Better late than never, right? Here's what's been going on.

The Good


I wired my amps to only power on only when the headunit is powered on, and to immediately power off when the HU is powered off. This took some time, but it was well worth it.



I mounted my fiberglass sub enclosure in the corner. It really does look stock - the fit is perfect, and the carpet color is dead on. It was a little tricky to screw this thing down. You can't see behind it, so you're just blindly putting the screw in, hoping to hit the metal trunk brace. I had a couple extra holes in the box that needed some silicon treatment There is one screw through the bottom, and one through the back. It's rock solid.






Mounted the sub in the enclosure. I really wanted to use threaded inserts for this, but I was nervous about not spacing them correctly. So I just used wood screws. I can always take the sub out and put the inserts in, now that I know where the locations need to be. It is very solid with the wood screws though (I wish they were black).




I fastened all of my wiring to the frame of the car using special zip ties and small sheet metal screws. This really tidied things up. Some of the screws did poke out of the tire well, so I made sure to seal them with silicon, and then Undercoating spray.





I cut a piece of 3/4" MDF to fit down inside the tire well. This will be used as my amp rack. I installed threaded inserts so the wood won't strip from removing / installing the amps. Then I cut out holes for the wires, and carpeted the board. It is fastened to the trunk floor with a M10 x 1.25 80mm bolt. It isn't going anywhere.
















Did an oil change with Redline. Exciting, I know! I also replaced my washer fluid motor. No pics of that.




The Not-So-Good

I still can't get rid of my alternator whine. And it's bad. Like REALLY bad. I think it has actually gotten worse. At this point, I'm starting to think my MRP-4300 (4 channel amp) is just defective. Although, the noise is not present when there are no RCAs plugged into it, and the noise is also not present when the RCAs are plugged into the amp, but not plugged into the HU output harness on the other end. The amp overheats and powers off after about 30 min of heavy use. This is another reason that I think it could be the source of my problems. All of my gains are perfect (set using ohms law and a DMM), so that's not the issue.

I tried a ground loop isolator and it did not help at all. I tried adding it to the signal path at both the front and rear of the vehicle - no difference in either location.

I have to figure this out!

After I get the noise figured out (or maybe before), the last thing I have to do is build the top cover over the amps. It will go in between the amps and the factory folding cover. This will add support so the floor doesn't sag if I ever put something in the trunk, and it will also complete the look by covering up the whole area down there except for a cutout hole to see the two amps. It's gonna be nice

The Really-Not-So-Good

My automatic transmission shifted it's last gear this past Sunday. I was on my way to meet up with a couple Azine members that were passing through my neck of the woods, and I felt the car doing something it had never done before. I would press the gas, and the RPMs would rise, but the wheels would take a long time to start moving. The gears were taking forever to grab. And then when I would slow down for a red light, the car would rev SUPER high whenever it downshifted.

I shut the car off when I met up with the Azine guys, and hoped it was just a fluke thing. But on my way home, it was even worse, and eventually it would not grab hold of the gears whatsoever. I coasted down a hill onto a side street, and got it towed back to my house.

I can't say I'm surprised. I knew the '04 5ATs were bad (I learned this AFTER I bought it). I did everything I could to save it - pressure switches, 4x3 Redline flush, and a new tranny filter. The damage must have already been done. My tranny also had the dealer add-on cooler from the recall. A lot of help that did!

I really don't know what to do now. I was quoted $2000 for another 5AT to be installed, but it already had 104k miles on it (6 mo warranty). My car has 133k. That would be foolish to put that tranny in. I've been researching a 6-speed swap, and called Paul in VA to get a quote. It would be $4500-$5500 out the door, depending on how cheap he can find the parts for. I'd also have to factor in the cost of getting it there from Ohio. That would probably be another $500-$1000 in transportation. I am strongly leaning towards having that done over the 5AT, but it's a HUGE chunk of change. I love my car, and I've put a ton of time and money into it, but I need to make the smartest decision in spite of that. I don't want to put another ticking time bomb in there (5AT), even if I do find one with relatively low mileage.

