3.2TLc

Hey MBP 03, thanks for updating with another successful '06/'07 Accord tranny swap for our TL's.
Any additional info will definitely help 'Ziner's do the same as you did !!!!

Stephen00TL

4th Is defidently shorter which makes for better acceleration especially on the highway. Third feels about the same maybe slightly shorter and fifth is slightly shorter. I get better gas mileage because I don't have to drop into third anymore when I pass someone on the highway. I can pass in fifth gear most of the time and rarely have to drop into fourth Gear. I would swap the transmission just for the better gear ratios, it being more reliable is a plus as well. When I went out of town last weekend I got about 30.76 mpg going about 80 +/- a few at certain parts of the highway.

MBP 03

After some more research, I came across the following info for an '07 Accord V6:

• First Gear Ratio (:1) : 2.56
• Second Gear Ratio (:1) : 1.55
• Third Gear Ratio (:1) : 1.02
• Fourth Gear Ratio (:1) : 0.73
• Fifth Gear Ratio (:1) : 0.52
• Reverse Ratio (:1) : 1.85
• Final Drive Axle Ratio (:1) : 4.43

Since I have a TL-S, per the specs in the shop manual, my old trans already had the above 4th and 5th ratios, but it's definitely an improvement for the TL-P cars. The final drive ratio looks to be the same between both the TL and the AV6 transmissions.

fsttyms1

CL/TL

6-speed manual transmission
1st - 3.933
2nd - 2.478
3rd - 1.700
4th - 1.250
5th - 0.976
6th - 0.771
Reverse - 4.008
Final Drive - 3.286

5-speed automatic transmission
1st - 2.563
2nd - 1.551
3rd - 1.021
4th - 0.653
5th - 0.470
Reverse - 1.846
Final Drive - 4.428

And for those that are curious. Hypothetical (with enough hp and no restrictor)top speed (CL/TL gearing)

peewizzle

i love highway acceleration and these numbers reaffirm i'm not feeling the placebo effect lol i thought maybe i was just lying to myself the first month after swap

Skirmich

hahahaha So wierd, I never tought I would like my Trans to Die..

I want to Install the AV6 trans NAOOWWW But then Again I want to see how much longer my 1.3K$ Cheapo Rebuild lasts! So funny it almost hit 90K.

fsttyms1

You want real fun and better gearing get the 6 speed.

fsttyms1

Just to show the 6 speed gearing difference, 3100ish rpm, 87mph (per gps) and 31mpg (108 miles to less than 1/4 tank, 247 to the half)

Stephen00TL

I though at first it was because my transmission was so bad and I hadn't driven the car for months before I did the swap. Then I found out about the different gearing of the transmission.

Skirmich

Already have the AV6 trans since almost 2 years ago
Funny how something lasts when you dont want it and It craps out when you need it

Stephen00TL

If you didn't have a spare it would have failed 80,000 miles ago

Skirmich

Luck < Overrated

peewizzle

DAMN 247 to the half!?!? i only get around 150 to a half tank wtF??

Skirmich

^^ Your car is Wrong.. My 5 Speed AUTO gets around 220 to Half.

peewizzle

fuuuuuucccckkkkkkkk i need to fig out why i'm missing out on this awesome mpg lol

fsttyms1

is your 150 all hwy, or mixed

peewizzle

It's mostly highway. On work days I usually travel like 60 miles, 50 of which are highway, the other 10 are around town.

2008FZ6

My transmission failed in my type S last year with the normal symptoms (would not move, flashing 5th gear light, slamming downshifts etc). The first trans went at 35k miles and this one went at about 115k miles.

After finding this thread, I purchased a 2007 Accord trans with 13k miles. I gave my mechanic all of the instructions about changing the 3rd/4th gear harness, the oil warmer/cooler and the range switch from the old trans. He left the Accord transmission filter as is.

After installation the transmission would not shift out of 2nd gear and is giving a P-780 code (I think that's what he told me). It is a rather harsh shift into drive. The 5th gear light is flashing. I had purchased new 3rd and 4th gear pressure switches 28600-P7Z-003 and 28600-P7W-003. Thinking that these were different part numbers on the on the Accord, I had him put the Accord switches back on. This did nothing and I still have the problem.

My mechanic only had the 3 quarts of Honda transmission fluid and he needed to add an extra 1/2 quart of fluid so he used a "Honda compatible" fluid. We did not think that should have made any difference.

I am hoping the salvage yard was honest as I paid $1000 for the trans and $500 to have it put in (pretty reasonable I believe). The trans had a note on it that said no fluid but my mechanic said he drained about 3 quarts from it (he said it looked very clean). Could they have slapped on a bad torque converter?

Any ideas? Does the PCM need to be cleared or something?
TIA

Yikes

As long as the torque converter that was used wasn't from your TL, and had fluid, it shouldn't be bad. Did the '07 tranny you bought come with the torque converter aswell? I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but I don't think a junk yard would sell a good torque converter from a transmission and replace it with a bad one without marking the unit.

