Clutch

[2geeSEi]

Most likely bad release bearing.

[ecogabriel]

I replaced my clutch in my 93 Civic DX, so I suspect they are quite similar. I believe your car uses the same clutch kit than mine. They are cheap - a Daikin set can be had for little over $100 (I got mine here,
http://www.clutchcityonline.com/

If you are going to do the job, do it right so you won't pay twice or disassemble the car twice (don't ask me how I know that). Except for slave and master cylinders, I replaced the rest including the clutch fork since mine had some little cracks on the pivot point inside the transmission case.
Another place to get parts - Flywheels and the cylinders - is rockauto.com; they also sell clutch kits. I ended up replacing my master cylinder recently - it started leaking at 225K miles.
Since you are at it, it would be a good idea to replace the rear crank seal. it may add 20-30 bucks to the job but it is extra insurance that an oil leak would not come from a worn seal

[Dr_Snooz]

Snooz, that is the pedal adjustment. That only needs to be adjusted when the clutch master cylinder is replaced or the adjustment loosened up.

It adjusts the release point on the clutch. Pedal height is a separate adjustment. It sounds to me like the OP's clutch isn't releasing fully when he presses the pedal down. Hence, the squealing and smell. If it's hard to get in gear, then I'll feel very confident that it's an adjustment issue. He can adjust the clutch for free before spending a lot of money and taking the car down for repairs. It's not my car, obviously, but if it were, I'd be checking the clutch adjustment.

[ecogabriel]

It adjusts the release point on the clutch. Pedal height is a separate adjustment. It sounds to me like the OP's clutch isn't releasing fully when he presses the pedal down. Hence, the squealing and smell. If it's hard to get in gear, then I'll feel very confident that it's an adjustment issue. He can adjust the clutch for free before spending a lot of money and taking the car down for repairs. It's not my car, obviously, but if it were, I'd be checking the clutch adjustment.

I remember adjusting free play when I replaced the master cylinder, but I cannot recall if the service manual says that it changes the release point of the clutch (the haynes "manual" says something like that).
Still, it does not hurt anything playing with the adjustment. I am still "disappointed" that Honda could not make the master cylinder to last more than 225k; I had to contort to reach the nuts to remove it

[HLW]

It adjusts the release point on the clutch. Pedal height is a separate adjustment. It sounds to me like the OP's clutch isn't releasing fully when he presses the pedal down. Hence, the squealing and smell. If it's hard to get in gear, then I'll feel very confident that it's an adjustment issue. He can adjust the clutch for free before spending a lot of money and taking the car down for repairs. It's not my car, obviously, but if it were, I'd be checking the clutch adjustment.

The only reason a hydraulic clutch will not fully disengage is the fluid is low. if it is low, you need to add fluid and bleed the system. I've had this happen on a different car with a hydraulic clutch. When the fluid is low, it is because of clutch wear or a leak in the hydraulic clutch.

[honda]

So I had the clutch replaced, and it seems ok. I checked the fluid level for the clutch, and they added new dot 3 brake fluid to over the maximum mark. Do I need to reduce the amount of clutch fluid they put in, or will excess fluid be ok? From what the mechanic told me, this is the fluid that goes into/fills the two clutch cylinders.

[lostscotiaguy]

I don't know if the newer models are the same as the old ones but if you have a hydraulic clutch there may be 2 adjustment points...the one for the pedal, where you can adjust the rod that comes off the master cylinder and is a pain in the a%% to adjust, and then there's the rod that goes between the clutch slave cylinder and the release fork. Like I said I don't know if yours has it but that's a LOT easier to adjust, and would account for difficult shifting and a clutch that doesn't fully disengage. Mine has messed up on me before and a little adjustment made a night and day difference....
I would assume (And as always, just my 2 cents) that if your pedal itself seems to go through it's full range of travel (I.E. It seems "Normal" and doesn't have any "flop" to it) but your clutch is still acting wonky then it's probably the other adjustable rod that needs tweaking. like I said though, i could just be talking outta my a%% as I don't know if Honda changed anything with their newer clutches...I would assume they haven't.

