Richard's '02 V6 Coupe EX-L

[Sil2DrV6]

Updated:08/26/2020

Documenting a J32A2 + LSD 6MT + Interior dash swap from a CL-S


The CL-S has arrived! Detailed the hell out of the interior, and the car actually threw me some CEL codes, when I started to drive. They were all misfiring related btw. Took the car to the shop for a check up, + an oil change. Had the spark plugs replaced, and took for a spin to test drive. Was fun driving the MT for a while, but it still gave me the same codes in the end lol! Gave a search up here, and found out that someone was experiencing the same issue (CELs):
https://www.6thgenaccord.com/forums/threads/p0301-p0302-p0304-p0305-p0306-p0300-p1399.52673/

My mechanic told me that everything seems to be corroded on the outside of the engine / chassis components, but it's working fine over all, except for the PS rack and oil pressure switch has been leaking a little bit + front right wheel bearing being slightly wobbly. I shouldn't be worried about those, since those aren't related to the engine swap. Three wheel studs broke off during the tire rotation, but they're replaced. Hopefully no more misfiring after this.

______________________________________



Maintenance Log: (CL-S until present)
-- 09/14/2002 5,110 mi General Service
-- 01/30/2003 9,931 mi Recommended mi service
-- 05/14/2003 14,963 mi General Service
-- 08/14/2003 19,156 mi General Service
-- 12/02/2003 23,560 mi General Service
-- 12/29/2003 24,686 mi Wheels & Tires checked
-- 03/08/2004 27,374 mi General Service
-- 10/20/2006 63,964 mi Braking Service
-- 06/14/2007 72,773 mi Braking Service
-- 11/21/2007 79,037 mi Tires checked
-- 12/01/2008 99,070 mi General Service
-- 12/01/2008 99,070 mi Exterior lights checked Light bulbs replaced
-- 04/09/2009 99,617 mi Maintenance inspection completed
-- 04/09/2009 99,617 mi Exterior lights checked
-- 02/01/2010 107,884 mi Engine/powertrain computer/module replaced
-- 03/04/2010 108,279 mi Tires balanced rotated & aligned
-- 03/04/2010 108,279 mi Front brake rotor(s) resurfaced
-- 03/04/2010 108,279 mi Water pump & Timing belt replaced
-- 12/08/2010 113,690 mi Maintenance inspection completed
-- 12/08/2010 113,690 mi Brakes checked
-- 12/08/2010 113,690 mi Tires checked
-- 12/08/2010 113,690 mi Electrical system checked
-- 02/07/2011 114,303 mi General Service
-- 11/29/2011 118,426 mi General Service
-- 03/15/2012 ???,??? mi General Service
-- 06/16/2012 120,849 mi General Service
-- 06/16/2012 120,849 mi Battery & light bulbs replaced
-- 05/24/2013 125,872 mi General Service
-- 06/07/2013 ???,??? mi General Service
-- 03/07/2014 128,641 mi General Service
-- 01/21/2015 ???,??? mi Brake system bled
-- 01/21/2015 ???,??? mi Rear brake calipers replaced
-- 06/23/2015 133,467 mi General Service
-- 06/23/2015 133,467 mi Front and Rear Brake Pads
-- 06/23/2015 133,467 mi Calipers & fluid replaced
-- 06/23/2015 133,467 mi Rear rotors replaced
-- 07/09/2015 133,534 mi General Service
-- 12/12/2015 135,520 mi General Service
-- 12/12/2015 135,520 mi Heater control valve replaced
-- 12/12/2015 135,520 mi Cooling, A/C and heating system serviced
-- 12/12/2015 135,520 mi Coolant flushed/changed
-- 09/19/2018 143,359 mi Recommended mi Service
-- 09/19/2018 143,359 mi Drivability/performance checked
-- 03/07/2019 Takata Driver Airbag Safety Recall
-- 07/27/2020 143,460 mi Fuel Pump Relay replaced
-- 08/26/2020 143,481 mi Spark Plugs & Wheel studs replaced



