I figured I should start a build topic for my new-to-me Vortex Blue Pearl 2011 base wagon, so here's the starting point, right after I picked it up:



Totally stock, with some bumps and bruises in various spots, but solid all around.

My previous driver was a 1995 Honda Accord wagon with Koni STR-T shocks, Ground Control coilovers, and poly bushings just about everywhere, so I knew I wanted to do something similar with the TSX. The TSX handled fine, but the stock shocks had 120k miles on them and would need replacement sooner rather than later, so I started collecting the upgraded suspension parts. I went with the adjustable Koni yellow shocks and used a pieced together set of Ground Control coilovers using some sleeves and collars I saved (purchased for the '95 Accord wagon, they arrived used/scratched, so I was told to keep and not return them), matched with some Eibach coilover springs I purchased recently. New Honda/Acura spring mounts, KYB shock bushings, bellows and bump stops, and Ground Control spring isolators round out the new parts needed to fully assemble each spring/shock assembly before installation. Here are the four assemblies, ready to install:




Below are the Honda/Acura shock plates I purchased, which cost just under $11.00 each:




The rear KYB bellows needed some trimming of their lower ends to fit over the GC sleeves, but otherwise everything fit together without issue. Removal of the old assemblies was easy, but both rear stabilizer bar links needed to be replaced, as rust and the internal hex design was a less than ideal combination. I replaced both with greasable Moog links (K750153, left, and K750152, right), like so:



The Moog links have a four-sided spot on the shaft (18mm) to hold the studs from rotating when tightening or removing the nut. I've never had a stabilizer bar mounting stud which used the internal hex design not strip out, so hopefully these will be an upgrade. I applied some anti-seize paste, too, for extra protection.

Below is a look at the tab on the front shock which must align with the pinch bolt slot in the fork, allowing you to slide the pinch bolt shock through, then torque it down:




Front shock assembly installed:




Rear shock assembly installed:




The car sat a bit too low once it was back on the ground, so the collars needed to be raised, and I also moved the front shock snap rings to the higher setting. Both changes effectively raised the lower end of the coil spring 5/8", and the ride height was now much better.

Access to the adjusting tab on the tops of the shocks is easy for the fronts, but you need to remove a cover to access the rears. Not a big deal really, as the cover can be removed by hand, and there is just enough room to slip the Koni-supplied adjusting knob into place:





I also installed the STI wheels (18x8.5, +55) with new Motegi spline drive lug nuts (probably should've gone with hex, but no biggie) to match (cone seat vs. Acura rounded), so once on the ground, I set all four shocks to the softest setting and took it out for a test drive. Upon returning home, all four shocks were set to full firmness for another test drive, and they have remained on that setting since. I've only put a handful of miles on the car since installation, but managed to take a few pics to show the ride height and how the wheels/tires fit in relation to the body, which I'll post in the next reply.

 

Pics of the car with the new parts detailed above installed:


Above: Left side view


Above: Right side view


Above: Left front corner


Above: Rear view


Above: Left rear looking forward, showing camber angle


Above: Right rear looking forward, showing camber angle


Above: Right rear looking forward, showing amount of "tuck"


Above: Left rear looking forward, showing amount of "tuck"


Above: Right front, looking rearward



Semi-technical measurement with an engineer's rule shows about 1/2" of distance between the highest point of the wheel arch and the top of the tire tread. If I'm being honest, it looks too low to my eyes, especially for strictly street duty, but the test drive revealed no rubbing, bottoming out, nor other issues, even while turning. That rear camber angle looks slightly awful, but I'll take the car in to be properly aligned, then keep an eye on how the tires wear over the new few months. The tires are Kelly Edge, so not my choice, but they are decent, and buy me a few months to decide if I like or love the STI wheels.

I also removed both fog lights and installed the yellow Lamin-x pre-cut film while the car was on jackstands, and removed the trashed underbody shield, too:


Above: Lamin-x yellow film installed, left fog light


Above: Trashed under body shield. No fixing this one.

 

Looking good!

 

Looks good. Spacers maybe to push the wheels out a bit wouldn't hurt.

 

I like it! Good stuff.

 

Question on these adjustable coil over setup, since I've no experience with them. How are the threaded sleeves affixed over the body of the shock? Are they locked to the body of the shock with set screws?




.

 

I'm fine with the position of the wheels as they are now, but a tiny bit outward in the rear would probably help things visually.

They simply rest on the snap ring which itself rests inside a groove in the shock's body, so basically gravity and the weight of the car holds them down on the snap ring. The sleeves can rotate freely around the shock body/tube, but the tolerance between the sleeve's I.D. and the shock body's O.D. is very small. With the weight of the car on the springs, and the springs on the sleeves, and the sleeves on the shocks, there's almost no chance for movement nor rotation, unless you're pulling some Duke boys level stunts.

 

I noticed some rust creeping around the vertical edge of the passenger's side rocker panel/lower fender extension, and figured there was a bunch of built up crud waiting to be discovered behind the extension. So, I popped off (i.e. broke) the lower plastic push in inner fender liner retainers, peeled back the liner, and yup, years of accumulated dirt, spruce needles, and silt were present:



I have a dent/scrape in the right rocker panel to repair, so not a big deal to fix this while I'm at it. Just disappointing for something which could've been easily prevented.

 

Nice!

Glad (and surprised) that those pretty short 7kg/mm front springs worked for you. I'm guessing you're still running the full length bumpstop? So maybe that's why.

