Rep Power: 807

Official auto to 5spd swap guide for 6th gen accords.

Disclaimer: This swap is not a-tell all guide. I’m sure at some point some minor details will be left out. I am by no means an expert or claim to be one in this area. You will need a very good understanding of how the cars electrical system and mechanical systems work. I you don’t stop right now before you get in over your head. This is to be taken as information only and to be used as you see fit. I have completed this swap and now that it will work but I can not control how well you will be able to complete this swap. I do not accept any responsibility nor blame if you burn down, screw up, or and other miss fortune you may have. You can feel free to e-mail or pm me for information. But you will be at your own risk when doing this.

Removing auto tranny:

1: Jack front of the car up and support it with jack stand. (Never crawl under the car with just a jack to support it.)

2: Remove both front tires and plastic under skirting under engine bay.

3: Dis-connect and remove the battery and battery tray. You will also want to remove the radiator coolant over flow and intake tubing. Note: leave air filter in box if still using the stock air box as this will help prevent any thing from falling down in to the lower portion of the box.

4: Drain transmission fluid and dis-connect tranny cooler lines from radiator.

5: Remove big nut on the end of both the pass. and driver side axles. Dis-connect both lower ball joints and separate from lower control arm.

6: Remove axles from transmission and set the pass. side one aside. You will be able to re-use this one later on.

7: Remove both bolts on either side for the radius rods on the lower control arms. At this point you will want to support the engine with a jack and 2x4 under the oil pan. *Very important to have a 2x4 on the jack end so not to crush the oil pan in*. You will just want it to be snug on the pan to ease the pressure of the engine. Now you can remove the bolt from the front motor mount and the remaining bolts for the front sub-frame. Be careful as this may be heavy. Now you can remove the mount from the engine block. ( You will see why later)

8: Dis-connect both wires from starter and remove the 2 starter bolt and remove starter.

9: Remove the support bracket that is bolted to the lower tranny and the bottom of the block. Once this is done all the torque converter bolts are accessible. You will need to remove all of these. There are a lot. You can turn the crank by the crank bolt to get to all the bolts.

10: Then you can remove the cover for the auto shift cable. Once this cover is off you will be able to pull the cable back and access the retaining bolt. There is a lock on it that will need to come off with a flat head screw driver. Once the bolt is off the cable will slide off rather freely.

11: Now go around the tranny and remove all the 17mm bolts that are holding it on the the block except for the middle top 2 under the distributor. Leave these till last. I be leave there are 2 or 3 in the rear mount that need to come out as well. These I think though are 19mm.

12: Dis-connect all electrical connections on the transmission and pull harness out of the way. You may choose to take out the distributor at this time. I left mine in but you may find it easier to remove the harness with this out and removal of the last to bolts. ( Do not remove these bolts yet.

13: Now with another floor jack or cherry picker support the tranny and remove the side tranny mount bolt from the mounting bracket. Once done slowly lower the transmission and engine down some, but not much. Now you should have enough access to the mounting bracket on the frame rail. Remove all 3 bolts and remove bracket.

14: Almost home free. Now remove those 2 last bolts in the engine that are going through the transmission. Lower the engine a little more and the tranny a little more and pull every so slightly forward to clear the rear sub frame.

15: Be VERY CAREFUL at this point the tranny weights a ton. If it falls on you, you WILL get hurt. Very carefully but with some force start to pry the transmission from the engine. When it starts to come off and is free slowly lower the jack under the tranny till the tranny is totally free. It will want to fall of the jack so be careful. And lower it to the ground and remove from under the car. Now you will have a big hole were the tranny once was. Congrats you just removed the tranny.

***KEEP IN MIND THAT THE JACK UNDER THE ENGINE MUST STAY THERE. THERE IS ONLY ONE MOUNT HOLDING THE MOTOR IN. THE JACK IS THE MAIN SOURE OF SUPPORT***

Install of new tranny:

1: You can use either the F22, F23, H22 or H23 manual trannys its really your choose. If you are using any other tranny other then the F23 you will need to take off the fitting for the F23 slave cyl. As this will only work on the F23 tranny.

