Hondamatic???

I just bought a very rusty 86 wagon, but I got it for $400. It has nearly new brakes, CV joints, battery, exhaust, and the engine is strong. However, it has an automatic transmission that I've been unable to find any information on. The lever and dash display show 1, 2, and OD. It was apparently rebuilt three years ago, and runs strong, but I'm wondering if maybe they put some incorrect gears in it during the rebuild.

When we picked this baby up, it barely ran, could hardly make 50mph on a slight downgrade. But a simple change of oil, plugs, and air filter (mostly the air filter, I think) and suddenly it was topping 100mph easily.

However, the gear ratios seem ridiculously high - it can go 65mph in first, and 100 very easily in second, who knows how fast it would go in overdrive. But for any kind of serious hills, it is sooooo hi geared that even in 1st, the transmission heats up - for instance, trying to drive the 15 miles of 6% grade up to our ski hill. The engine sticks at 2500rpm, and the clutches spin crazily, knowing Honda, I doubt if this was the intended design. Should I be adjusting the transmission, replacing some gears inside it, any suggestions? And is this transmission meant to be automatic, or am I supposed to have to shift it manually, 'cause it does not do any shifting of it's own.

Pleased and puzzled....

:-)

Comments

  • popefacepopeface Band Wagon
    Yay, I can help! I just got one of these just under a month ago... and I love her. Well, I actually have an '84 GL, which is the sedan model. But yes, a Hondamatic is a semi-automatic: Manual shifting, automatic clutch. So you do have to shift gears... I found that out about a week after driving it because when I listened to the car in OD from a stop, it did not shift gears. Went home, read the entire manual, and it explained everything. Now, don't worry about the gearing... mine is the same. I don't know mph-km/h conversion, but that sounds about right... it'll do 80 km/h in first, 120 in second, and my speedo tops out at about 180... I haven't gone that fast yet. Don't worry about going uphill... if the clutch is slipping then maybe you've got to change it out, but I've climbed a mountain road in the Civic, pushing 75-80 km/h (roughly 57 mph?) in first gear with the tach somewhere between 5-6,000 rpm... the car seems to have been designed for that. I don't have the manual on me, but I might be able to scan it sometime soon. I remember it says that first gear is best for starting from a standstill or climbing hills... second is used for most city driving... OD is used for highways and the like. But learn to shift it... it took me about two weeks to get all the upshifts and downshifts right... remember to try to "match" your rpms. I usually just get up to speed, release the gas, shift, back on the gas. First to second at about 30 km/h, then second to OD at about 50, then back down to second at 40, and down to first at 13ish is what works for me. Anyways, this post is way too long... hope it helped, and if you really want me to scan the manual just ask... what year is yours?

    Philly
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    Hondamatic hookups. :D
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