Mags

Hello all,


I have recently bought my wife a 2018 Audi S5, which means I inherit her 2006 350Z Touring with only 30K garage-kept, totally babied miles on it. It looks and runs great, but...I'm a manual tranny guy at heart and the auto in her car is so slushy in its shifting that it drives me nuts.


So after some reading I went ahead and ordered a Transgo reprogramming kit - I intend to get my money's worth out of this car (which I bought new for her back in 2006) by driving it for a few years, auto trans be damned. I'm hoping the transgo will make it fun for me - I remember my buddy had a shift kit in a '69 Chevelle 396 back in the day and that thing could really hammer the shifts; hoping for something similar with the Transgo.


So, on to the point of this thread: I'm looking for tips from those who have gone before re: the Transgo install. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, and I have access to my brother-in-law's lift to do the install, and I've read the DIY on this site.


Any other tips I should know about ahead of time?

Atreyu'z 350

Hey, Mags.


I have the Transgo Reprogramming Kit installed on my 2005. I've done the install myself on jack stands in my driveway. The procedure went pretty smooth. The 'hardest' part, I'd say, was removing the valve body from the transmission housing. I say that because once you remove the bolts holding the valve body in place, you can only drop it another 2'' before you have to squeeze your hand in there to disconnect the TCM harnesses(all while fluid is dripping everywhere). Loosen all of the valve body anchor bolts 1/8 of an inch first to allow most of the fluid to drain from the torque converter before attempting to fully remove it. Buy yourself a 1/2in spade drill bit to assist in spring compression and release(see picture). Get yourself some quality assemble lube or petroleum jelly, LINT-FREE shop towels, one 45 degree and one 90 degree pick tools, and a box of nitrile gloves(see photo). Make sure you do this in a dust/wind free environment as well. Once you separate the valve body, take note of the placement and orientation of the four small cylindrical filters. Separate the plates very slowly, and vertically. You will see the four filters and 2 check *****(being careful not to loose these). Take pictures with your phone so you can reference them, as needed. All-in-all, it's not that hard. A little messy at first, dropping the valve body, but once you get it on the table it's a satisfying procedure. The TransGo instructions are all you need, and since you're mechanically inclined, I think you'll do well.


- As far as shift feel/firmness. The force of each shift is directly correlated to throttle position. So the more open the throttle is, the firmer/harder the shifts.. And trust me, you will notice it.
- As far as it shifting 'slushy' now. The RE5R05A has an algorithm known as 'fuzzy logic', which is designed to 'learn' the driving characteristics of each driver and reacts with harder/firmer shifts when driven aggressively, and with softer/more linear shifts when driven gently.


Good luck.
-Matt

Mags

Thanks for the reply and the tips!


Looks like I'll be doing this on Saturday - should be fun; can't wait to try it out on the road! I'll post my impressions once it's done.


I'm already thinking about 3.5 or even 3.9 gears next...the obsession grows.

Atreyu'z 350

Yeah, no problem. Sounds good, Mags. Make sure you have your 7.8qts. of Nissan Matic-S automatic transmission fluid ready too. Also, disconnect the negative terminal on your battery and turn on your headlights during this whole process; for safety purposes and so your ECU resets. That way, your ECU can start with the default values(ground zero) again and start adapting the TCM to the way that YOU drive the car. It will take roughly 30 miles for it to 'learn' the way you drive, and to adjust accordingly.

rancor

You will lose cruise control if you switch rear end gears in an auto Z as the TCM freaks out as its rotation too fast for the reported vehicle speed so it thinks its slipping.

Mags

Great tips, thanks!


I've read from folks who run Valvoline Maxlife and Amsoil with no issues; the Valvoline says it's a sub for Matic-S on the label. Have you heard of any real issues from not using the Matic-S? The Valvoline is available in gallons from WalMart - good for refills.

rancor

It's probably not recommended but the transmission was originally spec'd for matic-J that was superseded by matic-s when nissan added the 7 speed transmission. Make sure it works for matic-J although if it works for matic-s it will probably work for matic-J.