2: Now that you can see it you want to remove the flex-plate from the engine. Once off you can install your fly wheel. I have the ACT pro-lite. You will need new factory bolts to do this. Then install the clutch of your choose with new factory bolts. I went with the ACT extreme pressure plate and un-sprung 6 puck. 90% of you won’t need this much clamping force. But they all install the same. Make sure you torque the bolts down in a crossing pattern and by hand at first. This way you won’t twist the pressure plate. Put the bolts in hand tight and the only turn each bolt one full turn max each time till its tight. Then with an impact slightly tighten each bolt a little more. To tighten the fly wheel bolts. Start the first few threads by hand and then run them in with an impact gun.

3: Install a new through out bearing into your tranny. Never re-use the one it came with.

4: Re-install the tranny mount bracket to the frame rail on the pass side with the 3 bolts you took out. Now bolt the new 5spd bracket for the tranny on to it.

5: Have a friend or if you feel like getting a hernia install the 5spd on to the engine. I have a cherry pick that I always use. I like my back to much to screw it up doing this. Make sure the tranny is flush with the block or at least with in a ¼” of the block before starting the bolts.

6: Install the top 2 bolts the work your way around the tranny. You can re-attach the auto rear mount to the 5spd tranny with out a problem. I currently have mine this way.

7: Once the bolts for the tranny are all in and the rear mount is hooked up slide the side mount bolt in and tighten it. Pull the wiring harness over the tranny at this point to. It will help later.

8: Install the front sub frame. Start by putting the front motor mount bolt in and then going from there. The radius rods will be done last.

9: Now you can take the jack out from under the engine. The tranny and engine are now one. Sit back and take a brake.

10: Go inside the car after cleaning up some and remove the center console. This will give you access to the shifter assembly. There are 4 bolts holding it down. Remove these and un-do the two plugs.

11: Pull the shifter assembly out. It will still have the shift cable attached to it, that’s fine.

 
Rep Power: 807

12: Install the new shifter cables on to the shift assembly base of the new 5spdshifter out of the car, its much easier. Then install the shifter assembly and cables in reveres order.Make sure the rubber boot is tight against the body or it will leak water into the car. Once done re-install the center console.

13: Go under the car and remove the hold down bracket that looks like it attaches under the car, mines removed it just got in the way. With bracket removed route the cables to the top side of the tranny and install into there brackets and lock in and install the cotter pins and washers.

14: Install the 5spd starter for your year tranny.

15: Install the pass. side drive axle and the new drivers side half shaft. It will bolt to the block in three places. Then install the new driver side half shaft. Torque the axle nuts down and install your tires.

16: Fill the tranny with either Honda manual tranny fluid or 5w30 motor oil depending on your year. I highly recommend using the factory fluid. Its safe to use in any year manual tranny.

17: Re-install splash shield and lower car back down. You have just now swapped the transmission.

18: Now you can re-install the battery tray and battery. But leave the intake tube and the coolant over flow out. Do not hook up the battery just yet.


Removing the interior trim:

1: Remove both the drivers and pass side fuse panel covers from the dash. Also remove the trim panel from under the radio. You will need a 90 degree pick or small screw driver to remove this. If it breaks (mine did) no big deal there fairly cheap for new ones at the dealer.

2: Remove the 2 screws in the fuse panels on both sides for the lower dash panel. Then re-move the screw under the radio for each panel. These 2 will be just to the outer inside edges of the center console. Once these screws are out pull fairly hard on the panels and they will come off.

3: Open the glove box and remove the 2 screws by the striker. Then on the outer edges there are black plastic covers, pop these off and take the screws out that are under them.
4: At the bottom of the glove box there should be a steel bar. Remove this. It is held in place with some more screws and a couple of bolts. Once removed, the glove box will pull out. May need to use a little force to get it out, but do not pull hard or it will break.

