hey guys. rpmnyc said that they'd do a 6speed MT swap for my car for $1200, which is not a bad price. i'm currently looking for the parts needed to do the swap. tanya over at rpm emailed a list of things needed

Transmission

- Shift Linkage

- Clutch Master Cylinder

- Slave Cylinder

- Pedal

- Axles

- Clutch

- Flywheel

- 6 Speed ECU

- rear mount

flywheel i think im gonna get from comptech (lightened flywheel) or i can have them shave off the oem flyhweel.

i'm also planning them to build a turbo for my ride... anyone know where i can get custom manifold for relatively good price? they're asking $3K for building the 2 manifolds needed... its the most expensive component of building the turbo, so if i can knock that cost down it would be good.

thanks for your help

-rez

 

try ebay for starters

 

i think you'll also need to relocate the parking brake. based on what i see under the dash in my 6-speed it looks like the clutch exits through the same firewall hole as the auto's parking brake pedal.

if so you'll also need a new center console.

 

yea goddamn i forgot about the e brake. maybe i']ll just have 4 pedals. haha no too annoying.

 

Just called Auto Adventure on your behalf, US wide search by them showed only '03 autos. Patience.

 

thanks BC. guess i'll have to wait for one to show up...

-rez

 

you will need the center consol to

 

New gauges as well

 

Also there's gonna be the problem of the VSA hooked up to the throttle body... don't exactly know what, if any problems this would cause but you'd have a connection for the VSA coming off the throttle body and no where to put it.

 

damn good luck, sounds like a hassle, but once its done it will be tight

 

http://car-part.com

 

i was talking to my friend who is a acura mech about a 6 speed swap and said expect to pay around 6k for all of the parts need if you can find them all and labor for the install. i dont think anyone has done this yet but good luck and get an acurate list of all of the parts needed im sure your over looking little parts that could end up giving you a nightmare in the long run.

 

I'm not trying to here but look at the financial side of this:

The parts alone will cost you $4-6k. Plust the labor at a minimum of $1,200.

Right there this could end up costing you over $7,000.

Now lets look at this option: Trade your car in. Get about $15,000 for it. Buy a used '03 6 speed for about $20-22,000.

You'll have a newer car, a factory warranty on your transmission, plus a VIN to match your transmission.

If you ever were to sell your CL with a tranny swap and the buyer was anything but a complete fool, they would check the VIN number and it would come up as an automatic.

It would be an impressive swap, but it isn't worth it when there is a used 6-speed available to you as well.

 

The swap is going to cost a shitload.

Buy a used 6spd instread for 20k

 

this has been thought up of before, i would actually like to see it being pulled off but trading the car for a 6 speed is not always an option cause u just get attatched to "your" car

 

i agree with mrsteve. i just trade in mine auto for 6 spd w/ navi. they both 03 though. what i am saying is i was on the same problem with my "really slow" automatic civic, and eventhough it has been done a lot for civic, i still did not do it for mine...

try to find 6M/T and it will be better money and hazzle wise...

just my $0.02.....best luck

 

I remember Jens posted this list a while ago:
http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103118

Money aside, I cannot see how it'd be worth the hassle of frequent trips back to the shop for troubleshooting.

 

sure the parts will be expensive if i get em through dealer or through a vendor

if i can find a wrecked '03 6MT car with usuable parts im gonna do it. without that there's no way i can do it.

i sent out lots of messages to junkyards telling htem im waiting for such a ride.

i'm planning on also doing a turbo on the car as well. that will cost $8k easy as well... but im willing to do it.


-rez

 

What's the reason for not trading in for a '03 6-speed ?

 

And back to the VIN (mentioned by mrsteve) and the car not technically being street legal...

Do you to get your car periodically inspected ± smogged in NY? What happens when the grease monkey runs your VIN and it comes up as an automatic and he sees the shift knob in the passenger compartment and the frankenstein job under the hood?

 

Not worth it....TRUST ME!!!!! and add to ur list of parts...front sub-frame assy, new Headers, and complete engine and trans wire-harness!!!

 

^^

good point ant,

the auto and 6 speed headers are diff.. so your gonna need the stock 6 speed ones or the comptechs that run 1k

 

This thread has been open for less than 7 hours... have we convinced you that it isn't worth it yet?