I would definitely replace that underbody shield, however. Especially since you live in the UMW region.

 

I haven't trimmed the bumpstops at all, but haven't bottomed out yet, either, so...so far so good. I live just west of Milwaukee, so, better roads for the most parts, though the east side of Milwaukee isn't terrible everywhere.

I did purchase a new factory underbelly shield, which I will install after the 6-speed manual conversion is complete. No need to install and remove it twice, especially with those easily broken plastic retainers.

Purchased the needed M/T-specific engine mounts, so slowly but surely, things are coming together.

 

Daaang 6mt wagon. Cool project.

As far as the bumpstopping goes...you're likely resting on them 100% of the time. Think of them as helper springs - Acura designed them as additional rate. Since you're running lower than stock...they're always "on".

 

Ah, now I understand what you're saying. It's very possible.

 

Not much progress on the 6MT swap, as I'm still collecting parts, and the only local-ish salvage yard which had a 6MT '09 sedan was closed, so I decided to bite the bullet and buy new pedals. I have all the clutch parts, new flywheels, bolts, etc., as well as the MT-specific engine mounts I found on eBay. Still need to source a MT-specific water outlet assembly and a console piece which supports the shift boot, as well as decide on a shift knob, but things are coming together...good thing there's no rush to get this done in a weekend.

 

Oh. Just that, eh?

Okay. Subscribed for more.

 

What spring rates did you get for your koni+GC setup??

 

I posted a reply in the Suspension section post you replied to, so please see that post.

Hoping to get the locksmith here to re-program the immobilizer and get this thing back on the street soon...just in time to mount the winter wheels and tires,

 

Once last question on the Koni GC coil overs setup. Is the height solely adjusted by the movement of the snap ring?

 

No, the snap ring acts as the stop for the sleeve. The sleeve remains in place, resting on/against the snap ring by the force of the spring (or gravity, if the suspension is fully extended).

The ride height is adjusted by rotating the adjusting nut in either direction on the sleeve.

 

Just shy of one year later (well, technically I last drove the car in July 2020) and I'm happy to report I'm able to drive it again. I had the locksmith return again, this time after I re-checked the engine compartment wiring harness sections and installed a 2012 M/T instrument cluster, and fortunately, he was able to get both keys matched to the immobilizer and ECM/PCM. It was a wonderful sound to hear the car start again, and after a few test drives, everything feels and appears to be good. I do have the VSA check light on, though I haven't dug too deeply into that yet.

Initial impressions:

1) Rev hang is not something I enjoy. I do have the post discussing eliminating that saved so, another thing I have to dig a bit deeper into. I could live with the rev hang, but, it's so fundamentally disconcerting that I think it would eventually become a major annoyance.

2) I think I mentioned it above, but I used a Civic Si trans, which appears to have worked out fine. Trans shifts through all gear properly, and there are no concerning noises, save for some whine while reverse is engaged....I can live with that.

3) Torque steer is still there and very noticeable when you get on the throttle, but not the 6-speed's fault.

4) I do wish the gears were spread out a bit more, so maybe a 5-speed would've been a better choice for me. Hard to say this early after getting things drivable, and this is the first 6MT I've ever owned driven, so maybe my 5MT bias/experience is showing. I've been driving my '95 Chevy Astro with a 4.3L V6 /T-5 5-speed manual in the meantime, and while it will rev a bit more than it probably should, it's a totally different driving experience from the TSX. Other DD is an '09 Subaru Outback SE 5MT, so closer to the TSX, but still a bit different. Just need to get used to the TSX, I suppose.

5) 6MT ECM/PCMs are not easy to source, and while I happened to luck into one early on in my parts collecting phase, the cost of buying a new one is a bit off-putting to be frank. Again, I got lucky and found one on eBay packaged with a very common auto ECM/PCM, but just something to be aware of.

I'll try to add some more info in the future if anyone is interested, but I'm just going to enjoy driving it for now, and work out any remaining issues.

 

did the civic trans bolt up with relatively little modifications? did you get a Si trans with the LSD?(if i remember that correctly)

the reverse whine is on every car i've driven. even the 2012 automatic cw2 i'm driving now has it. its because reverse is a straight cut gear, while all the forward gears are helical.

ever find a solution or cause of observation #1 above?

if you were to do it again on your own would you rather just get a parts cu2 sedan with the three pedals already and just swap everything over?

@forward

 

did the civic trans bolt up with relatively little modifications? did you get a Si trans with the LSD?(if i remember that correctly)

the reverse whine is on every car i've driven. even the 2012 automatic cw2 i'm driving now has it. its because reverse is a straight cut gear, while all the forward gears are helical.

ever find a solution or cause of observation #1 above?

if you were to do it again on your own would you rather just get a parts cu2 sedan with the three pedals already and just swap everything over?

@forward

 

The rev hang isn't a big deal to me, honestly. Still notice it, still don't love it, but it's something I will live with.

I had my eye on a salvage 6MT sedan, but because I already had most of the parts on hand, it wouldn't have been cost beneficial for me to buy a complete vehicle. I do think it's a very good option, especially if one can't source the PCM/ECM.

A good locksmith was the probably the most important part of the swap. Without that help, it's a non-starter...literally, in my case. 😕

The Civic Si trans bolted right up, with no issues. The TSX auto jackshaft could be re-used, too.