Maintenance List: (CL-S as of 143K mi.)
– Motor and transmission mounts
– Throttle body gasket
– Throttle Body Cleaning
– Throttle position sensor gasket
– Cylinder Head Cover Gaskets
– Valve Cover Gasket
– Valve Clearance Adjustment
– Rubber Grommets
– Intake Manifold Plenum Chamber Gasket
– Intake Manifold Gaskets
– Exhausts manifold gaskets
– Head gaskets
– EGR Gasket
– Spark plugs ----- Done!
– Spark plug wires (leads)
– Ignition coils
– Distributor Rotor
– Drive belt
– Timing belt ----- Done! @ 108K mi
– Tension pulley
– Idler pulley
– Water pump ----- Done! @ 108K mi
– Oil pump
– Pressure relief valve
– Oil Filter
– Main Seal (Front & Rear)
– Spool Valve Filter Housing
– Axle Seals
– Oil Pan Gasket
– Valve Cover Gasket
– Thermostat
– Radiator hoses
– Alternator
– Starter
– Clutch
– Flywheel
– Intake Manifold
– Fuel Rail
– Injectors
– Water temperature sensor
– Fuel Pump



Parts need to be removed:
– Motor + mounts
– Engine Wire Harness
– Six Speed Manual LSD Transmission + mounts
– ECU (PGE-A12)
– OEM Axles with Half Shaft
– Shift knob, Shift Cables and Shift Box
– Brake pedal
– Clutch pedal
– Clutch pedal mounting box
– Master cylinder
– Slave cylinder
– Alternator
– Starter
– Clutch
– Flywheel
– Intake Manifold
– Exhaust Manifold
– Fuse box
– Dash Panel + Shifter Console + Steering wheel
– Dash Panel Wire Harness
– Taillight Trunk Open Unlock



Parts per Modification:
– Engine air intake ----- Aftermarket '03 CL-S 6MT by AEM SRI
– Exhausts Manifold ----- Aftermarket DC Sports (HHS5528)
– Intake manifold & gasket ----- OEM ‘09 TL SH-AWD J37
– Thermal throttle body gasket ----- Aftermarket '03 CL-S 6MT by P2R (P141)
– Thermal throttle body gasket ----- Aftermarket '09 TL SH-AWD J37 by P2R (P149)
– J35 Top plate ??
– J35 Intake manifold cover
– J37/J32 Throttle body adapter ----- Aftermarket '03 CL-S 6MT by P2R (P383)
– EGR Block off plate??
– Shift Knob ----- OEM ‘03 CL 6MT



Required modifications:
– J37 2009 – 2014 TL-S SH-AWD Intake Manifold installation for more hood clearance
– Shift Cables and Shift Box installation
– Clutch Master cylinder installation
– Emergency Side Brake / Parking Brake Relocation
– Brake pedal, Clutch pedal, and Clutch pedal mounting box installation



Watch-outs:
– Some Accords may not have a machined print for the clutch master cylinder in the firewall
– MT brake pedal installation may possibly be a PITA



Notes kept from fellow 6GA members’ wisdoms:
J37IM Swap:
"Manifold part# 17160-RK2-A00 from Acura
Manifold cover part # 17116-R70-A00 from Honda
P2R adapter part# P383B= (Black), P383R= (Red), P383= (Silver)
P2R gasket part# P141
P2R gasket part# P149
That is all the part #'s for the parts that you will need to make the 09 TL awd manifold to work.
You will need qty of 9 bolts size 8mmx65mm with 1.25 pitch.”

“Anyhoo. ... happy to hear that you're going the j37 route. Everything works ok except the imrc ... problem is that the j32a2 IMRC is spring retained ... meaning the j32a2 ECU only sends the open signal ... once the open signal stops being sent by the j32a2 ecu, the j32a2 IM spring closes. The j37 IM IMRC requires both an ON and OFF signal to open and close ... respectively. Thus we left the butterfly valves open all the time and did not wire in the IMRC signal. You might lose a bit of torque low in the RPM ... but you gain a bit in the higher RPM band.”

“No real issues from running that (J37 IM). Basically just have to block off one port”.

Parking Brake relocation:
"Ebrake is a little tricky. There's already spots marked where you have to drill holes on your car but there's no nut welded on the bottom so you'll either have to use a tap to create 2 or 3 threads in the sheet metal or use a rivnut to add threads"



______________________________________

 

[Sil2DrV6]

Updated:09/23/2020

Documenting a J32A2 + LSD 6MT + Interior dash swap from a CL-S

Drove for 2 days with no more CELs popping up. I can def feel the difference of 60+hp compared to my V6 Accord, and the 6MT is sooo much fun!

