I was wondering whether I should swap to a manual transmission before I put in a msp turbo and ecu. How much hp can the 4 speed auto take?
Protege5 manual swap or map swap?
- Thread starter MuffinMan06
- Start date
BenjiHoggi
OEM+
- :
- Oregon, USA
- :
- 22v Protege5
If you're planning to use the MSP ECU, you'll need a manual transmission. I don't believe the MSP ECU works with an automatic transmission.
I read in another thread they the auto ecu can handle 4psi of boost
- :
- 2000 Protege ES
4psi would be pretty unnoticeable anyway. Just go manual trans swap and msp swap after. If your auto car has the triptonic shifter you will also need to swap the dash harness from a manual car which makes it a bit more tricky
Maybe I should stick to an fsh9 cam and some suspension. Maybe custom grind some cams based off the twiggy stix specs. Cat back, cai, 1.8 ignition, and a ported head.
don't forget lightened pulleys and udp, removing vtcs butterflies, port matching intake manifold, axle back, header, hi flo flex fitted cat midpipe to go with the cai and 1.8 coil setup....full gt spec set, progress rr sway espelir springs on tokico illuminas and don't forget the ss lines, drilled slotted rotors and kevlar metallic pads........it makes speed cutoff without much if any effort......around 115 mph
- :
- 2000 Protege ES
Sure you could do all of that, but if sticking with the auto trans the difference in felt speed or power will be hardly noticeable. I'd say keep the auto trans car as the good looking daily (so maybe do suspension and wheels, tint etc for looks) and find another manual trans protege. It's the natural course of things to eventually have multiple protégés hehe.
But yeah, all performance mods you do to an auto trans car would be a waste of money in my opinion. Perhaps a cold air intake like injen would be cool. But really you wouldn't hear it if you can't blip the throttle when downshifting yourself like you can in a manual
But yeah, all performance mods you do to an auto trans car would be a waste of money in my opinion. Perhaps a cold air intake like injen would be cool. But really you wouldn't hear it if you can't blip the throttle when downshifting yourself like you can in a manual
Nah, not a waste at all..............if you want to feel lots of speed and power, something besides a protege would be better place to start. My car feels and drives much better than it did brand new and for what it is, it is great. Still getting 26-28 mpg at this point too...
20 years of owning it this year..........ooooo, cheap inspections starting next year, woohoo!
20 years of owning it this year..........ooooo, cheap inspections starting next year, woohoo!
BenjiHoggi
OEM+
- :
- Oregon, USA
- :
- 22v Protege5
I usually make a fuss of people modifying their automatic cars, but yours looks absolutely sick 😍
I will say though, my brother has an 03 Sedan with the Tiptronic transmission and driving that back to back with my manual 03 P5 is an experience. From a dead stop, the Tiptronic has a ton of torque converter slop when you mash the gas, so you don't get that launch that you'd get with a manual. The gearing is quite long compared to the manual, so the gears really wind out before shifting. BUT, the ES is much nicer on the highway when cruising. The engine seems to spin at a lower RPM which makes it quieter.
I do have to agree with Airsofthawaii that the auto trans makes best for a daily, but I also understand that not everyone can make two cars work (mee!). So personally, I've just chosen to deal with the lessened comfort of the manual, and it works for me, but do what works best for you, MuffinMan06!
(hehe snow big fun)
mine was purchased purposely for daily commuting without messing with clutch in rush hr traffic. yes, tiptronic slapstick shiftpoints to account for delay is an acquired touch and yes the gears do wind out quite nicely and she sings a lovely song doing it. cc in auto mode is downshifting over hills and such and manual mode keeps it from doing that. The other thing about it is......I have 2 other 5 speeds to play clutchy clutchy with....my tacoma and xB. Wife has slapstick in her RAV4 but that doesn't get used, lol.
Last edited:
