Upgrading 6 speed transmission (2003 HLSD to 2004/2005)
02-26-2019, 03:11 PM
#1
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Join Date: Feb 2019
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Upgrading 6 speed transmission (2003 HLSD to 2004/2005)
Hey guys, so from the last thread, I still can't get reverse to engage and I'm looking for a replacement trans on car-parts.com
Ive heard the syncros are better on the 2004/2005 version but I need to know before I order about the fitment.
Is it a direct swap?
Are there electrical connectors and need switching?
Will the bolt up match with the shift linkage plate?
Will my old starter work?
Trans mount in the same location?
Are the axle seals the same? (I ordered new ones for my 2003)
Planing on ordering with in the week and hoping to have it in by the weekend, I miss my car.
Thanks guys.
Ive heard the syncros are better on the 2004/2005 version but I need to know before I order about the fitment.
Is it a direct swap?
Are there electrical connectors and need switching?
Will the bolt up match with the shift linkage plate?
Will my old starter work?
Trans mount in the same location?
Are the axle seals the same? (I ordered new ones for my 2003)
Planing on ordering with in the week and hoping to have it in by the weekend, I miss my car.
Thanks guys.
02-26-2019, 05:41 PM
#2
100% plug and play except for the shift linkage bracket, which is held on by like 2 or 3 bolts. You just take it off your old transmission. Technically you could rig up the one on the 6th gen trans but its easier to use your old one. Everything else is identical as terms of fitment.
if you can, get a 05/06 HLSD rather than an 04. The 05/06 not only has better syncros but also a 4.1 final drive as opposed to the 3.89 final drive found in the 5.5gen transmission. Very slight increase to acceleration speed at the cost of your rpms being ~200rpm higher at cruising speed. If you want to be a race car you could go for one of the sentra transmissions with the 4.4 final drive but at that point your rpms will be like 600rpm higher than stock. Personally im using a 05 HLSD and enjoy it very much, the slightly more aggressive final drive isnt even noticable but its nice to know its there.
edit; you need your old trans motor mount but yeah it goes in the exact same spot
if you can, get a 05/06 HLSD rather than an 04. The 05/06 not only has better syncros but also a 4.1 final drive as opposed to the 3.89 final drive found in the 5.5gen transmission. Very slight increase to acceleration speed at the cost of your rpms being ~200rpm higher at cruising speed. If you want to be a race car you could go for one of the sentra transmissions with the 4.4 final drive but at that point your rpms will be like 600rpm higher than stock. Personally im using a 05 HLSD and enjoy it very much, the slightly more aggressive final drive isnt even noticable but its nice to know its there.
edit; you need your old trans motor mount but yeah it goes in the exact same spot
02-26-2019, 10:07 PM
#3
^^great post
Only thing I'd add is that the 05/06 trans are a bit more expensive than a Sentra SpecV trans, and usually more difficult to find. The specV's (I think it's the '05s and '06's......someone correct me if I'm wrong here) are the same 4.1fd and same synchros, but the bellhousing is different. So you'd have to swap the bellhousing from your max over to the specV for it to fit on your maxima. Nice thing about the specV's is that they are plentiful thus can be found for pretty cheap. I bought mine for 450 which was actually pretty expensive.....but it only had 2000 miles on it
. SpecV's with higher miles can be purchased for around 250-300 bucks.
Only thing I'd add is that the 05/06 trans are a bit more expensive than a Sentra SpecV trans, and usually more difficult to find. The specV's (I think it's the '05s and '06's......someone correct me if I'm wrong here) are the same 4.1fd and same synchros, but the bellhousing is different. So you'd have to swap the bellhousing from your max over to the specV for it to fit on your maxima. Nice thing about the specV's is that they are plentiful thus can be found for pretty cheap. I bought mine for 450 which was actually pretty expensive.....but it only had 2000 miles on it
. SpecV's with higher miles can be purchased for around 250-300 bucks.
02-27-2019, 04:40 AM
#4
I've understood 05/06 Maxima HLSD transmissions to be like unicorns.