Found out a few things about the car:

1. Brake pads are mostly done.
2. When it fires up at a start, it ignites fine but the fuel sounds like it isn't getting injected / pumped out effectively. Got the fuel injector relay very recently but I feel like the fuel pump is due soon.
3. Can't hear the VTEC kicking in yo. The spool valve housing / the solenoid is probably done.
4. Seems like the heater control valve got replaced previously, but there's actually no heat coming out at the warm setting. The A/C is icy cold tho!
5. Everything turns off and on, except for the driver's side's high and low beam, and it keeps blowing out the fuse. Makes me want to replace the whole wire harnesses haha.
6. The Bose radio works nice, but the compact disc playa is not in the game.

Overall, I'm glad to see and feel that she's in running condition as a donor car in the near future.

______________________________________



Maintenance Log: (CL-S until present)
-- 09/14/2002 5,110 mi General Service
-- 01/30/2003 9,931 mi Recommended mi service
-- 05/14/2003 14,963 mi General Service
-- 08/14/2003 19,156 mi General Service
-- 12/02/2003 23,560 mi General Service
-- 12/29/2003 24,686 mi Wheels & Tires checked
-- 03/08/2004 27,374 mi General Service
-- 10/20/2006 63,964 mi Braking Service
-- 06/14/2007 72,773 mi Braking Service
-- 11/21/2007 79,037 mi Tires checked
-- 12/01/2008 99,070 mi General Service
-- 12/01/2008 99,070 mi Exterior lights checked Light bulbs replaced
-- 04/09/2009 99,617 mi Maintenance inspection completed
-- 04/09/2009 99,617 mi Exterior lights checked
-- 02/01/2010 107,884 mi Engine/powertrain computer/module replaced
-- 03/04/2010 108,279 mi Tires balanced rotated & aligned
-- 03/04/2010 108,279 mi Front brake rotor(s) resurfaced
-- 03/04/2010 108,279 mi Water pump & Timing belt replaced
-- 12/08/2010 113,690 mi Maintenance inspection completed
-- 12/08/2010 113,690 mi Brakes checked
-- 12/08/2010 113,690 mi Tires checked
-- 12/08/2010 113,690 mi Electrical system checked
-- 02/07/2011 114,303 mi General Service
-- 11/29/2011 118,426 mi General Service
-- 03/15/2012 ???,??? mi General Service
-- 06/16/2012 120,849 mi General Service
-- 06/16/2012 120,849 mi Battery & light bulbs replaced
-- 05/24/2013 125,872 mi General Service
-- 06/07/2013 ???,??? mi General Service
-- 03/07/2014 128,641 mi General Service
-- 01/21/2015 ???,??? mi Brake system bled
-- 01/21/2015 ???,??? mi Rear brake calipers replaced
-- 06/23/2015 133,467 mi General Service
-- 06/23/2015 133,467 mi Front and Rear Brake Pads
-- 06/23/2015 133,467 mi Calipers & fluid replaced
-- 06/23/2015 133,467 mi Rear rotors replaced
-- 07/09/2015 133,534 mi General Service
-- 12/12/2015 135,520 mi General Service
-- 12/12/2015 135,520 mi Heater control valve replaced
-- 12/12/2015 135,520 mi Cooling, A/C and heating system serviced
-- 12/12/2015 135,520 mi Coolant flushed/changed
-- 09/19/2018 143,359 mi Recommended mi Service
-- 09/19/2018 143,359 mi Drivability/performance checked
-- 03/07/2019 Takata Driver Airbag Safety Recall
-- 07/27/2020 143,460 mi Fuel Pump Relay replaced
-- 08/26/2020 143,481 mi Spark Plugs & Wheel studs replaced



