Honda: Honda automatic transmission, haynes manual, mechanical level

Question
I have a '94 civic hatchback with an automatic transmission that's going out.  I'm looking for a used one because I can't afford a rebuild.  Is there a specific model/part number of that year civic tranny or will any '94 or thereabouts tranny work in this car?  Is it hard to swap out a tranny if I have access to a shop lift?

Answer
There are a lot of reputable companies that sell trannies online and most of them are out of California, they also sell engines. Most of the engines and trannies are from Japan and most of them have less than 50k miles on them.

As for work on your automobile, only you know what your mechanical level is and what you are capable of doing. Personally, if you do not know what you are getting into, you may have a bad surprise that you may not be able to tackle so I would leave that to a professional.

Tranny swaps on Hondas (front wheel drives) usually involve the removal of both axles (halfshafts) and that is not something the average Joe wants to tackle (it involves removing both shafts from both sides from the steering knuckle, without the proper tools(ball joint separator, right sized spline socket), it can be a headache in itself).

I always suggest people buy a Chiltons or Haynes manual for their car so that they can have an idea of how easy or involved a repair can be.

Hope this helps.