Alright fellas, I did it. I got lucky and found a salvage yard here in Northern California with a recently wrecked 2003 CL-S with the stock motor and 6 speed transmission. I didn't hesitate. I bought everything that I think I will need for the engine and trans swap: engine, trans, ECU, engine harness, complete pedal assembly, shifter assembly, slave cylinder... the whole enchilada.

My plan is to have the engine rebuilt with upgraded internals I have picked up here in former threads. The big question I have for the forum is...

Does anyone have a referral to a qualified mechanic to perform the engine rebuild and engine/tranny swap for my 99 TL???

Any tips on who to call in No. Cal. would be greatly appreciated. I am willing to drive pretty much anywhere between Sacramento and San Jose.

p.s. I also got lucky and found a used Comptech supercharger to strap on when it's done, so I really do need a qualified technician for this job.

 

Good find. Did you get the cluster,dash harnesses and the IMRC control box under the dash?

Cant help you on the where to have it installed though.

 

where is the eastbay are you??

 

I'm in Brentwood. Eastern Contra Costa County.

 

Fstty: No I didn't get the cluster, dash harness, and IMRC control box because I wasn't aware that i needed it. I assumed that I would be keeping my original dash components. However, the dismantler let me know that i can have whatever I need for the swap, so I can get it if needed.

Couple questions
1. Is it necessary to switch out the cluster
2. will the 03 CL-S cluster fit into my 99 TL dash without modification?

Thanks for your inupt, man.

 

I wouldn't do it with out it but you could. The 03 cls6 cluster has a bigger rpm tach so you can see it better. It also is better looking and will fit right in there. I might be wrong but you also won't have the tcs light illuminated all the time.

 

I wouldnt do it without the CLs-6 cluster. The larger tach and not having the gear selector gauge is worth the time and money.

 

Right on. Will do. I'll call the wrecking yard tomorrow and head over to pick these things up. As always, I appreciate your input fellas. Thanks a lot guys!

 

Also check the black market and eBay, I have seen a few locating around there

 

I need to search for the 08 tl-s cluster

 

Why, what are you doing now lol?

 

07-08 ECU and wire repinning so i can use the hondata tuner

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-cl-2001-2003-50/yungone501s-excessive-infatuation-j-series-873314/

 

I figured you were coming up with something along those lines. Your car is going to be crazy when your done with it

 

Hey guys, I'd really appreciate some input on some concerns I have regarding the 03 CL-S engine and 6 speed tranny I just picked up. A mechanic friend of mine will be coming over tomorrow to inspect the engine and tranny, but as many opinions as I can get on this topic the better.

Here's what's up: the car that these came out of was wrecked REALLY bad. As a result, two of the raised flanges on the block where the rear engine mount bracket bolts into place were broken off of the block itself. The top two to be exact. In addition, one of the three tranny mount flanges was broken off of the tranny housing too. The far right to be exact.

The wrecking yard had the engine sent out to a welder and had them welded back on. The engine and tranny came with the mounting brackets bolted in place to show that the welder put them back on using the stock brackets for placement.

Question: should I keep this motor and expect the welds to be as strong as the original metal, or has this engine block and transmission housing been permanently compromised?

I greatly appreciate any input as my intention is to spend some good money having this engine rebuilt with performance internals and then install a superchager on it. Thanks in advance for your input.

 

Hey EastBayTL,.......were you made aware of of the situation before you bought the motor & tranny ? Had you actually seen the car which the motor came out of ? Did you agree to having them repair the damaged mounting flanges prior to purchase ?

The biggest question is what kind of written warranty or guarantee did you receive on the motor & tranny ? IMO, they would be hopefully more knowledgeable about such repairs and stand behind their work done. Did you inform them of your desire to "build a performance motor with supercharging" ??????

It's gotta be gut wrenching to bring something home to ponder over these concerns. Having doubt or changing your mind now, is better than building it only to possibly have it fail later under pressure on the road.

 

I'd be pretty sketchy about that one. I hope whoever welded it back together did a good job of it, that's a very important feature and it takes a ton of abuse.

 

I did see pictures of the wrecked car before agreeing to purchase, and they informed me that the engine mounts were broken and that when this sort of thing happens they have a elder that repairs them. The tranny mount was undisclosed and was a suprise when it was delivered to my house. I did tell them my plans are to rebuild the engine with performance parts and they (naturally) said that they repair broken blocks semi-regularly after heavy impact collisions. As for the warrantee, I have 90 days to return the engine and tranny if I am made to beleve that the engine welds might fail under driving conditions.

 

wow that's a bad impact I personally would not use the engine and transmission from that car. They should have disclosed the broken tranny mount as well.