Maintenance List: (CL-S as of 143K mi.)
– Motor and transmission mounts
– Throttle body gasket
– Throttle Body Cleaning
– Throttle position sensor gasket
– Cylinder Head Covers ----- (From the Accord)
– Cylinder Head Cover Gasket Sets 12030-P8A-A00
– Valve Cover Gasket
– Valve Clearance Adjustment
– Rubber Grommets
– Intake Manifold Plenum Chamber Gasket
– Intake Manifold Gaskets
– Exhausts manifold gaskets
– Head gaskets
– EGR Valve & Gasket ----- Done!
– Spark plugs ----- Done!
– Spark plug wires (leads)
– Ignition coils ----- Done!
– Distributor Rotor
– Drive belt
– Timing belt ----- Done! @ 108K mi
– Tension pulley
– Idler pulley
– Water pump ----- Done! @ 108K mi
– Oil pump
– Pressure relief valve
– Main Seal (Front & Rear)
– Spool Valve Filter Housing ----- (From the Accord)
– Axle Seals
– Oil Pan Gasket
– Thermostat ----- (From the Accord)
– Radiator hoses Upper ----- (From the Accord)
– Radiator hoses Lower
– Alternator
– Starter
– Clutch
– Flywheel
– Intake Manifold
– Fuel Rail
– Injectors
– Water temperature sensor
– Fuel Pump



Parts need to be removed:
– Motor + mounts
– Engine Wire Harness
– Six Speed Manual LSD Transmission + mounts
– ECU (PGE-A12)
– OEM Axles with Half Shaft
– Shift knob, Shift Cables and Shift Box
– Brake pedal
– Clutch pedal
– Clutch pedal mounting box
– Master cylinder
– Slave cylinder
– Alternator
– Starter
– Clutch
– Flywheel
– Intake Manifold
– Exhaust Manifold
– Fuse box
– Dash Panel + Shifter Console + Steering wheel
– Dash Panel Wire Harness
– Taillight Trunk Opener



Parts per Modification:
– Engine air intake ----- Aftermarket '03 CL-S 6MT by AEM SRI
– Exhausts Manifold ----- Aftermarket DC Sports (HHS5528)
– Intake manifold & gasket ----- OEM ‘09 TL SH-AWD J37
– Thermal throttle body gasket ----- Aftermarket '03 CL-S 6MT by P2R (P141)
– Thermal throttle body gasket ----- Aftermarket '09 TL SH-AWD J37 by P2R (P149)
– J35 Top plate ??
– J35 Intake manifold cover
– J37/J32 Throttle body adapter ----- Aftermarket '03 CL-S 6MT by P2R (P383)
– EGR Block off plate??
– Shift Knob ----- OEM ‘03 CL 6MT



Required modifications:
– J37 2009 – 2014 TL-S SH-AWD Intake Manifold installation for more hood clearance
– Shift Cables and Shift Box installation
– Clutch Master cylinder installation
– Emergency Side Brake / Parking Brake Relocation
– Brake pedal, Clutch pedal, and Clutch pedal mounting box installation



Watch-outs:
– Some Accords may not have a machined print for the clutch master cylinder in the firewall
– MT brake pedal installation may possibly be a PITA



Notes kept from fellow 6GA members’ wisdoms:
J37IM Swap:
"Manifold part# 17160-RK2-A00 from Acura
Manifold cover part # 17116-R70-A00 from Honda
P2R adapter part# P383B= (Black), P383R= (Red), P383= (Silver)
P2R gasket part# P141
P2R gasket part# P149
That is all the part #'s for the parts that you will need to make the 09 TL awd manifold to work.
You will need qty of 9 bolts size 8mmx65mm with 1.25 pitch.”

“Anyhoo. ... happy to hear that you're going the j37 route. Everything works ok except the imrc ... problem is that the j32a2 IMRC is spring retained ... meaning the j32a2 ECU only sends the open signal ... once the open signal stops being sent by the j32a2 ecu, the j32a2 IM spring closes. The j37 IM IMRC requires both an ON and OFF signal to open and close ... respectively. Thus we left the butterfly valves open all the time and did not wire in the IMRC signal. You might lose a bit of torque low in the RPM ... but you gain a bit in the higher RPM band.”

“No real issues from running that (J37 IM). Basically just have to block off one port”.

Parking Brake relocation:
"Ebrake is a little tricky. There's already spots marked where you have to drill holes on your car but there's no nut welded on the bottom so you'll either have to use a tap to create 2 or 3 threads in the sheet metal or use a rivnut to add threads"



______________________________________

 

[Sil2DrV6]

Updated:10/04/2020

Documenting a J32A2 + LSD 6MT + Interior dash swap from a CL-S. I actually moved a few sections of the list to the CL's thread to be more corresponded. There's nothing much really going on to the Accord till the swap begins, but the front wheel bearings & hubs need an attention. Its pretty noticeable above 45mph, so it's currently in the shop for the replacement. When the gears started to shift bad in March, I thought I was never going to be able to drive this thing till the swap is going to happen, so I'm kind of surprised to myself that I can drive this thing 90% smooth shifting. I got the knack for shifting gears, and it kind of resembles in a way of driving a MT haha.


