Gasket, seal and sealing-ring overhaul set for the Honda MAXA/BAXA four-speed in 1998-2002 Accord 2.3L and 1998 Odyssey.
The 1998-2002 Accord with the four-cylinder and the automatic is one of the most common cars still on the road from that era, and the BAXA and MAXA four-speeds behind it have now done 200,000 miles or more in a lot of them. Owners usually find us after a slip on the 2-3 shift, a car that hesitates before it moves when put into Drive or Reverse, a converter shudder on the highway, or a fluid check that comes back black. When the clutches are burnt the fix is a teardown, and this master kit covers the soft parts for that job: friction plates, steel plates, the case and side cover gaskets, lip seals, sealing rings and O-rings.
Honda built these four-speeds as parallel-shaft gearboxes with three shafts, not planetary units with bands. Each forward gear has its own gear pair and hydraulic clutch, and the transmission changes gears by draining one clutch while filling the next. That makes the condition of each clutch pack and its sealing rings the whole story: a worn pack slips in its own gear, and leaking sealing rings on the shafts or a hardened piston seal let apply pressure escape so the shift turns slow and flared. The kit replaces every friction and steel plate and all of the rubber and sealing rings, so after the overhaul each gear has a fresh clutch and a tight hydraulic circuit feeding it.
Start with the fluid level and a scan for codes. Then look closely at what drains out. Burnt fluid and debris mean the clutches are worn and a rebuild is due. If the fluid is reasonable and the complaint is delayed engagement or shudder, the problem may be valve body wear rather than worn clutches; Sonnax documents worn pressure regulator bores on these units causing low line pressure, delayed engagement and converter clutch failure. Our converter clutch shudder guide helps separate the two, and our rebuild versus replacement cost breakdown helps if you are pricing a used unit.
This kit is listed for the Honda BAXA and MAXA four-speed (the MDWA code also appears on some builds) in the 1998-2002 Accord 2.0L F20B and 2.3L F23A, 1998 Odyssey 2.3L, 1998-1999 Acura CL 2.3L and 1998 Oasis 2.3L. The listing also names the 1998-2001 Prelude 2.2L automatic, but Honda used other codes on some of those, so Prelude owners must match the case code. The V6 Accord uses a different transmission and a different kit. Read the code stamped on the case before you order, or send us your year and VIN. A second BAXA kit with frictions and steels is also available, and more sets are in our rebuild kits category.
Lay the new parts next to the old ones as each shaft comes apart so every sealing ring and O-ring gets replaced. Pre-soak the frictions in Honda ATF DW-1, the current Honda fluid that replaced ATF-Z1, and use the same fluid for the fill. Do not stretch the shaft sealing rings more than you have to; hold them and small thrust washers in place with TransJel. Check clutch clearances against the service manual, air-check each clutch, and inspect the valve body pressure regulator bore while it is on the bench. The kit does not include bearings, the converter or hard parts. Flush the cooler and lines, check the level hot, and expect the shifts to settle over a few drives.
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No. The 1998-2002 V6 Accord uses the B7XA four-speed, which takes a different kit. This kit is for the four-cylinder BAXA and MAXA four-speed.
Friction plates, steel plates, the case and side cover gaskets, lip seals including the axle seals, shaft sealing rings and O-rings. Bearings, the torque converter, the valve body and hard parts are not included.
Only if the cause is worn clutches or leaking seals. Sonnax documents worn pressure regulator valve bores on these Honda four-speeds causing delayed engagement, so inspect the valve body during the rebuild.
Honda ATF DW-1, which replaced the original ATF-Z1. Soak the new frictions in it and fill with it, then set the level hot.
The listing includes the Prelude 2.2L automatic, but Honda used other transmission codes on some Preludes. Match the code on your case or send us your VIN before ordering.