I would try a 3x3 drain and fill. It is highly imperative that you use Honda ATF-DW1. If that doesn't work, I would contact the junk yard and ask about any type of warranty, and explain to them the problem you're having.

victus1

Did they adjust the range switch properly after install? Others have mentioned that it needs to be finely adjusted and aligned.

2008FZ6

Thank you Yikes. The torque converter was from the Accord. I am hopeful they are a reputable operation. I will do the 3 x 3 after I can get the car to go into the other gears. I checked the fluid and it was between the two marks when it was somewhat warmed up. I will buy more ATF-DW-1 this week and make sure it is the proper level when hot.

My mechanic was aware of having the range switch properly set, but then we are assuming the car was in park when the trans was removed. I could not find any description of what happens if the switch is not aligned properly. Thanks Victus1.

Will keep you posted. Tough week at work ahead so may not get these things done until next weekend.

MBP 03

Just a quick 500 mile update on the swap.

Everything is working exactly as it should.

After I put on a few hundred miles, I decided to swap over the 3rd and 4th gear pressure switches from my old TL trans due to the fact that they only had about 5K miles on them and the AV6 trans had 20K miles on it, so it seemed like a waste to toss them with the old trans.

I also have to agree with what everyone says about these transmissions and the fluid level. Since most of the fluid in the torque converter was drained for shipment, I had to guess at the amount to fill before I started the car for the first time and then, I ended up fine tuning the level a few times. In the end, it looks like I put in a little too much because the level was just a hair over the upper hole on the dipstick. As I was driving the car over a few hundred miles, I noticed that the 3-4 upshift was a little harsh depending on the throttle position. After I drained a bit of fluid out to bring the level to halfway between the holes, it seems like that 3-4 shift has settled down quite a bit.

Badruce

Do you guys know which trans can swap for the 99TL 4 speed trans?

3.2TLc

Welcome Badruce !
While I'm by no means any type of expert, the '99 TL with the 4 speed AT is an oddball with the 2nd Gen '99-'03 TL's. It's my understanding that the '99 models kept the 1st gen tranny. So, it may be possible to use one of them as a donor.....don't know for sure ?

Also, the '98-'02 Honda Accord V-6's 4 speed AT's may possibly work, but again .....I'm unsure, sorry man ! Perhaps do some more research on the tranny model ID for interchangeability. Your best bet may very well be to find another '99 TL tranny, IMO.

bricud

I have an 02 TL-S that after the second transmission failure I decided to go with the Accord tranny. I found an 07 tranny from a salvage yard for $800 and purchased it. They told me it only had 3K miles when totaled, but had a couple of broken female threads on the tranny, that was why it was such a good price. As it turns out, the threads are not used on the TL. They are not even on the housing. The only damage I could find was a couple of connectors broken from the Accord Tranny.

I swapped out the trannys, swapped the one harness and range switch. On the previous rebuild of my tranny, they installed an oil cooler, so the oil warmer was replace with this assembly, which I moved to the accord tranny. Everything seemed to bolt up well. I followed the service manual and didn't run into any snags, but when I took it for the first drive, I got the flashing '!', the check engine light, and the flashing D5 light. It seemed to go into limp mode and I drove it back home and parked it. The trip covered 3 city blocks. It seemed to shift normally into 2nd and a little hard into 3rd, but I never went faster than 30 mph.

Not sure what to look for The only thing I can think of was there was a vacuum hose on the top read (drivers side) of the transmission that I couldn't find where it went, so this is open. It is about 4 inches long.

I hope there is something simple to find. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

victus1

That sounds like the venting hose for the tranny. It doesn't connect anywhere.

3.2TLc

If ya have a flashing "CEL", having the codes read might help some ?

Go over all of the connections, particularily any that may have previously been damaged.
Clear the codes and see what happens ! Hopefully it's something simple that may have been overlooked.

2008FZ6

Does anyone know if any of the shift solenoids need to be swapped from the 2001 Acura Type S trans to the 2007 Accord trans? The car will not shift past 2nd gear and is a rather hard shift from Park to drive. Thanks.

bricud

After installing the tranny out of a 07 accord, I got the CEL, "!" and flashing D5. Upon your advice I checked all the connections but found nothing loose. I went over every connection and unplugged and plugged in. The only thing I noticed was that I checked the tranny dipstick when cold today and it was dry (nothing touching the dipstick). The other day the first time out with the new tranny, I drove it for a couple of blocks and had to add a quart to get it up to the full mark.

Today, after starting cold, with no ATF touching the dipstick, I started it and drove it a couple of blocks again to see if it would act the same. When I got home and checked the level, it was then barely touching the dipstick. I need to go get some more tranny fluid, and add some more. I also got the "!" and Flashing D5 one block down the road. I had it up through third gear, and when it downshifted it seemed hard.

I had someone get the ATF for me the first time and they came back with a generic "import synthetic ATF" which I now have 4 quarts of it in my tranny.

2 questions: First, could the generic ATF cause the flashing lights and issues? Second. Is it normal with a new tranny to show full after the first 3 block drive and then low the next time out? Perhaps the torque converter was still filling up?? I did spill some out of the converter when I installed it.

Just hoping for a miracle. I really don't want to have to pull the tranny I just put in there.