[lostscotiaguy]

A little excess fluid won't hurt, as long as it's not spilling out...brake fluid EATS paint super quickly.

[honda]

When they replaced the clutch, they said the transmission was a little noisy (mechanic said it was the bearings). I listened to it, and it was. Now a few days later, one week after the clutch repair, the transmission is becoming very noisy. How do I tell how much longer this transmission is going to last, and is there anything I can do to make it last longer? I also find it to be a little suspect that the transmission should suddenly become that much worse in the one week after they replaced the clutch. Is there anything that they might have done wrong to make the transmission go bad this quickly?

[2geeSEi]

They could have forgot to put oil back in it.

[HLW]

They could have forgot to put oil back in it.

+1

Remove the transmission's fill plug and use a finger to see if the oil is up to the threads for the fill plug. If it is not, add oil until it is.

[2oodoor]

R

They could have forgot to put oil back in it.

Amazing how often that happens undetected for who knows how long, on any clutch job. Some spills out and levels never replenished.

[honda]

It's been driven at least 600 miles since clutch was put in. Is adding transmission fluid now going to be able to stop the problem, or is the damage to the transmission like this going to persist now?

[Dr_Snooz]

Filling it is definitely going to slow the process, but it doesn't really matter at this point. If the trans needs oil, then you need to fill it pronto. It may still fail if you fill, but it's guaranteed to fail if you don't.

[honda]

I had the transmission fluid checked today by a mechanic, and he said it was full. The sound I'm hearing is kind of a whirring/chatter sound when I'm driving, louder than the "transmission bearing" sound the clutch repair mechanic mentioned to me. When the mechanic today checked the transmission fluid, he said he heard another sound, when he pressed on the clutch pedal, with the car not moving. He said he thought that was the throw-out bearing (from my new clutch that the clutch repair mechanics put in). The sound I'm hearing is when I'm driving, especially in the lower gears, and going uphill. I don't know if the clutch sound the mechanic is hearing when the car is not moving would explain the noise I'm hearing when I'm driving the car.

How do you know if your car is ok to drive if the transmission is going bad?

[Dr_Snooz]

Vids of sound.

[honda]

I don't have a vid of the sound that it's making. But whirring/chattering is how I would describe the sound I hear when I'm driving. And whirring is also the sound it makes when the clutch is pressed in, and the car not moving.

From reading about this type of problem, it seems that the noise I'm hearing might be the input shaft bearing, and that it might not have been aligned correctly when they put the clutch back together--as this link explains:

http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question...4153229AAvQDzu

[Vanilla Sky]

Moved to General from EFI Tech since this doesn't pertain to a 3rd gen, and it will get more exposure here.

Transmission alignment is a big deal, and a lot of mechanics take the fast, easy way of pulling the transmission to the block with bolts. This is a bad idea because it often leads to incorrect alignment. You want the transmission to be flush with the block before you even think about bolts. I've seen crushed dowel pins cause a misalignment, and it often goes undetected until either the clutch goes of the bearings in the transmission go.

[2geeSEi]

The only thing is that the input shaft doesn't turn with the clutch pushed in and the car not moving, so that can't be the noise you are hearing. In fact, when the car isn't moving, nothing in the trans is turning, only the flywheel, pressure plate, and throw-out bearing.

[Dr_Snooz]

Moved to General from EFI Tech since this doesn't pertain to a 3rd gen, and it will get more exposure here.

Transmission alignment is a big deal, and a lot of mechanics take the fast, easy way of pulling the transmission to the block with bolts. This is a bad idea because it often leads to incorrect alignment. You want the transmission to be flush with the block before you even think about bolts. I've seen crushed dowel pins cause a misalignment, and it often goes undetected until either the clutch goes of the bearings in the transmission go.

Good call. I got my trans alignment off once. The blasted thing made the most ungodly clattering and blew oil like a mofo. It was only off 1/16" max too.