Finally swapping my auto out for 5speed

[1994SEV6]

Hey there guys,

 

You may have seen a few of my threads about my automatic transmission getting broken pretty badly. My HB has 130k miles on it, and it's already been through 2 autos (counting this one). I know the 2nd one was my fault, but I'm tired of dealing with them. I wanted a 5 speed anyway.

 

So, I searched for a good bit, and found a manual transmission for sale. The seller was an amazing person. He sold me the transmission, transfer case, and EVERYTHING for the swap for $350. He even pulled the trans for me. Then he gave me 2 doors for a green pathfinder in perfect condition, and a complete exhaust system minus the cat. It worked out pretty well for me. I just have to get rid of some stuff now LOL

 

The plan was to do the project with my dad. Well, he is the master of procrastination. I'm surprised I was ever even conceived. Monday turned into wednesday, which turned into Saturday..etc.etc. Now I'm literally kicking him in the ass to get moving. This is going to happen today.

 

I probably should have asked this stuff a little earlier (I am my father's son HA), but what all does it take?

I've got all the sockets and ratchets and wrenches I could need (that 12mm is a tricky bastard though. You can never find that one when you need it)

How do I go about getting the transfer case driveshaft out?

 

I understand that I don't have to remove the torsion bars to get the transmission out. Well, how about getting the transmission in? I loosen the torsion bars a little bit, then put some 2x4s in there, then slip the crossmember out? That's what I've heard.

 

As far as the interior things, I'm covered. The cover plate, for where the clutch pedal would go, had rusted bolts. So I'm going to have to deal with that. I also noticed that the clutch pedal has a button. And a plug. I know the wires are hidden somewhere, but where? I've reached up around there a little bit and haven't seen much.

 

Someone just give me some tips, please.

Thanks

[silverton]

AFAIK, the torsion bars do need to come out, be sure you mark them where they come out, cause you'll want them to go back in the exact same way. You have to unbolt the drive shaft from the differential, and then it slips out of the t-case. The buttons on the clutch pedal are more than likely for cruise control cancel and MAYBE an interlock for the starter?

Edited November 12, 2011 by silverton

[robertjame]

I did this conversion on a 1998 Audi A4 1.8T, its not so bad.

 

Things to know/look out for are reverse lights, your HB's harness might not be wired for a clutch peddle or for reverse lights.

 

This wont hamper your conversion, you just wont have curse controle or reverse lights (no big, curse controle on HB's sucks pretty bad anyway).

 

Second is if its a hydraulic clutch you might need to mod your master cylinder to accept your new clutch lines.

 

Some cars have a totally separate oil tanks, but some share it.

 

Last would be your flywheel/flexplate/crank situation.

 

This is the primacy location of f#$%ed up conversions.

 

First off gett a high quality clutch kit, spend some money now so you wont have to do this again next year.

 

Make sure you have the flywheel as well, some kits just give you a new disk and pressure plate.

 

The thing to remember is many manufactures predestine motors to go into an auto or a manual before they build them.

 

The machining on the back of the crank can change some times widely from type to type.

 

Bolt depths can be different as well as the surface and bore on the rear of the crank.

 

All theses things are easily dealt with if your looking for them.

 

Make sure your bolts dont bottom out, make sure your flywheel sits flat and very very flush, and make sure your crank accepts your manual transmissions throw out bearing.

 

The trick I found when my conversion hit a wall with the bearing was to get a new bearing,

 

one that instead of sitting inside of the bore in the crank was placed in the center of the flywheel itself after I planed down the crank shaft a little.

 

My last note would be if you dont have a trasmission jack get one, the HB's 4x4 trans if very large and very heavy.

 

Some say its an easier job to pull the whole motor/trans to accomplish what your trying to do.

 

Good luck and look forward to pictures.

Edited November 14, 2011 by robertjame

[sewebster]

You should replace the auto pilot bearing with the manual pilot bushing...

[silverton]

robertjame, you're making it sound like he's swapping a totally different manufacturer's transmission in to his truck. a hard body pickup and a pathfinder are near identical to each other.

 

As for the pilot bushing... auto's do not have these, so you will need to get one.

[robertjame]

Im sorry if I was confusing, using a transmission from another manufacturer (toyota) would require much much more fabrication then what I have mentioned.

