uhm. okay. FACT: I don't give a flyin' fuck about what anyone has to think about my level of commitment to my car.
That aside... I'd like to point out one more thing:
God forbid, you might have to take the time and get the tools to do the job. I'm sure you can find a friend that has some tools...
You dumb shit. Did I or did I not CLEARLY state that I have not the skill NOR the tools to do the job. Even if I found the tools, it would be better if I melted them down and threw the resulting lump of steel at the transmission rather than open it up and and ask ninety questions on the forums over a course of a week. I work for a living. I need a car on the road, not in a garage.
I gave in to my love for Integras
So in the end... I took out a $2000 loan and ordered the proper SiR-G trans from Japan to properly handle the torque of the motor. And to all you DIY'ers that felt the need to flame me and question my decision: I hired someone to do it. It's called a 3yr/36k mi warrantee (yes! for a third party trans!)... And that beats a DIY job any day of the week.
Final cost: $1750. $750 for the trans + shipping, $550 for labor, $300 for a new clutch, and the leftover $150 is for beer and cheesesteaks all around when it's done.
They're gonna rip open the trans when it gets here, rebuild it with all new internals, and slap that bad boy up in there. Make it right, make it tight.