EliteCM.net

NOTE: before i get any negative comments or anything i would just like to say i have researched this topic thoroughly and just want some advice from people who actually know what they are talking about, not from some random sites. With that said, i have an 05' accord coupe with an automatic transmission, and i have become tired of it. I would like to swap my transmission for a manual one. My car has about 50k miles on it and i have a friend in the auto body industry who can perform a swap for cheap labor costs. I am looking for a 7th gen accord in a junkyard for parts, so i do not have to blow a thousand dollars on new parts. And some advice from people who have performed a swap or know of someone who has would be much appreciated. Such as, will the transmission be reliable? will i have to change the ECU? thank you.

I can recommend that you speak to the one person that has done this swap.  Mike Sedacca has done this swap.  I know that he has a parts list somewhere.  I also know that he didn't need to use a MT ECU, but he's also running kpro.  Here is my advice on the subject.  First, I would recommend you use an OEM RSX Type S flywheel and clutch.  The RSX Type S flywheel is 14 lbs, compared to the 22.5 lb Accord flywheel.  You'll have better throttle response, but will retain OEM reliability because the flywheel isn't too light.  Second, I would seriously recommend you get a TSX 6MT instead of an Accord 5MT.  If you have your heart set on a 5MT, I know of 2 Accord 5 speed transmissions in FL in the Orlando area that are for sale.  One is mine and one is Skippy's.  Please PM me if you're interested in purchasing one.

Here's what Skippy told me about the AT to MT swap.



I'm basically in the same exact situation as you. 05' Accord sedan with an autotragic, wanting to do the MT swap, lol.

i know all the parts are going to be expensive which is why i am looking for an old 7th gen accord in a junkyard or something for parts, and my friend said hes not going to slam me on labor, but he also said it would take a week to do the swap. I just wish my car came manual stock. Also i could buy a whole new car with all that money skippy quoted. Is the tsx 6 speed compatible with my car? and is there any benefits to having it

Yes, it is.  I have one in my car.  The benefits are shorter gears.  If you want an Accord tranny, just let me know.  I can get you one for pretty cheap. 

i personally like the longer gears

For turbo applications, having longer gears makes sense.  For n/a and SCed applications, the shorter gears are better.  Have you driven a 6 speed K24 Accord Dave?

yes, the only time i would find that extra gear to be useful is when im on road trips which is rare. i have also put my car up against other 6spd's and have beaten them due to lack of shifting that was needed, when the other car shifted, i began to pull away.

i think that a 5 spd with upgrades (clutch, flywheel, lsd ) is a better option than a stock 6 spd. that is what im planning on doing.

The final drive gear is the same.  The final drive gear ratio is actually shorter than the Accord.  Do you not use 5th gear right now?


That's pretty interesting.  You must be a better driver than the other guy.  Did you do this when your motor was stock?  Are you planning on a turbo one day?  When I swapped my 5 speed for the 6 speed, I noticed a huge improvement.  It was literally a night and day difference.  I would say that the TSX 6MT swap with a RSX Type S flywheel is possibly the best performance upgrade you can do.  There's a reason why the 5MT is an economy transmission, and the 6MT is a sport transmission.

I'm assuming the stock accord 5MT is cheaper correct? i have to start collecting parts if i'm actually going to go through with this so if anyone has a list  that would be extremely helpful.

Contact Mike Sedacca.  He has done the swap and should have the parts list.  I also know that Skippy and Paul will be able to give you advice on what you need.  You are correct in assuming that the Accord 5MT is cheaper.  If you want one, just let me know.  I have access to two and I know they are pretty cheap. 

Tim, what's your opinion on doing a 5AT to 5MT swap? I know Skippy said it's a one-off design with a lot of custom work, but it's still very tempting. Or maybe I should wait it out and do a 5AT to 6MT swap to make it worthwhile. I don't know. I could just join the TSX bandwagon like Nick and Jeremy, haha.

Well, I've never owned an AT Accord.  I'm guessing that I would be underwhelmed if I drove one.  If you want to bang gears and not much performance, get the 5MT.  If you're looking for something more lively and fun (IMHO), get the 6MT. 

Banging gears is an understatement for you Tim! I almost threw up Saturday when you shifted into second!

LOL I thought he blew his motor when he did that.

man.. your lucky, i wish i got to ride in a modded 7th gen thats tuned correctly... =T

but yes, if you want to utilize your engine to potential on demand, 6MT is the way to go

Trust me.  My car is nothing compared to someone else's 7th Gen.  My car is slow compared to that. 

eh... havent sat in a stock 7th gen for a while.... i feel my car is slower than stock =T maybe im expecting too much or ive gotten used to my own car. dont got anything to compare my car to so i dunno where all my $ is going.