Here's a 6MT close to you, not necessarily HLSD. https://row52.com/Vehicle/Index/1N4B...3632/?page=off
You could swap the final drive or just the open differential for the HLSD in your car
Here's a 6MT close to you, not necessarily HLSD. https://row52.com/Vehicle/Index/1N4B...3632/?page=off
You could swap the final drive or just the open differential for the HLSD in your car
02-27-2019, 07:04 AM
#5
2004 is when they changed the syncros so any 6th gen gearbox will work when it comes to that. That's what's in mine. If I had to do it again today I'd look for an 05 since there seems to be more of them around for cheaper.
If the metal bracket that holds the two cables is included use that. It's stronger on the 6th gen. The 5th gen piece is known to brake and leave the car with no shifting. You'll see that they beefed up the aluminum skeleton with steel on the newer one.
The small arm where one of the cables connects to the tranny needs to be swapped from the old tranny. It's one bolt. Super easy.
Everything else is the same. Just leave the sensors etc... in the new tranny and use them.
If the metal bracket that holds the two cables is included use that. It's stronger on the 6th gen. The 5th gen piece is known to brake and leave the car with no shifting. You'll see that they beefed up the aluminum skeleton with steel on the newer one.
The small arm where one of the cables connects to the tranny needs to be swapped from the old tranny. It's one bolt. Super easy.
Everything else is the same. Just leave the sensors etc... in the new tranny and use them.
02-28-2019, 02:58 PM
#6
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Posts: 15
I'm going to reply to the original thread so anyone else with a similar issue can locate the solution! I shouldn't have to go buy a new transmission anymore. I brought the transmission inside with the intention of ripping it apare for fun and to see what the issue actually was (after fixing the car with a used transmission). Following the FSM I removed the pnp sensor, the reverse light sensor, the shift check and then the stopper bolt.... When I pulled it out it was bent, thinking to myself well that's a weird looking bolt, for fun I tried grabbing the linkage assembly and ****ing boom. Reverse clicked in silky smooth. So I looked in the hole said bolt came from and pulled up on the shift assembly and watched as the bottom of it moved up and with the bent bolt inside would engage. My mind is still blown here!!!. I'll toss a picture up later of the location and condition of the bolt. Only issue is the dealership says there is none in Canada and it could be up to a month. I'll be ordering one and putting this in a vice and straightening it for the mean time, I dont have to drain the fluid or jack it up to replace it.
02-28-2019, 06:57 PM
#8
On a side note: I was in the nissan dealership a few months ago and noticed a 2018 Sentra with a 6sp manual in the showroom. So for fun today, I tried to find info on those newer sentra 6sp trannys......wanted to see if they were compatible at all with our 5th gens - and if there might be any benefit to using them. I totally struck out.....I couldn't find any real specs. Not even the trans code. All my old saved bookmarks for those things were gone lol. You have an ideas where this info could be found?
02-28-2019, 09:26 PM
#9
I might have found something a Nissan Juke is actually good for! Juke Repair Manual 2015 Juke still has the same transmission as the 2007 Sentra RS6F52H. Our transmission is RS6F51H. Some good info here https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...nsmission.html
Also MASTER TRANS WORKSHEET
Also MASTER TRANS WORKSHEET
Last edited by freezer; 02-28-2019 at 09:33 PM.
03-01-2019, 05:25 AM
#10
[QUOTE=TSelanne;9196441]Are you sure on that? I thought '04 synchros were still double cone while the specV's and 05/06 maximas had triple cone. I'm not 100% it's just what I remember from years ago when I did all the research on which 6sp to get.
I know the 04 got upgraded to double cone for the 3dr gear syncro to solve the "3rd gear crunch" that plagued the early 6-speeds. I swapped in an 04 unit back in 2005 and have never had the crunch again. My research was limited to the 2004 unit because that's all that was available back then and it was definitely upgraded from the 5.5 gen.
I remember a lot of the early discussions on this but I've never heard of a difference between the 04 and 05. It's possible but I doubt they would fix it in 04 then fix it again in 05. Especially knowing the MT was on it's way out for the Maxima. Then again, once I had mine I didn't do anymore actual research on it beyond the discussions so I could be wrong about that part.