5: Now you will have access to the pass. side fuse box front and back as well as the multi-plex unit. Same on the drivers side. You will also want to pull the carpet out from the center console base on the pass. side to gain access to the ECU plugs

6: Remove the trim panel around the speedo cluster andthen unscrew the speedo cluster from the dash and tip forward. There is no need to fully remove it, you just need to have access to the wiring plugs on the back side.

Now for the really really fun part WIRING. Proceed with extreme caution. This will be a royal pain in the ***:

**There are 3 wires for the 5spd. VSS. The auto has an in-put and out-put speed sensor that each have 2 wires.**The Three wires are blue/white or blue. This is your signal wire. Black is ground, and black/yellow is 12volt ignition.

1: The first thing that needs to be done is source the 3 wire VSS plug with about 4-6” of good wiring on it. The coolers will be blue/white or blue (signal wire), black (ground), and black/yellow (12volt ignition). We will start with them in this order. ALL honda VSS harness connectors have the same pin locations. If your looking at the plug from the back side it will be from left to right black, black/yellow, and blue/white or blue. These can all be double checked with a multi-meter.

2: Locate the auto out-put speed sensor plug, it will have 2 wires, blue/white or blue and green, this will depend on the year and model. It may also be known as the countershaft speed sensor. The one your looking for right now is the blue/white or blue wire. Now that you have found this wire label it and go inside to the ECU. This wire is located in plug 16P and is a gray connector. I will be the one all the way to the right. Looking at the plug still in the ECU it will be in the middle row third wire in from the right. Remove the plug from the ECU with this wire located and check for continuity with the wire under the hood. It should have continuity. Label this wire at the ECU now too.

3:Now, with this wire located at the ECU in connector 16P you will need to re-pin this at the ECU. With a pick, and be very careful, pull on the white lock on top of the connector, it will only come up a little bit. With this lock up pull the wire out with a pair of needle nose pliers very carefully. It may take a good steady pull. The place it needs to go is in connector 31P, this will be blue and the third from the left. From the back side looking at the plug still in the ECU it will be on the bottom row all the way in the left corner. There should be no wire in there at this time. Once again pull up on the lock on top of the connector. Once the lock is up push the wire firmly in till it bottoms out, you may feel it kind of click in there. While your still pushing it in push the lock back down. There you have just re-pinned a connector.

4: That green wire that is on the sensor cut. Go back in side the car and locate the same connector 16p at the ECU, on the bottom row all the way to the right there should also be a green wire. With a multi-meter check for continuity between the green wire under the hood and the green wire at the ECU. If you have continuity, witch you should this will become your ground. Cut this wire at the ECU and add about 6-8” of wire to it. Put a crimp on eye connecter on it big enough to get a 10mm bolt through the hole. Take out the 10mm bolt holding the ECU down on that same side and ground the wire there. Label the other end under the hood.

5: Here’s were it gets tricky. Locate the pass side mutli-plex unit and fuse box. On the back side of the fuse box look for a green 18 pin connector. Sense theirs 2 look for the one that has white/black wire and a blank spot under the locking tab. The other one will have a blank spot and a white/red wire. You want the first plug. You want to find and label the blue/white wire in the corner. Now go to the front of the fuse panel and find the 18 pin green connector. There will be a blank spot and a blue/red wire under the lock tab. Un-plug this connector. With the multi-meter check for continuity between the blue/white wire on the back and pin in the fuse box where the blank spot was under the lock tab. There should be continuity. You need to add a wire here. Un-do the lock clip for this plug as you did with the ECU, be careful not to break it. I removed my a/c so I used the blue/red wire in the top corner. You will need to find a suitable wiring pin to put in this spot if your keeping the a/c. You will want at least 3-4” of good wire there. Now with some spare wiring solder a piece of extra wire about 7 feet long to this pin wire. Wrap in electrical tap and re-check to make sure you still have continuity. If you do plug the harness back in to the fuse box. Run the extra wire that you just soldered down to the ECU and splice it into the blue/white or blue wire you just re-pinned. I you ended up with to much wire just trim as needed.

