Upgrading the Honda Impeller-to-Stator Bearing
Torque-converter rebuilders have been reporting Honda bearing failures in increasing numbers. The bearing failures have been from different locations within the converters and have been reported in most of the Honda and Acura models. The most common of the failures has been the bearing between the impeller and stator in the larger-diameter converters. In all converters, the bearing in this location carries most of the thrust load when the vehicle is accelerating, and it is typically the first bearing to fail. Because the larger-diameter converters are used in the larger, higher-torque V-6 applications, the thrust loads on this bearing are even greater.
Torque-Converter Forensics
When a torque converter fails, the results are quite often catastrophic. It may be difficult to determine which component failed first and even more difficult to determine the root cause of the failure. Each failure should be viewed as an opportunity to learn, and a failure that is caught before the catastrophic stage should be viewed as a golden opportunity.
A Fix for 5R55W Front-Planet Bearing Failure
The 5R55W transmission was used in Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers from 2002 through 2004. This unit is very similar to the other 5R55 series transmissions, but each model has a few unique differences.
