I started on the process of swapping my car to a t5 today. Ran into some issues I didnt find while searching this site.

1. Is the torque arm mount different from 700r4 to a t5? I dont see how my auto one will mount to the manual one.

2. I am useing the 700r4 "double" tranny cross member. It seems to be putting the shifter mount up to the floor. Is the cross member different, or does the tranny actually stick up into the cab just a hair?

3. Their is a cable that goes from the auto floor shifter, up to the steering colum. WTF is this? What needs to be done with this?

4. The purple and green wires going to the auto shifter need to be routed over to the clutch switch. Can I pull these out of the harness far back enough to re-route, or do I just have to add wire, and route back to switch. I'm assumeing I cant buy a plug, how does everyone else attach these wires to the clutch switch?

5. Backup switch, I'm assuming I CAN buy a plug for this, and just extend the wires and go down thru that hole in the floor where I need to install a rubber plug.

I read this takes 12 hours. Whoever can do this in 12 hours rocks. I'm there now and have another days worth of work left.

 

Ive actually performed the swap in 4 1/2 hours by myself on the garage floor. Thats backing the car in with the auto, and pulling it out with the T5. I guess I just work fast. Looked factory too.

1. The torque arm in the same, just the mount is different from the auto to the T5.

2. Define "double" crossmember. The trans shouldnt stick up through the floor.

3. The cable prevents the key from turning to the LOCK position if the shifter is not in PARK. It also prevents the shifter from moving from PARK if the key is in LOCK.

4. Youre better off running wires to the clutch safety switch than chopping into the harness.

5. Any GM dealer will have the plug for the backup light switch. Just ask them for it in the parts department.

 

how did you do it in 4 1/2 hours? I don' see how it could be done. when i did mine it took like 5 days. And i was very picky on how i did things.

 

Thanks 82.

1. tq mount is different, ARGH Ok, gotta find one of them.

2. double cross member, I will be attaching pictures.

3. So what do I do with this Lock cable? Just leave, or can I pull it out?

4. Got it.

5. Got it.

 

Here is actually trany mount system I have. It is what comes on the autos.

 

Thats how long it took me to do it. I dont know how it could have taken you longer than a day tops. I did mine so where if you looked at it, you couldnt tell it was originally an auto car. Hell, I can pull the 700R4 out of my car in no more than 25 minutes, on the garage floor, by myself.

Dale: Ive never seen a trans mount like that before. All ive ever owned or worked on is V8 cars though. As far as the cable, you can either take it out, or position it to where the ignition cylinder functions correctly. Let me know if you have any other questions. Sorry I cant help you on the trans mount.

 

82, your helping alot even though you dont know about the crossmember.

On this lock cylinder. If I just pull it out, will it function as if I'm in "park". Or can I mess things up and make it worse?

I'm thinking for now, just leave it in. Later I can pull it out if it bothers me.

 

That may be a crossmember from a V6 car. How it's on a V8 car is anybodies guess.

 

It is on a v6 car.

 

You can just leave the cable to the ignition lock in the console. It will work fine.

 

how hard are is the clutch peddle to install and all the cables? are the holes predrilled or must you do it your self?

 

how hard are is the clutch peddle to install and all the cables? are the holes predrilled or must you do it your self?

 

how hard are is the clutch peddle to install and all the cables? are the holes predrilled or must you do it your self?

 

holy tripple post

Their are no cables to run, it is all hydro lines.

Their are no holes pre-drilled thru the firewall, and it is a guess/bitch to do. Luckly I only drilled one of the smaller holes wrong.

 

I haven't done the auto to T5 swap, but my auto to T56 swap is similar for the most part. As far as the cable that goes to the column, you can either remove it or leave it alone. I got tired of trying to pull it out (theres a trick to it, I don't remember what it is right now), and just left it in place. You can't tell its there once you put the carpet back in.

You DON'T need to cut the wires and run them to the clutch safety switch. Mount the clutch safety switch on your T5 pedals, and look behind the drivers side kick panel. You will see a connector with a thick green and purple wire. On factory equipped T5 cars, there was a short segment of wiring that ran from this connector to the clutch safety switch. If you do it like this, you don't have to cut any wires (I'm **** about that, not everyone is).