Thanks.

Yikes

To answer your first question, yes. Running any fluid in your tranny that isn't Honda will cause issues, but it is better than running the transmission dry. I would suggest that you immediately do a drain and fill using only Honda ATF DW-1.

bricud

I just downloaded the code from my "cel" and it said P0715 Input/turbine Speed Sensor "A" Circuit. anyone know what this means and how to fix it??

bricud

My P0175 code was a broken mainshaft speed sensor. I replaced it with the one from the old one, cleared the codes, and everything worked like a champ. My TL-S lives on......

victus1

When these places remove the transmissions from the donor vehicles they will sometimes damage a sensor or a harness. That's what happens when they are in a rush to get the components out of the vehicles and put them up for sale. Always a good a idea to spend the time inspecting everything before install.

Thanks for letting us know what the problem was.

Gzusrock

Where was the sensor located out of curiosity? I just picked up a 2006 Accord 5sp tranny and am in the process of looking it over before I give it to my mechanic.

bricud

The mainshaft speed sensor was located on the left side of the tranny when installed (toward the front of the car) on the back (drivers side) of the housing. It is the black connector you see in the bottom right hand corner of this picture. I also had to replace one of the pressure valves that had the connector snapped off. Keep in mind that these valves are very expensive. I broke the one on my old tranny when removing it, and the new one had this valve missing. $320 from the dealer. I found a used one from a transmission rebuilder for $40.

The mainshaft speed sensor simply had a cracked housing that rocked a bit when I pushed on it a bit in the car. It was not an obvious problem, other than the code pointed to the sensor.

Gzusrock

I just delivered my Accord transmission to the shop that will be doing the swap today. I spoke to the mechanic in detail about the procedure and he seems to be pretty comfortable with it. I am taking the car to have the work done in a couple of days and I'm pretty excited about everything. I was so disheartened after paying $3700 at auction for the car only to have the transmission curse hit me that same week. Thanks to this forum I feel like I'll be able to save the car and get my money's worth out of it for years to come, without having to worry about when the transmission will crap out again.

gulu100

I am crapping in my pants now. Just purchased an 02 type s with about 132k. Anyone in the dc metro area know how to do this swap? The car is running fine at the moment but I am scared. The transmission was replaced under recall in march 2005 at 50k.

Gzusrock

Was it replaced under recall or warranty? The recall was to install the oil jet on the top of the transmission only because the 2nd gear reportedly could burn up and cause a lockup at highway speeds. After that the warranty was extended to 100,000 miles or 7 years after it was discovered that the 3rd gear burned up as well. The warranty replacements installed in 2005 or later supposedly have a modified design that reduces the failure rate, though nobody is really sure if Acura ever "fixed" the problem.

The real solution is swapping in an 06/07 Accord transmission. It's perfect for the type s like yours because you won't lose your power steering assist like those of us with base models.

Anyways, if I were you I wouldn't worry about it till 3rd gear starts acting funny. You may want to start calling around and networking though so you can have a place to take it if it does crap out. I got lucky in that my brother in law knew someone that wasn't afraid to touch it.

gulu100

Gzusrock,

This guy i bought the car from kept amazing records of any work that was done to the car.

His notes indicate the transmission was replaced along with the throttle body and PCM and was done so all under warranty. It looks like he did this right before the warranty on the car was about to expire.

Yea i defintely need to find someone in the dc area that can do the accord v6 swap when the time comes.

NellyBGL

Hello everyone, especially Stephen!
It's been a long time.
I performed this swap about 7-8 months ago with a 2007 Accord EX Coupe transmission that had 35k on it. I bought up in New Hampshire for $650 with a 90 day warranty + the 7 hour round trip to pick it up(I live in Connecticut. Since then my 03 Acura TL-S has driven perfect if not better than I ever thought. It shifts beautifully through all 5 gears. I have driven 13,500 miles on it. I only get 150miles/half-a-tank which is only 20 mpg. (Mixed, and i'm not gentle on it) I never noticed the better highway acceleration but then again it's been so long. I would have to drive a non-swapped TL-S to feel it. My car has 172,000 miles on it and everyone that drives it is amazed at how new and smooth it drives for a 10 year old high mileage car.

I performed this swap on a saturday. Me and my two cousins(civic fanatics) started at 9am and we finished at 2am(Sunday morning) we had bug spray, hand tools, flash lights that strap to our foreheads and some air tools some blocks of wood and 2 Jacks and 2 jack stands. We followed the instructions to swap over those three main components.


The instructions listed on page 2 of this article layout exactly what needs to be swapped over. Follow it carefully.

I tell EVERYONE that I run into that has an Acura TL like ours about this swap. I've helped two others perform this swap in my area.

I capped the metal tube that has the opening for the 2nd gear filler cap cooling piece. I don't remember the actual name for this piece but i found it at a store that sells hydrolic equipment parts. I took some photos of it installed. It was really simple, literally screwed it on and it clamps it's self to the metal tube and it can hold up to 3000 PSI when properly torqued.


Sorry for the hugely over-sized pictures. I just linked them from my photobucket.