I really would like some advice / opinions from you guys regarding this.



Some pics I took during the very short time I had to drive it before disaster struck :/







Oh, and I love it when I park on the very end spot (as usual), and something like this still happens.

 

I'm putting in the same exact oil and filter this weekend haha. Sorry to hear about your car, hope it works out!

 

That 6mt conversion very pricey, I'd skip it and bit the bullet get another 5at and hope
for the best or get your's rebuilt. At least you know you got new parts in their. As for
the last pic, I'd put a FU thank you note on his windshield and go on your way.

 

Love looking at the pics on this thread
Nice TL

 

I'm so sorry dude

With everything you've done, you might as well make the car last, therefore I vote for the 6-speed swap.

 

Did you not have a tranny issue also last year?
I agree...hard to spend the 4500 bucks, but people dump that into just a turbo or whatever. This is for lasting functionality. Unless you want to do auto tranny, sell her and look for a 6MT for sale and transfer everything over, but it'll be hard to move on from as much work as you put in.

PS, your install...top fucking notch. You could likely work at a high end install place. Incredible work.

 

I heard it's good stuff. Thanks.

I'm gonna call around tomorrow and see what kind of price I'd be looking at to get mine rebuilt. I hear the failure rate is super high though when you do that (and sometimes the price too).

I debated writing a note (or having them come out and move), but it was at school, so I knew I'd be in the same parking lot with them again.

Thanks.

It would be cool, and way more reliable. Such a tough call, man.

I didn't have any tranny issues until the day this happened. I had done a lot of preventative maintenance work though. There are mixed opinions on the Redline ATF. It's very disturbing to think that I might have actually killed it by using that.

I'm glad I have another car to drive so I don't have to make a hasty decision with this.

Thanks for the compliments also. I'm really happy with how it is turning out.

 

Dude, I hope everything works out ok.

 

My decision has been made:

I'm doing the 6-speed swap!

After all the time and money that I've already put into my car, it only makes sense to do something that will make it last for a very long time (especially since I have no intentions of ever selling it). Not to mention, it will be adding a new "fun factor" to the car, as well as an increase in HP to the wheels. However, my main motivation for this swap was the added reliability.

I sent Paul a payment for parts (SO glad I don't have to research or source anything), and as soon as he acquires everything that he needs (could take up to 3 weeks), I'll be towing my car down to him in VA. Then I'll drive the truck back home, and fly down to pick up the car once it's ready. I'm super excited! Now I just need to learn how to drive stick

 

Man it sucks that you gotta through all that... Hopefully it all works out. Also who is Paul?

 

Paul is a guy known for doing the 6MT swaps, I believe.

Hey, look at it this way, Frostman...$2K gone for new auto tranny. Sell it and go buy another car and $2K gone for taxes on it. All mods or at least a fair share lost with the old car. In the end, you're going to break even, keep the car you're in love with and will have a white 6MT that everyone will sweat.

Good choice.

I would HIGHLY recommend you:
Do your research on all the aftermarket things you want done for manual transmission ahead of time.

1: Comptech short shift kit
2: Weighted Shift knob
3: GM Syncromesh/AC Delco Fluid
4: Shift linkage bushings
5: Removal of slave cyclinder checkvalve

I'm sure there are some other suggestions on things you should and can have done while subframe is out. Steering rack issues (?) and lower front sway bar swap to H&R or type S come to mind.

I know it'll be a lot of cash to stomach up front, but the no wasted time/labor will make up for it in the long run.

J.

 

Nice progress thread. I'm deciding on which blowoff valves I want to get for my 335xi.

 

?

 

good decision bud. if your gonna keep it the 6speed is the right choice. BTW your system install is damn near perfect. clean work!! enjoy your MT!

 

 

 

Very Nice Work on the Audio!


Sorry to hear about the transmission, but am excited for ya on the 6MT swap choice!

Not to add to your list, but do you plan to upgrade the front brakes as well?

 

Nice werk!