Don't feel bad about the time its taking you. I took me a hell of alot longer than 12 hours. Quite ALOT more. I honestly can't even imagine how someone can do the whole swap in 4 1/2 hours, or pull a tranny in 25 minutes.

I think (not sure on this) that there are two different torque arms and two different types of torque arm mounts. One has the torque arm "bumps" facing towards the driver side, the other towards the passenger side. I think thats what you are referring to as far as your torque arm issues.

As far as the backup switch, look at a wiring schematic for an auto, and figure out which of the 6 wires that went to the park/neutral switch is for reverse lights. Purchase a pigtail for the reverse lights, and run two wires through the shifter cable grommet (the one that was there with the auto). Run those two wires to the corresponding two reverse light wires. Doesn't matter which one goes with which one.

It is normal for the tranny to stick out a little through the floor pan.

 

i can pull my t-5 in that long.

 

have you even read the guides on the boards???

:lala:

 

92blue, thank you. I've already ran the clutch switch wires, but I will go and take a look at what your saying. This sounds like a better setup. As for the tq arm, its not a matter of which angle the lips face. It just flat wont bolt up to the tranny. Mounting points are different.



porkyzilla, did you read my first post? "...I didnt find while searching this site". So this means, YES, I did look at these post. The t56 sticky helped a bit. The writeup in the tech section sucked big time, no help at all.

 

I'm sorry, but I still can't believe that. I don't see how you do much more than grab jackstands, grab your tools, a jack, blocks of wood, take apart the console so you can remove the shifter boot, so you can remove the shifter, unbolt the driveshaft, and the torque arm in 25 minutes. Especially if you are working alone. Even after all that, the tranny is still in, and there is more work to do.

 

ive had the trans pulled in 45 min by myself, from driving it in to the trans on my floor ready to be rebuilt....

anyways, get a reg transmount - that one will not work. you should be able to keep the rubber mount that mounts the trans to the actuall crossmember however as it looks right.

the reverse lights just need to be wired to the plug on the side of the trans, i literally just ran wires through th ehole in the floor and got the gm plug.

the torque arm mount IS different as you have noticed, its a matter of getting the right bracket.

whole swap took me a day and a half by myself the first time, this past time it took me no more than 4-5 hours... and thats at the most.

 

Thanks guys. I have put out some emails to local parts guys. If they dont have the crossmember or TQ arm mount, I'm going to order spohns adjustable as I kinda should have it anyway being lowered. I'm just on a tight budget.

Still need:
tq mount, crossmember or spohns unit
Vss, and gear
B/U clip
Get my shifter back from machine shop(or get the pro 5.0, or used from someone on board)
make/find cat-convertor mount
check out blue92's suggestion on clutch wiring

Car is just on hold for right now. Looking for parts. Luckly you can atleast roll the car around w/o a torque arm.

 

does anyone have gm's part number for the backup switch plug/pigtail?

I am going to place an order thru gmpartsdirect and could use that number. I have done a quick search on here. (search is running slow tonight )

 

Jack it up and stand it. Driveshaft, xmember. Don't pull the console apart, pull the 4 13mm shifter bolts out from the bottom, unplug the VSS and backup lights, slave cylinder then the 4 tranny bolts. It's a total of 19 bolts and 2 plugs. 1/2 hour tops. Auto takes a bit more with the convertor bolts.

 

Jack it up and stand it. Driveshaft, xmember. Don't pull the console apart, pull the 4 13mm shifter bolts out from the bottom, unplug the VSS and backup lights, slave cylinder then the 4 tranny bolts. It's a total of 19 bolts and 2 plugs. 1/2 hour tops. Auto takes a bit more with the convertor bolts.

 

for search reference, or anyone that cares.


The coolent lines from tranny to radiator, thread is 1/2-20
Backup switch, 14069600
pigtail, 12126452
D8M VSS, 10456087
VSS gear for 3.42 rear end, 14071731

 

O, BTW, I meant to ask if an electronic VSS on the T5 is the same size as a mechanical VSS. I ask b/c I have a tranny out of an '84 that I'm putting in my '88 car and I'd like my speedo to work

 

you may have to change speedo gears, they are diffrent depending what the rear end had...

 

nasty, when I installed a camaro trans in my s10. It was shipped to me with a mechanical stub. I pulled it out and bought an electronic vss. It pluged right in. I kept the same plastic gear as was in it.

 

Bump for the T5 VSS part number.