Hi all, It has been awhile and I still get questions about transmissions running dry on Honda mowers. I am on my second transmission (the first one burned up) and the mower has been running for 12 years now. Here is what I learned after cooking one transmission. 1) These 3-speed tranys use 10W30 as indicated above. Synthetic is fine. It might slip more. 2) the seals around the drive shaft leak after awhile so you will likely loose some fluid over time. 3) the fluid leaks out -especially- if you lean your mower up on its side to wash it after mowing. 4) These hold about 4 oz of fluid 5) If you drill a hole, drill one that is little higher up on the pan and easily accessable when you tip the mower up on its right side. (The same way you do oil changes) You can drill it lower if you have a plug you know will seal tightly. That can be useful because you can pull the plug and see if anything comes out prior to refilling. 6) I used a larger bit (1/2")which was probably too big but I found a silicone rubber plug that fits snug. (a washer/dryer foot)I dremeled a small recessed so when I twist it in, it seats itself and stays in place. It seals surprisingly well (no leaks) 7) I used a large syringe from a turkey deep fryer kit and injected oil in through the hole measuring ~ 4 oz.. So far so good. Hope this helps. Swapping transmissions on this mower is a huge PITA! Sail

Everything got reassembled on Friday and HIGH_SPEED again works like the mower was new. If you find you're having trouble with the transmission either making a knocking sound when shifted to HIGH or no movement at all in HIGH, take the motor to transmission drive cover off to expose the transmission. Wash off the transmission or blow it clean with compressed air. Cycle the high/low shift lever on the mower handle to locate the high/low shift lever on the transmission. Look at the opposite end of the shaft from the arm where the shift cable attaches to find the gear shift cam; the cam is about 1" long. Look for a small notch in the side of the cam. Just beyond the notch is the surface that pushes on the end of the shifting shaft. The cam pushes on the end of a 1/2" long shaft, pushing it in to select HIGH and letting it spring out for LOW. Use an inspection mirror to see the point where the cam rides against the end of the shaft. If the end of the cam has a flat spot worn at the point of contact, you have found the problem. Only a small amount of metal need be worn away (1/16" - 1/8") for the transmission HIGH gear not to engage fully. As mentioned in the previous post, the replacement cam is Honda part P/N 22532-VA3-801 and sells for about $13. It's a pity there is no way to post some of the photos I took so readers could see exactly what to look for.

Fixed I removed the shifter plate and re-drilled new holes and that allowed the shifter arm to go into proper position. Gears all seem to be working

just looking at the exploded tranny parts assy, would think that if the shifter shaft you mention was not loose/sloppy by itself while still mounted in the tranny then problem is further within tranny proper. Also, look for lube leaks.... You might look for a plate/decal on the tranny indicating just who built it, as it could either be a purchased item or mfgd by OEM. If a purchased unit, a google search might turn up useful service info if you are inclined to tackle such. OTW, time to weigh impact on purse vs. mowing confidence... :)