How are Honda manual transmissions?

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They are some of the best MT's in the business.

The 6-speeds did have a bit of a 3rd gear 'click' on the V6 Accords and Acuras of yesteryears, but I do believe they have ironed out most of the problems. Even so, many were able to remedy the problem with a MTF change of either GM Synchromesh Friction Modified or apparently the 'new' Honda Genuine MTF.

They are fun.
 
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Originally Posted By: redhat
They are some of the best MT's in the business.

The 6-speeds did have a bit of a 3rd gear 'click' on the V6 Accords and Acuras of yesteryears, but I do believe they have ironed out most of the problems. Even so, many were able to remedy the problem with a MTF change of either GM Synchromesh Friction Modified or apparently the 'new' Honda Genuine MTF.

They are fun.

Absolutely right. Honda makes some of the best MT, clutch, shifter combinations you can get in any car at any price (even though they may not have a Porsche flat 6 attached to them).
 
If your relative is 100% set on a M/T from Honda, I would not worry about reliability, their shaky transmission history is most closely related to the automatics.

...a 2014 Accord Sport, Black, 6MT -- MY KIND OF CAR! Sorry for the shouting, I'm excited!
 
They tend to use rod linkages when others use cables on FWD cars. This is almost always a good thing.
 
Honda manual transmissions = god-tier

Have driven manual Hondas in the B-series, K-series, and F-series family. All had great feedback and went into gear easily.
 
Originally Posted By: y_p_w
Their biggest reliability issues are with transmissions mated to V6 engines. Their manual transmissions are generally reliable.


I thought I was safe with my 4-cylinder 02 Accord. Even after regular fluid changes, the transmission took a dump at 130K miles.
cry.gif
 
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You guys clearly don't know Honda 6 speeds and there, aren't speaking from personal experience.

I'll put in my two cents...

I had an 07 Civic Si with a 6 speed and it was a good transmission when driven gently but any type of sprited driving resulted in gear synchronizers grinding in 2nd and 3rd gear. It's all over the Internet. Honda is suffering from 2nd and 3rd gear issues in practically EVERY model that has a 6 speed manual transmission. This is Accords, Civics, and S2000s.

Having said that, the transmission should function properly and last a long time if driven properly but at the end of the day, having experienced transmission issues first hand, I can't say that they make good transmissions. Of course perhaps by now they did iron out the problems but only time will tell as people put 60k+ on those transmissions and report back...

Proceed with caution. If he likes the car, go for it!
 
The shifters are awesome. I hated the clutch position, point and action in integras. Havent driven an MT honda since.
 
Only thing I noticed in my last CR-V (5-speed MT) is after about 30,000 miles on the fluid it got a little finicky shifting into gear, especially in the cold. Fresh fluid made for slick shifting again, and the newer Honda MTF seemed better than the original.
 
Honda 5 speed MT's are VERY good, always have been dead reliable and very smooth/easy day to day. The early 6 speed MT's develop problems a lot sooner, so the all mighty internet forums say....
 
Is there any internet approved lube formula that cures the crunchy gears in the 6MT?
 
Originally Posted By: Mykl
Is there any internet approved lube formula that cures the crunchy gears in the 6MT?


That would be the magic unicorn blood they call GM synchromesh friction modified, around 10 bucks a quart at a dealer.... The look on the clerks face when I told him it was for a Integra type r trans was pretty good though...

It seems smoother than the old fill of Pennzoil Synchromesh I had that people also rave about in Honda MT's

It will not magically repair any trans that is damaged, if you're lucky it will mask the problem for a while.
 
Hondas used to use rod linkages, but that ended years ago.
AFAIK, it's been cable shift linkages since '92 or so.
Too bad, since the old rod operated transmissions were awesomely light and smooth in operation, while the later cable shifters were greatly inferior although still okay.
 
Originally Posted By: mclasser
Although the other option is a CVT and not an automatic, Honda's shaky transmission history has left him a little gun shy.

CVTs in the 2002-10 Civics are failing. Maybe it was redesigned for the Accord but why take the risk? I say go manual (and also save $1000). Soooo..... what's wrong with Honda's automatics?
 
Originally Posted By: Brenden
That would be the magic unicorn blood they call GM synchromesh friction modified,


Interesting. I was planning to use Amsoil Manual transmission synthetic in my 5-speed manual. You think GM fluid is better?
 
Originally Posted By: blackman777
Originally Posted By: Brenden
That would be the magic unicorn blood they call GM synchromesh friction modified,


Interesting. I was planning to use Amsoil Manual transmission synthetic in my 5-speed manual. You think GM fluid is better?


If you lurk around the Honda car forums many of the owners swear by the GM Synchromesh. GM fluids like this one are usually top quality products that rival anything from the major oil company branded products. I'm sure that the GM product is produced by one of those major producers. It would be interesting to know which oil company makes it. Same goes from Motorcraft manual transaxle fluid that is spec'd for the Focus, and Fiesta.
 
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Except that GM synchromesh is not the same as what Honda calls for. In my Integra days people loved that stuff but I always stuck with the Honda MTF.
 
Honda automatic transmissions are troublesome to say the least their manual transmissions are better but not the best.

my brother until a coupe of years ago had a transmission shop and he always had hondas in there
 
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