Team Honda Thread

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by sheepdog 44

New personal best 73mpg @ 216.8! I'm at 3 gallons used, i don't think i can keep it up.

Nice numbers! I'll be watching for your tables. Maybe post them as a new thread so non-Honda people pay more attention too? I'm also rethinking hypermiling strategy. My super-tall CX transmission just showed me a reason to rethink. I can cruise along on an 80 degree day like today at 45 mph (1450 rpms) or 55 mph (about 1800 rpms) and see 70+ mpg and 66/68 mpg respectively. I just tested it coming home from work. Out on the freeway doing 55-60mph and getting mid-high sixties in the FE department. Even if my odometer calibration on the UG turns out too optimistic, I'm well about 60mpg at freeway speeds in ideal conditions.

[turbovr41991]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

I'm well about 60mpg at freeway speeds in ideal conditions.

The VX trans is great! With it and all my other mods, it seems like I am barely doing anything to get 60 mpg now adays!

[California98Civic]

New fill. And a 144 mile odometer calibration trip confirms my 5.5% undercount calculated initially with shorter trips. I felt confident enough in the calibration to rejoin Team Honda, so I did. >thumbs-up<

[turbovr41991]

awesome. welcome back!!!!

[Shortie771]

So, I still have not been able to get a straight yes or no answer on if a 99 EX 5th will fit into my 94 Del Sol Si transmission. Just getting a bunch of people saying just swap it for a VX, or saying it would be a lot of work to swap out the 5th gear.

I understand that I would see better mpg gains from a VX trans, but that isn't all that I am going for with the swap. I also understand that it will take a lot of work on my part to swap the 5th gear out instead of just doing a direct swap.

The things I do need to know though, is will the 5th swap into my tranny without issue? Will there be any modification to the shift linkage needed? Lastly, will it affect the accuracy of my speedometer at all?

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Shortie771

The things I do need to know though, is will the 5th swap into my tranny without issue? Will there be any modification to the shift linkage needed? Lastly, will it affect the accuracy of my speedometer at all?

I have not done such a swap of a single gear, but I suspect it will swap without issue because so many of the elements are made swapable on the 1992-2000 transmissions. There should be no trouble with the linkage: they're both hydro, correct? It should be an identical set up. The accuracy of your speedometer cannot be affected by the fifth gear alone. There is a speedometer gear in the transmission. Across the 1992-2000 Civic transmissions those gears are the same size, though some are black and some are white. Wheel/tire size alone will change speedo readings relative to what you are used to, though in general the Civics appear to overestimate speed and underestimate distance by factory design.

Do you read honda-tech.com? It is a great site for such questions, though you get lots of haters and snarks. The smart ones are there and they can sometimes save the day.

But remember to get the FSM for each model and research this extensively. People are wrong sometimes.

james

[Shortie771]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

I suspect it will swap without issue because so many of the elements are made swapable on the 1992-2000 transmissions.

Thank you for the quick and detailed response. I have tried using hona-tech.com but I have completely given up on that site because every time I post anything on there I recieve nothing, but smart*sses and haters, I prefer d-series.org now, but all of them seem to think that swapping for a taller 5th and final drive will not increase FE at all, so it just lead to arguments. I have tried to explain it to them, but they don't listen. That's why I am posting here.

Originally Posted by California98Civic

There should be no trouble with the linkage: they're both hydro, correct?

Yes they are both hydro.

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Wheel/tire size alone will change speedo readings relative to what you are used to, though in general the Civics appear to overestimate speed and underestimate distance by factory design.

This did not make since to me... Could you reword or explain further?

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Shortie771

This did not make since to me... Could you reword or explain further?

Somehow I missed this question. But I can answer it. The Vehicle Speed Sensor gears (VSS) on these Civic manual transmissions were designed to allow the speedometer gauge on the dash to report 60mph when the VSS turns at 1025 rpms. That feature of the design did not change when the fifth generation was replaced by the sixth generation. Further, the speedometer gear on the differential gear inside both generations' transmissions is the same size (about 90.7mm, IIRC). But there is one thing Honda changed fro the fifth gen when they launched the sixth gen: the stock wheel changed from 13" to 14" and the stock tire from 175/70-13 to 185/65-14. The tire change was probably meant to compensate for the effect the larger tires would have on the speed and distance calculations the car would report. The wheels/tires are like an "extra" gear. And not all tires within a specific size seem to have the same revs per mile, at least not according to the information available from the manufactures and posted on tirerack.com

I think Honda's stock design in 1992, when they first launched this transmission, was that the speedometer would run fast (to avoid lawsuits over speeding tickets) and the odometer to run slow (to avoid lawsuits over warranty limits).

Just in case this message makes me look like I know a lot--accidentally--lemme just say that I am a novice. I just researched this question fairly carefully, on the forums, in the relevant factory issued service manuals, and under my car. Getting my facts learned, as Springsteen once sang it.

I hope I've explained it clearly enough.

james

[sheepdog 44]

72.6mpg!!!!

Personal best tank! At #3 on team honda, and above a couple 5-speed Insight on Hybrid top 10. I'm .03mpg from beating another manual Insight on that list! This tank is 53.8% over epa.

EDIT: I managed to eek out an extra .03mpg combined average from the FCD driving next days commute.

[PaleMelanesian]

Fantastic result!