I know my car is quicker than a stock 7th Gen.  I just know that I'm not the biggest and baddest one out there.  Of the built 7th Gen's that I know of, I would probably say that my car is in the top 5 as far as hp. 

I know of one with a big fat snail hanging off the block. Wish I could've gotten a ride in that one.

Tim, does  this (mainly RSX Type S flywheel) apply to the J as well...I only ask cause I found it in the K section...

I answered it in the PM, but just to share it with everyone else, the answer is no.  It will not work with a J Series motor.  I'm not that knowledgable when it comes to the J's.  Your best bet of getting a straight answer is talking to Paul about it.

Man this thread is super old. But are there still any manual trannies still floating around for sale.

Not here.

You looking for a 5MT or 6MT?

5MT

I know of one for sale.  Where are you located?

See that the problem. I'm in So Cal and I know you guys are east coasters.

This tranny is in FL.  Shipping isn't terrible.  I've had a tranny and a short block shipped to me before and the shipping isn't as bad as you would think.  Anyway, if you're interested, PM me and I'll get you the info.  It's not my tranny, and the guy doesn't post here any more, so I can get you his email and price if you're interested.

nice. Thanks for your replies. Let me do my research on labor cost as this is way over my head as far as installation. I will definitely be contacting you tomorrow.

As far as shipping. How much are we talking for the tranny?

I wish I could tell you the exact amount.  I'm guessing it will be around $150, but we won't know until it's packed and weighed.

well...... looks like its the 6mt's time to be my next mod. couple nights ago, I completely lost 2nd gear driving regularly, was actually leaving a light . I've had it give me a hard time going into reverse and once in a while for 1st, and 2nd after a couple runs on the track....anyone know know where I can get a 6mt for a good price? same as the the type s clutch. thanks

car-part.com

car-part.com like Mike said, or you can start hunting around on k20a.  You can pick up the k20 flywheel at any parts store like vato zone or advanced.  I'd suggest staying away from ACT clutches.  I had a ton of problems with mine, and I've also seen similar issues on other Accords.  I've been content with my competition clutch so far.

thanks guys, any recommendations on what year tranny I should look for?

I'd say 04-05.

All CL9 trannys are the same. 04-08 is fine.

Hey everyone. I saw I got a PM from someone asking for the 5AT to 5MT tranny swap list. The short is that I don't have it anymore, or at least where I can easily access it. I live up in NYC and left my car in FL. I've debated selling it, but to be honest I put way too much blood, sweat and tears into it to actually do it.

Anyway, sob story complete. My advice is that if you're going to switch from auto to manual, don't. Buy a new car, seriously. This was Skip's advice going into it and if I didn't have a custom stereo blah blah, I would have gone that route. I know Skip helped someone in FL do hers (keeping them anonymous) and it was no easy task. Mine took 3 months of actual work and countless hours of research and literal pain before that. The total bill with labor and parts was approaching 8K if I remember right (this was 6 years ago so bear with me). It was a combination of A rated junkyard parts and we kept the AT ECU. You have to manually rewire much of the car, so that is the hardest part. Your speedo will also be off, but you get used to that.

MIKE YOU ARE ALIVE!!!!!!!

Ugh, that shot my hopes a little of swapping my AT to a TSX 6spd :'(

That's the exact thing I thought when I saw his post.

Ariel, you can hunt for deals man. Alex, k24low20z here and k24 on v6p, just did the 5 speed swap. He did his fairly cheap. I don't think it was anywhere near the price Mike paid for his.

Oh yeah, you're right Z! I forgot Alex did it. Yup, goal of swapping is back on lol. Hopefully I get this going by next season.

If it were me, the best way to complete the swap is to get a MT tranny, ecu, engine harness and all the other little bits. Mike said the wiring was the hardest part. I'm pretty sure that swapping the engine harness would be easier than rewriting the AT harness.

Just reading the recent post makes that local sale of the complete TSX engine and 6MT look really attractive, but no monies. FML.

It was a long time ago and feels like eons, so my memory of the actual process of it feels nonexistent. It was a trial and error of what parts needed to be switched and what didn't.

If the old Gen7 forums were still around, I bet some of it was up there.

Ya I'm alive! I got to see Tim over the summer up here in NYC. Sorry I missed you guys at the meetup that Friday, but single life and interns come first!  :jaw:

The old gen7 forum was kind of around for a short bit. Thien pulled what he could before it finally disappeared. Its good to see you posting up in here. Too bad your CM is still down in FL while you're up here enjoying the single life. It'd be good if you pop in more often and share your knowledge with some of the guys that don't know the kind of things you've done. The more experience we have here, the better.

Haha I really don't know anything, just the experience. Most of what I did was fueled by Skippy. I will be more active around here and would love to hang with any of the NYC people.

It's all good man. Either knowledge or experience work. It'd be cool to hang out. The NY guys do things. Oftentimes on the DL.