Honda’s transmissions are unusual in that they do not use planetary gears like nearly all other makers. Instead, the Hondamatic and its successors use a gear arrangement much like a manual transmission, while integrating hydraulically operated multi-sets of clutch packs and no bands.
Honda was forced to invent their new system due to the vast array of patents on automatic transmission technology held by Borg/Warner Co. and others, continuing to produce one of the best automatic transmissions made. As evidence, it is used in many Acura products as well.
The original 2 speed Hondamatic incorporated a lockup feature, which Honda called a third ratio, and had manual gear selection option. The company’s early transmissions called the feature a torque converter which used stator force rather than hydraulic controls for shifting.
The development of Honda’s new automatic transmission, which was based on a front-engine/rear-wheel-drive specification, would have to be transformed to the front-engine, front-wheel-drive format (FF). Simple rearrangements in the layout could have been made relatively easily, but finding a space for the transmission in a small engine compartment turned out to be difficult to sa y the least.
FTI: A conventional automatic transmission employs planetary gears that are arranged along a single axis. The design teams’s parallel-axis version, in contrast, adopted a very simple and nearly equivalent structure that simply lacked planetary gears. This would allow the team to design a compact automatic transmission that produced less friction, a benefit that wasn’t possible with the conventional AT design.
Through out the years, Honda has continued to use their unconventional, yet durable and efficient design in the vast majority of cars produced. Though there seems to be unlimited variations produced as the different generations of Civics became more advanced along with the arrival of the Accord and the other cars produced by Honda. Staying with a highly successful design through the addition of 4 and 5 speed ranges has allowed Honda to nearly perfect and keep ahead of the pack with this unit over the years.
Inevitably, all good things come to an end, and at some point a Honda transmission can wear out. Leaving it as an ideal candidate for a rebuilt transmission. Becuase of the extensive use of these particular transmissions from generation to generation, the only rebuild parts acceptable to use in the process of rebuilding a Honda transmission come from the dealer only. As of this date no after market company has made acceptable clutch plates to match the performance demands of this transmission, which includes using genuine honda automatic transmission fluid purchased from the dealer.