 

I will take pictures of the welds and upload them. This is one of those difficult situations in life where I need someone to say "definitley yes," or "definitely no" and that's always difficult to do. It's definitley a sketchy situation that unfortunately I have no experience with. I am hoping to find someone with experience with this sort of thing. I appreciate all input. Thanks guys.

 

The problem is you won't know the extent of the damage until you crack them open and at that point you might as well be rebuilding it. Theres not a way to visually inspect any internal damage with out cracking the case. It's a gamble and I took one when I got my used transmission but it came from a rear impacted car.

 

If the block is safe to use with the welded motor mounts, I will rebuild the engine. The tranny I wasn't so worried about. It's a 6 speed manual. I pulled on the cables and listened to it changes in and out of gears, so I hadn't really considered that as much of a problem as the integrity of the welds. But now that you bring it up, I may have it inspected just to be safe... if I keep it. The welds are what have me worried more than anything right now.

 

Still curious if I should do the swap or not.. I heard from someone there will be codes popping up once the swap is done? Is this true?

 

You heard wrong. I have over 200k on my swap and havent had a code once.

 

Well, today I had a professional welder view the block and tranny to get his opinion. He confirmed what I feared, too much of the original metal was lost and would require building up of welding material, drilling, and tapping to recreate the bolt holes on the block. Two of the three rear tranny mounts would require the same. I ran it all by a transmission specialist and my local mechanic and the consensus is the same. The block is ruined and the tranny mounts would not be considered reliable attached to a high horsepower motor.

I called the wrecking yard today with the above information and they didn't present any arguments and promised to take the damaged goods back and refund my money. I am going on faith that they will keep their word.

In the meantime, I just located another 2003 CL-S at a different salvage yard. This one just came in and I am told the engine and tranny received no damage. I have my fingers crossed. Tomorrow I should have the deal solidified and arrange for shipping the engine and trans to my house. Round two has to be the one, right? Wish me luck. These salvage yard guys can be junk yard dawgs!

 

How in the world do you find these cars ? I have never ever seen a cl or tl in a yard ? Do you just call around ?

 

Hey man, once ya got your money back......I'd be taking a road trip to check out the actual car which the motor & tranny is coming out of, just to personally verify the donor's overall condition and mileage. I don't trust the dawgs, as they are known to bite ya !

 

mikebikelife: Yes, I do call around. I also have an uncle that owns a salvage yard here in Northern Cali, so I have a little more juice than the average bear, but not much. I guess the main benefit is I have a little more understanding of their industry because of my uncle, but that doesn't mean I trust them any farther than I can throw them. The bottom line is I think they tend to behave a "little" differently toward me after I mention my uncle owns a salvage yard, but that's about it.

As for my research my uncle pointed me in the direction of the first car, but a good part of my research has come from a guy named Glen with LKQ in Stockton CA (about 20 miles from my home). Glen is a super nice guy and a straight shooter. Glen referred me to this latest vehicle without stepping on the price. He told me that if the deal goes through, I owe him a bottle of scotch. Glen, if you're reading this it looks like a bottle of Chivas is heading your way soon!

LKQ is apparently a salvage outfit that has taken the dismantling business to a an entirely different level. All salvage yards share a national database to view each other's inventory. LKQ also has an online business with more inventory than any salvage company I have ever encountered. It's kind of like the Walmart of wrecking yards! Great prices and free delivery too.

Moral of the story; timing is everything. When I began my search about a month ago, no one had a complete car listed anywhere in the country. A month ago, I was told there were only only three 6 speed manual tranny's listed nationally. I was actually considering having a tranny shipped to me in California all the way from Niagara Falls, NY.

The first car I located was a very recent wreck in Santa Clara CA. Unfortunately, the wreck was a really horrible impact collision that (IMO) destroyed the entire car. Everything I received was damaged in a very serious way. The second car (and most recent) was just listed this week as new inventory at a salvage yard in another state. I am being told that this vehicle was involved in what appears to be a "normal" traffic accident where it was damaged in the front and the rear at the same time. Once I have paid the money and sealed the deal, I will share the details.

One thing for sure, the 6 speed manual tranny from the 2003 CL-S is a VERY rare animal. No one has the OEM 2003 CL-S engine and mated 6 speed manual trans in stock and just sitting on the shelf. Finding a 2003 CL-S OEM engine and 6 speed tranny from the same vehicle is pure luck... and timing. Apparently, the only way this happens is when someone totals a car and you're the first one to find it. Both times I was the first call and the yards had not even pulled the engine from the cars yet.

One man's trash is another man's treasure! Wish me luck fellas. The engine and trans I am in the process of purchasing now is WAY too far for me to take a road trip to view. I'd need to get on a plane.

 

I used this site to locate a lot of the parts for my 6 speed swap

http://car-part.com/