 

The only automatic tranny I was even considering was a rebuilt one with a 3-yr warranty. That would have been $3,700. So the price gap between 5AT and 6MT was even narrower than I thought originally.

Thanks for the suggestions. I talked to Paul about all of them:

-He said the newly formulated Honda MTF (what he will be using) is nearly identical to GM Synchromesh.

-He does remove the slave cylinder check valve.

-He's not a fan of the short-shifter kit himself, but says that it would be an easy swap for me, should I decide to do it in the future. However, for the price, he doesn't feel that it provides much benefit for a daily.

-He does like the CorSport aluminum bushings and the Skunk2 shift knob. Also said those would be an easy swap whenever I decide to do them.

As for the steering rack and front sway bar, I don't have any plans to change those.

Thanks, I'm really pleased with how it's looking, now I just need it to SOUND good! At this point, I'm 90% sure it's the headunit that is creating the unwanted noise. I might go pick up a new OEM HU on Monday.

Thanks, I'm excited too! Upgraded brakes are not in the plans at this time.

 

the ss kit is only $70 and i think it would be easiest to just get it done while everything is going on. i think it makes shifting so much more enjoyable

also, go with hybrid racing bushings, not the corsport ones. heeltoe did a write up (or someone on here) comparing both and the hybrid ones are the higher quality/better performing product.

i love the skunk2 knob!

 

Wow, for some reason I was thinking the Comptech Short Shifter was in the $300 range, haha! I must have been looking at an entire gear-shifting assembly or something. Keep in mind, I don't even know how to drive stick yet. That being said, would it be better to learn on a stock shifter first? Or is it even easier with a short shifter?

And I actually did see that thread comparing the bushings. Sounds like Hybrid Racing is the better choice. Same question for those- Would it be better to learn using the stock ones first?

I guess these changes wouldn't be so popular if they made shifting more difficult, right?

 

I started to make some progress on the final top cover piece. This is in between the top of the amps and the bottom of the factory tire well cover. It will eventually be wrapped in vinyl and have a cutout to see the amps. I can already tell this is going to be the trickiest part of the entire project.

In other news, I'm on my way to go get a new OEM HU. Hoping that fixes my noise issue.

 

Keep us posted on if the HU helps!

Honestly, it's kind of a PITA to install the SS kit (at least it was for me because I didn't disconnect the cables and it pulled the grommets out of place)...basically, it makes it so that you can shift without every lifting your elbow off the armrest. Which I love.

 

Unfortunately, the new HU did not help. If anything, it made the noise worse. I'm not sure what the next step is, but I'll get it fixed eventually. For the time being, my attention has shifted to bigger things (pun intended).

I towed the car down to Paul a couple weeks ago, and he's been keeping me updated with pictures. I'm flying down next week to pick it up. CAN'T WAIT!




Motor and auto tranny extracted-



As Paul called it, "a 300lb boat anchor"-


Manual trans paired with motor-

 

Holy moly !!!!!

 

Great progress on your car. Your latest mod is effing awesome!!
How is learning manual going? Prepping for the drive back home... sounds like it will be a blast!

Interested in the final bill, i don't know how to drive manual and its something i want to do/explore possibly with the TL.

 

Thanks for sharing the pictures. Another way to look at it - a MT at 130k miles may need a new clutch/flywheel, which could be a $2k expense. You'll have that ready to go! Good luck!!!

 

Congrats! That's sweet!

 

Wow, talking about major surgery....

 

Honestly, I haven't even gotten the chance to drive one yet! I'm hoping that I get to sometime this weekend. I hear the TL has one of the easiest manual trans to learn on, so that's encouraging. I'm definitely excited for the drive back home (little nervous too!).

The trans has 42k on it, and the clutch is brand new. Not sure how many miles the flywheel had, but Paul resurfaced it. I should be good for awhile!

Here's a couple more pictures he sent me. As of today, it is OFFICIALLY a fully operational 6MT TL!



Paul did a few other things for me besides the manual trans, including: replaced compliance bushings, replaced radiator, and installed a real CAI (to replace the "Poor Man's CAI" that I had previously). The CAI was custom-made and powdercoated by him. Looks so good!