______________________________________


Parts need to be removed from the CL-S:
– Motor + mounts
– Engine Wire Harness
– Six Speed Manual LSD Transmission + mounts
– ECU (PGE-A12)
– OEM Axles with Half Shaft
– Shift knob, Shift Cables and Shift Box
– Brake pedal
– Clutch pedal
– Clutch pedal mounting box
– Master cylinder
– Slave cylinder
– Alternator
– Starter
– Clutch
– Flywheel
– Fuse box
– Dash Panel + Shifter Console + Steering wheel
– Dash Panel Wire Harness
– Taillight Trunk Opener



Required modifications:
– J37 2009 – 2014 TL-S SH-AWD Intake Manifold installation for more hood clearance
– Shift Cables and Shift Box installation
– Clutch Master cylinder installation
– Emergency Side Brake / Parking Brake Relocation
– Brake pedal, Clutch pedal, and Clutch pedal mounting box installation



Watch-outs:
– Some Accords may not have a machined print for the clutch master cylinder in the firewall
– MT brake pedal installation may possibly be a PITA



Notes kept from fellow 6GA members’ wisdoms:
J37IM Swap:
– Checked.

Parking Brake relocation:
"Ebrake is a little tricky. There's already spots marked where you have to drill holes on your car but there's no nut welded on the bottom so you'll either have to use a tap to create 2 or 3 threads in the sheet metal or use a rivnut to add threads"



______________________________________

 

[chill314]

Hey I'm new and wanted to get feedback on your suspension setup.. I'm looking to get new coilovers for my 02 coupe and wanted to know how your Tein coilovers are holding up. Any big issues with them? I'm a cruiser and wanted to know how nice the ride is on street. Any feedback would be great! Thanks
P.S. Your car is the background on my computer because I think it is SO clean. Inspiration

 

[Sil2DrV6]

Hey I'm new and wanted to get feedback on your suspension setup.. I'm looking to get new coilovers for my 02 coupe and wanted to know how your Tein coilovers are holding up. Any big issues with them? I'm a cruiser and wanted to know how nice the ride is on street. Any feedback would be great! Thanks
P.S. Your car is the background on my computer because I think it is SO clean. Inspiration

Welcome to the 6gen game. Wow, I didn't know there was someone else, who thinks my car's visually pleasing, besides me lol. So yea thanks, it means a lot! Anyways, my Tein St. Advance is holding up pretty strong still to this date, albeit the use of D.D., ever since the day one. Haven't max'ed low yet to this date, and that's prolly a good thing for the sake of its life. (You can also check out my post on the product review thread as well, if you haven't seen some reviews from other members as well.) With my quiet tires, the softest setting is almost equivalent to the stock feeling when you're cruising. Btw, I think there's one or two newer versions of my Street Advanced, that's applicable to 6gens, called something with the word "Flex" or "Z" iirc. Those should be literally more "Advanced" by now lol, so I'd consider getting those, if were you. Maybe checking out their website might help your refine your interests to look for something closer to your ideal setup, besides the St. Advanced, since mine is already an outdated model by now. (Well, it could be a little less expensive to get it nowadays, perhaps.) But whatever you get a set, I'd highly recommend getting it new 'n unused. It's b/c suspension stuff is critical for us to be always safe on the roads, so I think it's better not to cheap out on these things. My 2 cents. GL with the hunting game!

 

[thenitz]

Hi Sil2DrV6, working on my 02 accord - swapped in the j32a2 and hit the hood clearance issue ‍ just reading your posts I see you used the j37 IM is that much smaller without reducing flow?

 

[RedRyder]

Oof, front wheel bearings. I DIY'd my rears but if the fronts go I may have to have someone else do that since it's more involved. I'll watch a YouTube video then decide I guess.

What is the projected start date for the drivetrain swap man? Or is there one lol.

