> good - from the converter viewpoint. can't say i understood /how/ it
> could be a problem like you described. lockup clutch is one thing,
> but for driveaway, the converter has no wearing parts. the casing or
> the internal vanes can fatigue, or the mounting plate can fatigue, but
> that all would be way more obvious than the symptoms you described.
That torque converter idea was not mine but of a long time Honda service
technician who made that diagnosis as soon as he turned on the ignition
key on a test drive. I'm sure glad I got a second opinion an that!
> regarding the a/c compressor, shouldn't be causing flaring. you've
> done the atf a couple of times. should wait a couple of weeks between
> each change. and maybe try a 3rd. the 3rd one on mine made a
> difference.
Well now that the problem turned out not to be related to the AT, that's
a moot point.
> the other thing i found was making sure the engine tuning was dead-on.
> i had multiple little issues that meant the engine wasn't quite right.
Yes indeed, this independent also adjusted the engine timing and that
also makes quite a difference. For one, I don't get pinging and the
engine also seems to run cooler, judging from the decreased frequency my
radiator fan kicks in after I turn off the engine. It used to do it
almost every time I got home, even on not-so-hot days.
> the timing was slightly off, the timing belt was too loose so the cam
> timing was eratic, and i cleaned up the egr valve. new thermostat
> helped too. little things!
Luckily, both my thermostat and EGR valve was replaced only about 5 K
miles ago, so my car runs pretty smooth now.
Rudy