 

 

Wow. That awesome!

 

Dam you gunna be back in business soon. And a nice clean engine bay.

 

great work on the sound system, looks clean adn simnple and kinda stockish (which i like) but if you mind me asking, Whats the purpose for the Rockford fosgate 360 line driver???

 

Awesome!
Congrats

 

First of all, it's a RF-BLD, not RF 360. Since the factory HU puts out such a low voltage signal, some people say that RCAs going to the trunk have a tendency to pick up unwanted noise on their way back. I installed the RF-BLD Line Driver behind the passenger kick panel to boost the signal a little bit before it went to the amps. However, I was still experiencing this noise with the RF-BLD installed, so I starting asking myself the same question, "what's the purpose of this thing?". It obviously wasn't helping matters, so it has since been removed. I'm confident that the unwanted noise is entering the signal path somewhere in between the HU, and the passenger kick panel where I soldered on my RCAs.

 

Congrats dude.

 

Bump!
How is life after the swap!

 

How's it going guys? I know it's been awhile (as usual). I'll get right into the update.

After Paul was finished with my car, I flew down to VA to pick it up and drive it back home. The journey back was a little nerve-wracking since I had never driven stick before, but I made it. Overall, it was a fun trip (I wish I could do it over again now that I can actually drive!).



When I got home, I realized that my coolant was extremely low. After lots of searching, I found that one of my heater hoses had a rather large gash in it. Not sure how it happened, but I'm just glad (and surprised) I made it home with no problems. I replaced the hose, and it's been good ever since.



I had Paul leave my interior torn apart because I knew I had further troubleshooting to do on my sound system anyways. I bought an AudioControl Matrix because I read another thread about someone with similar symptoms to mine, and his noise went away after installing the Matrix. Unfortunately, it did not work for me. I started trying random things, and amazingly, the cheap PAC ground loop isolator worked this time. It didn't completely get rid of the noise, but it cut it down a whole lot. The alternator whine is only audible when the HU is on, and the music is paused. There is a slight popping noise that happens only when the AC kicks on and off. I'm not completely satisfied with it, but it still sounds amazing, and I'm just done messing with it for awhile.


Then, I was finally able to put my interior back together. I wasn't crazy about the red paint on the Skunk 2 knob, so I tried removing it with MEK (recommended in another thread). I couldn't get it completely off, so I'll have to figure something else out for that.



It was brought to my attention that my exhaust tips are the picture of filth. So I cleaned them with barkeepers friend like everyone recommended. That stuff actually works! I also cleaned up my engine bay, and put some vinyl decals on my door sills. I'm not a big fan of stickers, but they actually look really good! Hopefully they hold up.









All in all, I'm really happy that I did the swap. I was unsure about my decision at first because I was pretty bad at shifting. But now that I'm getting the hang of it, driving stick is seriously so much fun. The car is MUCH quicker, and I feel good about having a reliable transmission under the hood. It's really nice being able to just drive and enjoy the car now. No more big projects where the whole car is torn apart. Just little things here and there.

List of things to do in the near future:

-Paint and install center caps
-Finish the top beauty panel for my amps in the trunk
-New LED DRLs (sick of yellow)
-New HID Fogs (sick of yellow)
-Get passenger seat re-upholstered

 

Good stuff, man. Congrats!

6MT is absolutely the way to go!
If you're up for a little more expense, give this baby a try...I have it in both my cars and won't go back...I love the extra leverage and heavy weight for a confident shift, every time.

Anyway, congrats on learning manual and now owning a manual! Can you go through the DMV to have them change how the car appears on title so it'll be documented and official? Paul seems like a real stand up guy...knows his stuff. I'm jealous of your intake although the poor man's intake has gotten me laid a lot.

About the sound system...I did the AC Matrix too...returned it because it did nothing for me. And...no way, the Ground Loop Isolators were the only thing that made the sound tolerable!?! Too bad someone didn't point you in that direction earlier... and