 

[Sil2DrV6]

Hi Sil2DrV6, working on my 02 accord - swapped in the j32a2 and hit the hood clearance issue ‍ just reading your posts I see you used the j37 IM is that much smaller without reducing flow?

Hello! Congrats on getting the motor swapped! Yes, that's the whole reason why I got the J37 IM. The adapter is necessary tho, made by P2R Power Rev Racing. Otherwise, as far as I heard, you gotta cut out the subframes to lower the clearance, or rase up the hood.

Oof, front wheel bearings. I DIY'd my rears but if the fronts go I may have to have someone else do that since it's more involved. I'll watch a YouTube video then decide I guess.

What is the projected start date for the drivetrain swap man? Or is there one lol.

Aloha. I totally forgot to update on this, but I eventually got all front and rear ones replaced last year lol. All of the hubs n bearings are Honda's and I remember the front ones had to be machined somehow in order to get them installed properly iirc.

My hope for the swap game was to begin this year's fall haha.. I decided to drive this thing for a year or two, since my Accord is still in running condition. I found this car to be pretty reliable, ever since I fixed the leaking issue on the trunk. Basically, I've been going through all of the parts maintenance stuff, before the swap takes the place, and test-driving it, every time when it gets the parts' replacement done. Ended up getting a spare MT car before the swap game, and with this ride, I was fortunate to be able to take my son out for a long trip drive, twice this summer. But I actually had nearly two months of shipping delay some parts, and that really made things behind haha. Also, the clutch is nearly done at this point, so the swap will need to take the place, hopefully by the springtime next year. Lol. I think I finally situated the scheme of transporting this car from the shop to a storage after the swap. Onto collect some parts for the clutch and motor and tranny mounts next. Yes, the real swap-related stuff coming up, fi na lly..





Some of you might want to tell me to just restore this CL, and keep it for good, since V6 manual Honda coupes are becoming rare. The CL has a clean title, but it is an old, rusty, beat up 150K miles POS, tbh lol. It was serviced well but it wasn't kept / driven well away from bumps n curves haha. It's so far away from my standards, and more importantly, if I ever decided to keep this thing running forever, my dream for the Accord will not come true like forever haha. Well, unless I get another J-motor & 6MT, I guess lol.

 

[thenitz]

Hello! Congrats on getting the motor swapped! Yes, that's the whole reason why I got the J37 IM. The adapter is necessary tho, made by P2R Power Rev Racing. Otherwise, as far as I heard, you gotta cut out the subframes to lower the clearance, or rase up the hood.



Aloha. Well, the bearings are all replaced, when I addressed the prob a year ago. I eventually got all front and rear ones replaced, and with the new Turanza tires I got them later last year, I felt like the roads were made out of silk at that time.

My hope for the swap game was to begin this year's fall haha.. I've been going through those regular yearly payments to keep the CL on the road legit, so I decided to drive this thing for a year or two, since my Accord is still in running condition. Basically, I've been going through all of the +150K mi major parts maintenance stuff before the swap takes the place, and test-driving it, every time when the CL gets parts replacements done. I was able to take my son out for a long trip drive twice this summer. When you check out my CL's ride thread, you'll see that the motor is coming along (slowly lol). This 2nd year however, I had nearly two months of shipping delay on my P.S. pump, and that really made things behind haha. Also, the clutch is nearly done at this point, so the swap will need to be done, hopefully by the springtime next year. I think I finally situated the scheme of transporting the gutted CL from the shop to a storage after all. Onto collect some parts for the clutch and motor and tranny mounts next. Yes, the real swap-related stuff coming up, finally haha.





Some of you might want to tell me to just restore the CL, and keep it for good, since V6 manual Honda coupes are becoming rare. The CL has a clean title, but it is an old, rusty, beat up 150K miles POS, tbh lol. It was serviced well but it wasn't kept / driven well away from bumps n curves haha. It's so far away from my standards, and more importantly, if I ever decided to keep this thing running forever, my dream for the Accord will not come true like forever haha. Well, unless I get another J-motor & 6MT lol.

Thanks Sil2DrV6, definitely keep that CL-S they're well made and super rare if you really look at how many manuals were made

my little collection

 

[Sil2DrV6]

Thanks Sil2DrV6, definitely keep that CL-S they're well made and super rare if you really look at how many manuals were made

my little collection

Oohh, that's a sweet collection there. V6 6MT's in the house!