.... OTOH, the more I think about that MTF perhaps staying in
there for 100k miles, the more likely I think it is that the
tranny gears, for one, may have suffered some serious wear,
or there is a lot of gunk still in there.

A second (or third and fourth?) MTF change may help. If you
want to save money, you could flush it with ordinary SAE
10W-30 or 10W-40 motor oil. The owner's manual says this is
okay for short periods (I think it gave a time period, at
least; double check). Certainly for an effective flush,
where I recommend you drive for a very short period between
changes, it should be fine.

The most obvious symptom of needing a clutch job is
slipping: While upshifting, the driver lets the clutch pedal
out, whence the engine revs more than usual. This is because
the clutch disc is not being held firmly between flywheel
and pressure plate. Power is thus not being transferred
properly to the wheels, so the expected acceleration of the
car does not occur.

"Me" <help@yahoo.com> wrote
> Hello,
> I have a '97 Civic that I bought recently. It has a 5 spd
> tranny. If I am reeaally careful letting the clutch out,
> I can make it shift smoothly. Shifting like I have any
> other car I've driven tends to be kind of rough and jerky.
> It has 100K miles on it. After I bought it, I changed the
> manual tranny fluid with the Honda fluid and noticed a big
> difference although it is still sensitive. I think that
> this was the first time that it had been changed. Would
> it be worth changing again to flush out the rest of the
> crap that may be in it? Are there any adjustments I can
> make to the clutch? Lastly, any other thoughts on why this
> is? Other than that and a vibration that I think comes
> from a heat shield when cold, it is a great car.
>
> Thanks,
> Bob
>