 

Such as changing bell housing, using a different pressure plate, and bearing.

 

Switching transmissions from auto to 5spd may in fact be as simple as just swapping them.

 

This is often not the case, as I said before in manufacturing an engine the spec of how the crank should meet the transmission is offen transmission specific.

 

AkA auto or 5spd.

 

Some manufactures make all there crank shafts to the same spec, AkA they will plane and bore the end of the crank to accept the input shaft and pilot baring for an manual transmission even if its in an auto.

 

But often they dont waste the production cost of milling every crank in this way, only those that need it, AkA for the 5sps.

 

All Im saying is be prepared for some difficulty and make the needed adjustments.

 

And yes there in no bearing in the auto trans, the torque converter bolts to the flex plate.

 

In the manual the mating is done by the clutch disk being gripped by the flywheel and pressure plate, the input bearing being needed because the input shaft is longer then that of the autos.

 

The auto's is only 2 inches long and the manual is some 6 or more.

 

This isn't plug and play here, I have done this all on my own before and helped friends do it across 3 manufactures including a Nissan 240sx witch was the worst.

 

Please no one take offense, this is just my view, its not hard to do just harder then say changing out a bad clutch disk.

 

Rob

Edited November 14, 2011 by robertjame

[silverton]

Please no one take offense, this is just my view, its not hard to do just harder then say changing out a bad clutch disk.

 

Rob

 

No offense taken, you just made it sound like this was going to be a huge deal, when likely it won't. Most Nissan's, I'm not sure why the s13/s14 was different, are lego vehicles. Hopefully you got the driveshaft as I'm certain they are different.

[1994SEV6]

No offense taken, you just made it sound like this was going to be a huge deal, when likely it won't. Most Nissan's, I'm not sure why the s13/s14 was different, are lego vehicles. Hopefully you got the driveshaft as I'm certain they are different.

 

I would have thought so too. On 3 separate occasions (on various forums and sites) it was confirmed that the driveshafts are the same. Also, in the threads were people have done this swap, and provide a list of parts, the driveshaft is never mentioned.

 

I'm just typing this out to convince myself since that's not something I can be worried with at this moment. I need to get my old trans out, put the new one in, THEN get smacked in the face with that tiny detail.

 

Also, Robertjame, I really appreciate the help. I feel bad that you're giving me all this advice when it doesn't apply. I'm so happy that Nissan trucks are some of the simplest things. EVERYTHING switches over. This is just out of efficiency. A Japanese auto maker, who is forced to be as efficient as possible to even stand a chance in the cruel auto market, can't be bothered with making a different crank or engine block.

 

Now, with german cars, Audis more specifically, I completely understand where you're coming from. German import = complicated. I definitely picked up a few nuggets of knowledge that will come in handy this week with my swap. Thanks

[AK9849cy]

Sorry... not enough time to read this whole thread. Maybe someone has brought this up already. However there is a bushing in the crank for the auto tranny. It is a huge mofo (it is probably 1 1/4 inches across and 3/8 an inch thick)that looks like part of the crank itself. It needs to be removed so the manual "much smaller" bushing can be inserted in the crank. The two bushings are totally different animals...

Edited November 15, 2011 by AK9849cy

[Kingman]

They can be a real bitch.

 

2-3 hours of banging, prying, slide hammering, dry icing, torching, hydraulics, and then cutting it finally came out of my engine. Hopefully you have better luck as they should just pop out with a slide hammer or bushing puller if you can find one small enough. Mine was just rusted on solid + being press-fit from the factory.

 

 

Make sure you don't forget the pilot bushing when doing your swap. You'll hate yourself for having to pull the engine or transmission out again over a ~$2 part. I sure as hell did. Without it the front of the input shaft has no support so nothing is aligned well making gears grind like mad.

[AK9849cy]

They can be a real bitch.

 

2-3 hours of banging, prying, slide hammering, dry icing, torching, hydraulics, and then cutting it finally came out of my engine. Hopefully you have better luck as they should just pop out with a slide hammer or bushing puller if you can find one small enough. Mine was just rusted on solid + being press-fit from the factory.

 

LOL.. Been there! I now weld a 3/4 inch bolt to the bush... then smack downwards on the end of the bolt sticking out with a sledge hammer.. Pops it out like a playing a game of Tiddlywinks...