Oh and on the shop saying they will do the swap for $1,200. They have no idea what is involved. This isn't a B16 to B18 swap. Installing all of these components we have listed would cost WELL OVER $1,200.

 

hmm. getting a built auto tranny will be like $5k. either way it'll be expensive.

i would trade for an '03 cls but i already started working on this car... want to stick with it for awhile. im considering just going for a good drag auto tranny. my TSX is a 6 speeder, its nice to have an auto to drive around.

-rez

 

Getting a built auto tranny would cost $2500-3500

 

From your signature:
Silver Bullet a dime a dozen in that color
35% Tints ok, $200-$300 investment here would be gone with trade
AlphaWerks Headers would need to be trashed or altered with 6MT & turbo anyway
Comptech Exhausts can easily bolt on to new car
Comptech Ice Box goes into garbage when turbo is made
Comptech Tranny Cooler + redline ATF goes into garbage if tranny swapped
H&R Sport Springs ok, would cost additional $100-$200 labor to put on new car
OEM Spoiler

Next Mods:
CT B-Pipe can bolt to new car
UR Crank Pulley can bolt to new car
Light Wheels can bolt to new car
Audio Mods can install to new car
SEMA Kit (if it ever comes out)
'03 Tails, tinted


As far as I can tell, the amount saved on a swap over a purchase of a used car would be labor for spring & exhaust install and labor/parts on tints. Your engine/tranny mods will be lost in either either scenario.

Still not worth the swap, IMHO.

 

listen to the advice of your peers.

 

i was thinking the same as you. then decided to drop this "project" because it was waay not worth it.

instead i bought a hatchback, and i plan to boost that (not stock motor). plus i plan to boost my other v6 which is dohc (not sohc like the cl )

the cl is a great car, granted the shit tranny. but it sure isnt easily interchangeable.

oh and did i mention, the shop isnt touching any of the installs.... save your $

 

You'd be better off finding a totaled 6-speed and use parts from your car to fix it.

 

That is so true!

 

i called rpm again and they said 1200 firm, and they knew of all the work that was involved.

i was going to trade in my cls a few months ago and i got offered 10K. 13K at most.

6 speed cls's are atleast 22k or so.

the huge depreciation of the cls makes it difficult to just trade in and pay 10K+ just to get a MT. if i pay 3k parts 1.2K labor then it would be worth it imo.

-rez

 

mr steve built 5 speed auto installed is $5k... i shopped around.

 

not a flamer either but financially, if your car is worth 10k as trade in, i bet its not gonna be better thatn 11k after the 5 speed auto installed (which costs you 5k).

so you get 11k with a 5k installation; you end up with just 6k in your pocket.

 

Just buy a proper 6 Speed. You're going to blow a ton of money to build a car that never should have been that won't be covered by any warranty?

Sounds stupid to me.

 

That doesn't make any sense. The transmission purchased through VR cost $2500-$3500. Installation at your shop has to be much cheaper than $1200 because there is MUCH less work invloved. So say you got a $3500 built transmission, add $500 for install and you are easily $2-3k less than your 6speed swap. Plus the VIN will match up and it will be street legal.

 

i dont have warranty anyways. warranty with the tranny? sure, i'm on my 4th. nearly died the last time the tranny blew... thats why im looking to replace the tranny with either a built auto or mt swap. i dont need to have refurbished glass trannies in the cls anymore.

the thing is that i wanted to make the cl-s a project car. im probably going to keep my tsx stock, and im buying a roadster this spring to drive around on weekends. whatever roadster i get im sure im going to keep it stock (probably get s2000). i just wanted to do some interesting mods to the cls to see what i can get out of it. it seems from other peoples projects, such as ram's, that we can get quite a bit of power out of these engines.

a waste of money? i suppose. but i think it'll be interesting to see how it'll turn out.

-rez

 

Find out what their hourly rate is for work like this. Either they work for peanuts, or they ASSUME they know what they are doing. Make sure, if you do it, you get that $1200 install charge in writing.

 

i wasn't thinking of the v/r tranny. v/r just reinforces the stock tranny with tougher material. i was looking for a better transmission with better gearing, etc. $5k installed.

 

nsx if i do go with the MT swap i will def get it in writing.

 

oh yeah stage III tranny from v/r was $4k last time i called them, including aftermarket torque converter.