My personal opinion would be not to you somthing that is supposed to replace virtually every ATF under the sun as it unlikely to be optimal in all those situations. Especially given that you will be operating the transmission outside of its original design.

Mags

The Valvoline bottle says Matic-D, Matic-J, Matic-K and Matic-S on the back, so it's got all the bases covered!

Mags

Hmm...a definite drawback. Have to think about that one. I'm sure the Transgo kit will satisfy my need for speed for a while, however.

Atreyu'z 350

Ehh.. I don't know, but here's the ''proof''.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...patibilityTab_

Personally, I wouldn't run it no matter what it says. I'd still go with Nissan Matic-S.

generalkenobi08

And if you by chance lose any of the check *****, the folks at Transgo are very helpful and can help you get replacements. Don't ask me how I know

rancor

Yea... that's why I wouldn't run it. Matic J does not seem to be a replacement for matic D so that's why I wouldn't run it. Nissan doesn't seem to think they serve the same purpose so how does this fluid cover all of them and every domestic fluid also. Probably becuase it bad at all of them except for maybe DEXRON III/IV.

Mags

OK, done!!

7 hours of labor, being extremely meticulous. No leaks. Quick run up and down the block shows manual shifting good from 1-5 and back again. Auto shifting good all the way up and down as well.

More after a longer trial. So far so good.

Mags

Atreyu'z 350

Awesome! And good choice going with the Matic-S.


Enjoy!

Mags

So a full week of driving with the Transgo kit and still loving it; the car just feels more fun to drive under all conditions. Broke the wheels free on a couple manual upshifts the other day...this is addictive.

So addictive, in fact, that I just ordered the Motordyne copper isothermal 5/16" plenum spacer kit and a K&N drop-in filter! I'm afraid I've got mod-itis!

How long until a new exhaust, cams and a dyno tune??? I think I need an intervention.

Atreyu'z 350

Everyone here needs an intervention! We're all sick!

Yeah, it's definitely a worthwhile mod in my opinion. You're on the right track with the Motordyne plenum spacer. A common combo mod for the 2006 is the plenum spacer you just ordered and the MREV2 lower collector. After a tune, this combo has had modest(17-20hp) results on the 2006. As far as exhaust, you may THINK you'll gain horsepower but you won't. Now you MAY gain 2-4hp when converting to test pipes or high-flow cats, but a fresh new system is mainly for sound and looks; and there's nothing wrong with that. Lastly, as far as cams. Now here is where you can gain some power that you can feel(30hp). Keep in mind though that you will not gain more than say 50hp with bolt-ons(cams included) with that engine. Nissan has already wrung as much as they could out of it as it sits, and you won't see huge gains unless you go forced induction..or nitrous. Here is the MREV2 lower collector: https://www.google.com/#q=2006+mrev2...=1497880266252

Mags

Mrev2 is not useful to me since the 2006 5AT has the non-revup engine, so it already has the longer runners. I may do a little cleanup of the casting flashing, smooth and radius the bores of the runners and flatten the tops of the front two runners like in the mrev2, I'm still thinking about that. I have week off over July 4 holiday so I can play a little.

Mags

By the way, any particular cams you'd personally recommend for the non-revup HE engine, based on experience?

Atreyu'z 350

I personally have not installed cams on a Z yet. So my knowledge is just from doing research alone. It all depends what your goals are for this car. Typically, the higher you go with cam duration, the farther away from being a daily driver it becomes. Now this isn't always the case. There are exceptions. So with that being said, I would stick between a 264 and a 272 for daily driving. As far as vendors, there's Nissan/Nismo R-tune, Jim Wolf Technologies, Brian Crower, Tomei, Crawford, GTM. Explore their associated websites and do some research. here is a PDF I attached with exact numbers. Good luck.