Eyeshield25

I recently purchased a Transgo Reprogramming shift kit (valvebody upgrade) for the 5AT in the 2008 g37s. Also bought 9 quarts of Matic S per fluid requirements. All work was done by AAM competition in Maryland, and took approximately the whole day for their mechanic to disassemble, drill holes, install parts, reassemble, add new fluids. I was surprised that it only took 7 quarts of Matic S instead of the original intend of 9 so I'm going to keep an eye out for that.

Initial impression:

.Upon driving the car normally, aka putting it in D and feather the throttle to getc moving, the car still shift surprisingly smooth and will have small jolts between shift here and there. Much, much less of a jolt than that of changing gears in a manual and still very comfortable for DD unlike what some people have said about this kit not being able to DD.

.In manual mode, man oh man is it DIFFERENT. Unlike the infamous lazy shift between gears and timing hundred of milils before changing shift in full throttle application, it's now almost immediate with that hard jolt you feel as if you were to change gears fast in a 6 speed trans(not double clutching like I should, I know).

So now anytime I give it full throttle all the way till redline and shift, the hood of the car will literally tilt down, transmission changes gear, and raise the hood back up all in the matter of millis (kind of like a 5.0 mustang, the stock front suspension is especially soft so everytime the driver change gears when he's on full throttle you can see the hood of the car raising up and down). I have no doubt that the kit also drastically decrease shift times and improve acceleration as well as excitement.

.Have not fully try DS mode yet but I'm assuming it's the same as manual.
UPDATE
DS mode hits as hard as manual mode, but you're letting the computer shift so this is definitely faster. I launched at about 1.2k rpm in DS through a slight bent and the car got swirly from 1-2 from the impact of the gears changing just to give you an idea.

Cons
If going from gears 2-1in Manual mose in a given speed like 25 or so, the car will do an annoying jolt and it isn't as smooth as before. It doesn't quite do this in other gears like 5-4-3 but I noticed it the most at 2-1.

Overall:
If you feel like you are very mechanically inclined to tackle this job, I would just recommend giving it to a professional shop that can do it and do it right. I've heard horror stories where some people hear clunk and bang after DIY installed.

This kit is worth the money. For you 5at guys out there, I would highly recommend this mod as it not only provide tremendously quicker shift times, it also provide a manual feel excitement in a joy of an automatic.

8.5/10 (difficulty of install)

rovert

Agree totally with the above, its definitely a great bang for your buck mod.
After about a month however I blew the rear Diff bush, I assume from the flow on of a more positive shift & launch, just something to keep an eye on.
While I had the diff out I did the cradle bushes also (Whiteline) & installed a Z1 Trans Mount. Its really good now, no slop anywhere.
I have the Viscous Lsd & am running 275 Pss rears.
Cheers.

JakeG37

I just got my 5AT mod done and I love it! The above observations are spot on. I need to replace my diff bushings too but I dont think they can do it before I leave California. Sebastian at Specialty Z did the work and will be doing my Hi flow cats and tune tomorrow.

Eyeshield25

For the diff bushings, do you guys use Redline oil or Motul? I'll eventually be upgrading it to Whiteline as well with the Z1 diff cooler, just not sure if Redline satisfy the oil needs or using 75W Motul would be the better choice.

Mkhlmnn

iTrader: (2)

Do you happen to know the the part number for the kit that you bought? They seem harder and harder to find the right one the older the 5at gets.

If you don't mind me asking what did the bushings + labor cost?

I have a 07 S sedan with 255s in the rear and the VLSD as well and am looking to do the transgo kit as well but I would want to redo the bushings as prep to prevent causing an unexpected repair bill

Eyeshield25

This is the one I purchased.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/Transgo-Reprogramming-Kit-Fits-Nissan-Titan-Armada-350Z-Heavy-Duty-RE5R05A-HD2-/191537710935?nav=SEARCH

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

Great writeup & replies!***Anyone know if they have a kit for the 7AT? Went to their site but doesn't look like a 7 speed is listed there TransGo Nissan/Infiniti

Kris9884

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the info man. I've read 4 different reviews between a couple sites now and everyone says the same great things. I cant wait to install mine. I do all of my own work but this may be something I leave to the pros, not sure..

As for which mode is best? With a stock trans now, DS mode is the best to use for a race if you're launching because the shifts are very timely and crisp. Unfortunately, most people only roll race these days so you're forced to use Manual mode. Manual mode is perfect for a roll race (in Mexico) so you can hold a gear but then you have to time it just right and shift early to not hit the limiter during the delay. I raced a friend in his SRT-4 (Mexico) with a couple mods the other night from a 20 roll in 1st gear. I pulled a bit over a car on him by 80ish but could have easily been more if the 1-2-3 shifts didn't take an entire spare second each, its pretty bad at WOT. I'll run him again in a few weeks after this is installed and see how much better I do. Not the greatest baseline test but you get the idea lol..

JakeG37

The cost for the bushings and installation was a little under $500. For my car, they had to remove the exhaust (catback), drive shaft, and of course disconnect the axles to drop the diff. The bushing that fails is the single bushing at the back end of the diff. But, its smart to replace all three at the same time and use White Line (black) bushings since they tend to eliminate any squeaking that can be associated with the yellow versions. Both the yellow and black will last for a very long time, so either one works fine.

Eyeshield25

Atm I don't think they make a kit for 7at.

JakeG37

I may be wrong about this, but I am pretty sure they make a 7AT kit. Sebastian at Specialty Z was talking to me about the different valve bodies you can find on our cars and he made a comment about the 5AT being a little tricky (compared to the 7AT I would assume). I would suggest reaching out to Sebastian and see what he says. He has done quite a few of these and his work is impeccable.