Funny thing is, the 05 was cheaper and more plentiful than the 04 the last time I looked at them on car-part.
I know the 04 got upgraded to double cone for the 3dr gear syncro to solve the "3rd gear crunch" that plagued the early 6-speeds. I swapped in an 04 unit back in 2005 and have never had the crunch again. My research was limited to the 2004 unit because that's all that was available back then and it was definitely upgraded from the 5.5 gen.
I remember a lot of the early discussions on this but I've never heard of a difference between the 04 and 05. It's possible but I doubt they would fix it in 04 then fix it again in 05. Especially knowing the MT was on it's way out for the Maxima. Then again, once I had mine I didn't do anymore actual research on it beyond the discussions so I could be wrong about that part.
Funny thing is, the 05 was cheaper and more plentiful than the 04 the last time I looked at them on car-part.
03-05-2019, 12:29 PM
#11
I know the 04 got upgraded to double cone for the 3dr gear syncro to solve the "3rd gear crunch" that plagued the early 6-speeds. I swapped in an 04 unit back in 2005 and have never had the crunch again. My research was limited to the 2004 unit because that's all that was available back then and it was definitely upgraded from the 5.5 gen.
I remember a lot of the early discussions on this but I've never heard of a difference between the 04 and 05. It's possible but I doubt they would fix it in 04 then fix it again in 05. Especially knowing the MT was on it's way out for the Maxima. Then again, once I had mine I didn't do anymore actual research on it beyond the discussions so I could be wrong about that part.
Funny thing is, the 05 was cheaper and more plentiful than the 04 the last time I looked at them on car-part.
I remember a lot of the early discussions on this but I've never heard of a difference between the 04 and 05. It's possible but I doubt they would fix it in 04 then fix it again in 05. Especially knowing the MT was on it's way out for the Maxima. Then again, once I had mine I didn't do anymore actual research on it beyond the discussions so I could be wrong about that part.
Funny thing is, the 05 was cheaper and more plentiful than the 04 the last time I looked at them on car-part.
I just found this thread which has some good info:
https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...ml#post7351545
On a side note, I just bought a specV trans (literally like an hour ago), and I'm gonna attempt to swap the bellhousings in my garage. It'll be my first time opening up a trans so hopefully my newbness doesn't mess it up.
03-05-2019, 06:38 PM
#12
So this has been bugging me because I couldn't remember what was which and which was what......not like it really matters lol....but it's bothering me.
I just found this thread which has some good info:
https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...ml#post7351545
On a side note, I just bought a specV trans (literally like an hour ago), and I'm gonna attempt to swap the bellhousings in my garage. It'll be my first time opening up a trans so hopefully my newbness doesn't mess it up.
I just found this thread which has some good info:
https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...ml#post7351545
On a side note, I just bought a specV trans (literally like an hour ago), and I'm gonna attempt to swap the bellhousings in my garage. It'll be my first time opening up a trans so hopefully my newbness doesn't mess it up.
03-07-2019, 06:38 PM
#13
Good luck, truly. I was strongly considering going that route but I chickened out (and found good deals on 6th gen maxima HLSDs lol). I read its a good idea to print out big blown up pictures from the FSM and attach it to cardboard, and then stick each fastener and small piece through the cardboard by its correlating spot in the pictures. In other words you better have some sort of system to keep track of all the little bits and pieces you are taking apart lol
03-07-2019, 06:42 PM
#14
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Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 15
She's all in. New axle seals are are good, redline gl-4 feels really nice, I'll be replacing the master and slave cylinders during the spring and hopefully adjust the petel as it seems a little low. Things are good, next will be suspension, and the knocking notice I'm getting under acceleration.
03-17-2019, 07:25 AM
#15
She's all in. New axle seals are are good, redline gl-4 feels really nice, I'll be replacing the master and slave cylinders during the spring and hopefully adjust the petel as it seems a little low. Things are good, next will be suspension, and the knocking notice I'm getting under acceleration.
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