# 1991 Honda Accord Cpe - transmission issues **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** transmissions, honda\ **Created:** [August 25, 2023, 12:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1991-honda-accord-cpe-transmission-issues/192478 "2023-08-25T12:43:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![justpaul1962](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/fbc32d/32.png) [@justpaul1962](https://community.cartalk.com/u/justpaul1962)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2023, 12:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1991-honda-accord-cpe-transmission-issues/192478/1 "2023-08-25T12:43:23Z")
my 91 honda accord seems to be alright in forward gears but every time I shift the 4 speed automatic it makes a grinding noise like a manual does with a bad clutch or no syncros, Can you please help! ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2023, 2:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1991-honda-accord-cpe-transmission-issues/192478/2 "2023-08-25T14:08:01Z")
Your transmission is worn, needs to be repaired or replaced. How many miles? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2023, 4:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1991-honda-accord-cpe-transmission-issues/192478/3 "2023-08-25T16:45:57Z")
> [@texases](#): > > Your transmission is worn, needs to be repaired or replaced +1 After more than 30 years of use, it would be close to miraculous if the trans wasn’t worn out. Then, a question arises: Does the car’s book value and overall condition warrant spending a couple thousand $$ on an overhauled transmission? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1991-honda-accord-cpe-transmission-issues/192478/4 "2023-08-25T23:27:02Z")
Suggest as first step, ask your shop to check the transmission fluid level. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 1:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1991-honda-accord-cpe-transmission-issues/192478/5 "2023-08-27T01:52:44Z")
Once you have confirmed the fluid level is full and it still makes the noise then it sounds internal so no matter what the transaxle will have to come apart for inspection and rebuild… It could be the internal spline teeth on the reverse selector ring are damaged as well as damaged spline teeth on the underside of the reverse gear. Honda (NOT CVT) older transmissions/transaxles are a cross between a manual shift and an automatic transmission, basically a stick shift with clutch packs and a Torque Converter… Here is the APX4 version of your trans… [https://www.wittrans.com/img/diagrams/85/85.jpg](https://www.wittrans.com/img/diagrams/85/85.jpg) And the countershaft with reverse gear, rev idler w/bracket and shift fork…The parts may no longer be made or hard to find, so you may need to go with a good core and make one good one… But Honda’s are very popular, so the after market may have picked them up… [https://www.wittrans.com/img/diagrams/85/85\_countershaft.jpg](https://www.wittrans.com/img/diagrams/85/85_countershaft.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1991-honda-accord-cpe-transmission-issues/192478/6 "2023-08-27T22:57:26Z")
> [@davesmopar](#): > > Honda (NOT CVT) older transmissions/transaxles are a cross between a manual shift and an automatic transmission, basically a stick shift with clutch packs and a Torque Converter… Interesting. Just curious, since they have clutch packs and the first one has a drum, just curious why they avoided the planetary gears? Are PG’s less reliable, less sturdy? Or just more expensive to make? The LA street racers seem to prefer to base their custom builds on Hondas, maybe this is the reason? ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 1:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1991-honda-accord-cpe-transmission-issues/192478/7 "2023-08-28T01:27:48Z")
Honda just went a different route, if the Honda design was stronger, then others including racing would have followed, if much weaker then Honda would not have stayed with it… Why do some OEM’s use turbos and some use screw r roots type blowers (super chargers) and some centrifugal super chargers?? One reason Hondas are so popular is so many parts interchange and you can make power with them and they had the very light weight CRX and Civic 2 door hatch (DX?)… If Toyota had cheap 2 door cars they might have been bigger in the tuner scene, but Toyotas still have a big following with the tuners, and Lotus went with Toyotas so there’s that… And BTW Planetary gears are used in 4,000 HP heavy cars, so if they are built right they are VERY durable… > [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > since they have clutch packs and the first one has a drum It had 3 drums, 2 of which are double ended drums or 2 in 1 can’t think of the correct wording there lol… So it has 5 clutch packs and each clutch pack has its own drum…