Honda/Acura Third-Clutch Mystery
As a rule, when I write about something it’s factual and definitive material with some kind of solution to the problem. This article contains none of those things; however, it does contain theories.
This is in reference to the common failure of the third clutch in Honda/Acura five-speed transaxles. When one of these vehicles comes into the shop with third gear slipping badly you can count on the fact the third-clutch plates will be totally destroyed (Figure 1), along with its immediate components such as the third-clutch return-spring retainer and the splined washer that sits on top of it (Figure 2) and the return-spring retainer shown in Figure 3.