6: The last wire you have to add is the black/yellow wire. On the drivers side fuse panel on the back side locate the green 18 pin connector. There are 3 of these you want the one with red/black and green/orange wires under the lock tab. With this located you want the black/yellow wire that is located just the other side of the red/black wire. Splice a section of wiring in this wire about 12” long. Its best to strip back a little bit of wire and solder the two together then cover with tape.

 
Rep Power: 807

7: Now with you r multi-meter once again check for continuity between this wire and the #6 fuse on the front side of the fuse box. There should be continuity. If there is run this wire out the fire wall on the driver side through a factory grommet over to where the rest of the tranny wires are. Label this wire as needed.

8: Once again, starting to see a pattern. With your multi-meter check to make sure you have continuity from the black/yellow wire you just ran to the black/yellow wire in the speedo gauge cluster. It will be in the middle connector between a red and white/blue wire. There should be continuity. Then check the blue/white wire that is between a blank spot and blue wire on the lock tab side of the connector and the blue/white wire under the hood, yours may be blue under the hood. There should be continuity here too. And finaly check between the black wire and body ground. This should have continuity as well.

9: Still on the drivers side of the dash locate the black/white wire on the ignition switch harness. It will be in a brown plug and a fairly good size wire. The other wire you need is also a black/white wire. This will be located on the back side of the driver side fuse box. I will be in a green 7 pin connector. There will only be 4 wires it. You want the black/white wire. Cut both these wires and solder together.

10: Now locate the big plug under the hood on the tranny harness. Cut the big plug off. You will twist together the black, gray, and red wires together. DO NOT solder them together just yet.

11: Hook up the battery for a second and leave your auto ECU hooked up. See if the car will turn over just for a second. If it does solder these wires together and tape. If not then take the gray wire out of the group of wires and try again. It will start one of these two ways. After it turns over a couple of times dis-connect the battery again and continue.

12: With you VSS pig tail and plug solder the blue/white wire to the blue/white or blue wire in the engine bay, the green wire to the black wire and the yellow/black to the one you extended out to under the hood. Now plug the speed sensor in. I highly recommend a new one from the dealer I had 2 different used ones and they were both bad.

13: Re-install the battery and connect. With your multi-meter stick one end in the black wire and the other in the blue/white or blue wire. Turn the ignition switch on and spin the VSS drive gear. The multi-meter should bounce between roughly 5volts and 0volts when you spinning it. If it does congratulations your speedo will work.

14: Clean up all the wiring inside the car and re-install the dash pieces. Do not plug the tranny plug back in to the ECU. Under the hood tidy up the wiring and if you’d like cut off all the extra plugs and re-tap the harness. This will make for a cleaner looking engine bay.

15: Once all tidied up start the car and drive, now you can enjoy shifting you car instead of just sitting there and enjoying the ride like your passengers.

Back-up light wiring.

1: There are 2 wires for the revers light switch. One is yellow and the other one is light green/black. The yellow wire just nees to see power when the car is turned on. It can go to any fused ignition source.

2: The liht green/black wire needs to go inside the car. This will be pinned on the back side of the drivers fuse panel. You'll want to find the green 18 pin connector (connector K) with a yellow wire and a brown wire under the lock tab. Where the yellow wire goes it may be empty depending on your year and modle.

3: With this connector located on the top row where the lock is located at there will be an empty spot between an orange/white and green/blue wire. This is were the green/black wire goes from the revers switch. Its also called pin location #2.

4: Once both wires are hooked up turn the car to the on position, but DO NOT START IT and make sure theres no burning smell. If theres not then put the car in revers and go to the back and check to see if you have lights, you should. If they aren't on you did something wrong.