. However, I have a new problem now that I'm hoping you or someone else can help me with. I have disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled the main valve body (accessed from oil pan) and I am ready to reinstall it. When I removed it from the trans I took a lot of pictures so I would know how to route the wiring and make sure that the connectors each went to the proper receptacle. (The connectors are not unique and can be connected in the wrong places.) Unfortunately my phone ran out of space and I had to move a bunch of pics to my computer, and in the process the pics from this section of the job got lost.

Do you have any pics from your rebuild that would show the routing of the wires and connectors for the valve body?

I have scoured the internet unsuccessfully for something that would help. I have watched the Brazilian videos and while they are very helpful in some respects, they don't show what I need and they are for different versions of the CVT. They have different valve bodies and therefore different wiring layouts.

Thanks in advance to anyone who has been through this and can provide reference pics or diagrams.

alexdhatcher

hi.
if you can wait a few more days, i can pop off the cover for the valve body on a spare 2003 trans, and share it.

i don't check my email and forums that often, ( mental health with computers/phones/etc.)

alexdhatcher

if you still need it, i can pull the cover off my spare 2003 CVT and take some pics.

though, the wires are typically exact lengths and should lay (lie?, i never remember the rule) where they belong.

cfahamilton

Hi Alex, thanks for the offer but I don't want you to go through all that trouble just for my peace of mind. I've got it back together now. There were two plugs that could be interchanged but I'm pretty sure I got them in the right places. (One way fits better than the other.) Now I'm just waiting for a little warmer weather and for the snow to melt around the car so I can put the trans back in. Then I guess I'll find out if the rebuild was successful.

Anjin

Quick question for the folks who came before here,
Where did you guys source the Honda special tools for the transmission assembly (Honda 07TAE-P4V0110,) etc? Did you figure out how to do the job without them, or were you able to find them somewhere?
Stuck trying to remove the reverse brake retaining snap ring.
Thanks!

Colin42

Pictures would be helpful

BrotatoChip

Any Honda parts dealer should be able to get you the tool if you provide the part number.

alexdhatcher

i made a few of them with scrap metal and threaded shaft and nuts.

but if i couldn't do that, i would have bought them from either honda or amazon.

cLytell

Can you please tell me how you were able to get that metal cover off the starter clutch shaft? i need to the get the rubber piston out but mine is also seized up and i cant get the cover off (domed part). how were you able to break it loose or remove it?

alexdhatcher

Are you referring to the actual start clutch assembly?

i used a thick flat disk (coin side) on the shaftand a large 3 claw pulley.

post a pic of what you're asking

Maxpeedingrods

Hey thank you for sharing! I think we could benefit a lot from your experience! This is so detailed and informative!

Anjin

Hello folks,
I'm in a similar boat as some of the others on this thread. I've removed the start clutch from the shaft, and removed the clutch disks, and the clip #871, but I can't figure out how to remove #961, and it's holding up this project. Any help would be very welcome.
Thank you!

DWThomle

The SZCA CVT does not have a torque converter. It has a torque damper which drives the input shaft and the the ring gear of the planetary. The planetary provides forward and reverse. The planetary then provides power to the drive pulley, belt, and driven pulley. The driven pulley applies power to the start- stop clutch which send power to the differential when engaged. The whine you are hearing can be the pump, a bearing or the belt. Check to see if the noise disappears in park and neutral. If the noise is only present in gear then it is likely the steel push belt. I am currently rebuilding my SZCA transmission in my 2003 Civic Hybrid. I had the same whine which was cause by the belt slipping. The slippage actually got bad enough for a code to set and the car to not do more than 35 mph at 5000 RPM.

DWThomle

I use snapring pliers and gear pullers from Harbor Freight. I also made spring compressors on my lathe and milling machine.

hemidenis

Hi guys, I got crunchy noise coming from the trans at dead stop. fluids and everything else seems ok. I just purchased a Master kit to do a rebuild. Please post more pics guys!! thanks

DWThomle

Is the noise occur in Neutral or Park? If the noise only happens in gear the source can be narrowed to bearings, on the pulleys or belt.

BrotatoChip

This thread is specific to the Hybrid trim. Is your '04 a Hybrid?