325K Transmission Refresh?

[BurninCB7]

I recently dropped a rebuilt f22a4 into a parts car I had.

The car has 325K miles on it, and I have to use the tranny that is in the car till I have the money for a new one.
There seems to be a slight slip when going into 3rd and 4th.

The transmission fluid is rather dark, and I plan on changing it according to the instructions on here...

My real question is: Can I put a lower mile torque converter in there to supplement for the high mileage? Will it make any difference?

[WagonLX]

Depends on what your trying to do. It's not going to make any difference if it has contaminated fluid also & might add to that slipping issue. You could try draining all the old fluid out of the converter I suppose & just try it. I do'nt want to promote anything on here, but you might look into some Lubeguard products. I, personally would check to see what is causing that 3-4 slip and go from there. Also, check out the thread-"Automatic Transmissions FAQ's", great info on this site.

[cloudasc]

If the previous owner took decent care of the transmission before you got it, theres no reason to really replace the transmission UNLESS its giving you issues. The automatic transmissions are pretty tough, people don't give them as much credit as they deserve.

Dark fluid is relatively normal on our transmissions, they get rather hot sitting at stops idling in drive, personally I change my trans fluid every 15k miles using honda atf. Remember the automatic transmission holds over 6 quarts of fluid, so a couple short interval drain and fills (after the first drain and fill I would say change it 3 times in a row, after driving a gas tanks worth 300-400 miles, each time), that should be the equivalent of "flush".

Have you driven an automatic cb7 before? The older transmissions aren't as smooth (and may feel like they slip) compared to a 2000 Civic (My Wifes), or any newer car for that matter.

[deevergote]

The automatics in these cars are good, but they are very often neglected. People don't understand the importance of regular fluid changes, and by the time we get our hands on these old cars, the transmission could still be using the original fluid from when the car was new!

A new torque converter won't hurt anything. However, the slipping may be due to worn clutch packs, and that's something you won't be able to replace without a full overhaul. I say give it a shot. If the new converter doesn't fix the 3-4 slip, then you can always get a new transmission, and then you'll have a new converter to go with it!

[BurninCB7]

If the previous owner took decent care of the transmission before you got it, theres no reason to really replace the transmission UNLESS its giving you issues. The automatic transmissions are pretty tough, people don't give them as much credit as they deserve.

Dark fluid is relatively normal on our transmissions, they get rather hot sitting at stops idling in drive...

Have you driven an automatic cb7 before? The older transmissions aren't as smooth (and may feel like they slip) compared to a 2000 Civic (My Wifes), or any newer car for that matter.

Lol, yes, both of my cars are automatics. It definitely has a slip, only when up-shifting. Although, I haven't drove it up any hills to see how it downshifts. The previous owner drove it every day up until it burned a valve. There are a few receipts and evidence suggesting that the PO took care of it. Thank you for the positive outlook, I was worried with so many miles on it.

A new torque converter won't hurt anything. However, the slipping may be due to worn clutch packs, and that's something you won't be able to replace without a full overhaul. I say give it a shot. If the new converter doesn't fix the 3-4 slip, then you can always get a new transmission, and then you'll have a new converter to go with it!

This makes sense to me. I ask because I have a TC laying around that only has 120k on it, and while I was replacing the front pump seal I pondered about the converter. Thanks for the input, guys. Any insight helps!