Hey guys long time since ive posted. i have a question. I have my 90 rs 3.1 automatic. How hard would it be to convert it to t-5 or tremec. I know you need to hang the clutch pedal, install the master and slave cylinders. But how hard is it. ive never convrted one before. Im more familiar with the classic dry clutchs and not thease newere fangeled hydraulic ones.

 

not hard

i'm not sure on the tremec's because they might have a different tranny-to-bellhousing bolt patter

also they are going to be gear wayyyyyyyyyyy too tall for a V6 car

best bet is a T5

you'll need to...........

drop out the automatic/torque converter/ flex-plate

then you will.........

bolt in the flywheel, make sure you also install the pilot bearing
bolt on the pressure plate with the clutch disc aligned properly inside

next bolt the bellhousing atop of this, with your clutch fork and throw-out bearing inside

now bolt the T5 up

then connect the torque arm and brackets

then jack to T5 to correct position and put on the crossmember

as for the hydraulic assembly:

you will need to find a brake/clutch pedal setup

you will need to put this in and drill a hole through the firewall to connect it to the clutch master cylinder

the master cylinder should be connected to the slave cylinder

then bolt the slave cylinder to the bellhousing, fill with DOT 3 brake fluid and bleed

you should also setup a relay so you have to actuate the clutch to start the car

thats most of it

if theres anything i missed someone else may say............

 

I'v thought about this mod too since my car's what my dad likes to call a dogamatic (I guess that's what they used to call automatics back when they first came out cuz they slow u down so bad).So about how much money would you be looking at to do this? and on a scale from 1-10 how hard would you say it is?or do you think it would just be better to get a shift kit for an auto.......Andy

 

Or you can put a transgo shiftkit in there and make it a manual without a clutch ! I almost did that to mine !

 

Oh where can u get one of those, and how much is it?.....Andy

 

Andy ,
Its much cheaper than swapping a whole tranny . www.summitracing.com ....look in the trannsmission areau . If you are un-sure of what to get . Call Summit and talk to the guys . It's the "Transgo kit " . You can either use it as a regular automatic shiftkit OR you can take the , I want to say valve body out and it makes your car like a standard without a clutch .

I think its like $120 or $130

 

Swapping in a manual tranny is not difficult hard but is a lot of work.

The first step would be to check out the tech article on this site. It was written for V8s but they are pretty much the same steps.

To be cost effective, the only tranny that will work is one from a V6 car. You could probably use a V8 tranny if you have adapter plate machined, custom bellhousing or custom clutch. T5s are plenty strong enough for a V6.

Try to find a good donor car in a junk yard for the swap. I found one from a not-so-good donor and had to rebuild the tranny twice to get it right.

Also if you do the swap replace the clutch & pressure plate with a name brand replacement. Also I would recommend getting new hydraulics, they are not real expensive and would not be a good thing to fail while your on the road.

I did the swap because I started adding up all the neat things I would like to do to improve my 700R4 and found that by the time I was done, it was cheaper and more dependable to just get the T5. There is really no way to make a 700R4 act like a 5speed IMHO.

Just my $0.02

Dale

 

One point to keep in mind, though, Deviate, is your trans can't be about to die. If your trans is on its last legs (slipping, burnt fluid, etc), a shift kit will be the shotgun to your tranny's head. Look under the tech article section (from main page of thirdgen.org) for "adjusting TV cable for 700r4", you might want to try that.

One Important Point, Though! Make a mark on your TV cable (I use a razor blade or white out) showing it's current position. On the diagram, that's where the rectangular part of "D" goes into "C". Mark the rectangular piece (cable slider) right where it enters piece D (adjuster).

Why? Well, two reasons. First, after putting the TV cable back into adjustment, you can see how far the cable was off. Second, and most important for people that don't regularly check their TV cable, it's possible that from years of driving with an incorrectly TV adjustment, your trans is burned up. The TV cable does not control shift points; it controls line pressure (fluid pressure) inside the trans, which, in turn, controls shift points. When a TV cable creeps out of the adjuster towards the front of the car, this decreases the line pressure. Improper fluid pressure leads to burnt clutches and other damage. So, if you readjust your TV cable to spec, and your car acts realllly funny, you can depress the adjuster's tab (B in the diagram), slide the cable back into D until you find your original mark, and then release the tab. You'll be back to how the trans was before playing with the TV cable. Then, start saving $$ for a rebuilt trans, or start buying books/parts to rebuild it yourself (it's not rocket science).

 

to use a V8 T5 you would need a V6 bellhousing and a 9 1/8inch 26 spline hub clutch

its doable, but you'll lose performance considering the V8 T5's are geared taller

 

Nah my transmission only has 18k miles, I'm sure it's up for it......Andy

 

I would also suggest keeping an eye on your TV cable stock position.

different car same thing. i adjusted my TV cable in my duster which gave me the desierd effect of the kickdown/passing gear would kick in much sooner. but one day comming around a cornor i jumped on it and riped the guts out of it. crack the giant bell housing in half in the tranny,sheared off teeth in my rear end. Just trashed my drive line.

way too much pressure too soon. also doing that in a cornor was not a good idea.

 

For anyone else interested,you can get a transgo kit at thunder racing for like 110 bucks that's the cheapest i'v found them.There should be a link at the top of this page.that's the cheapest i'v seen them there like 120 i think at summit racing......Andy

:lala:

 

oh,and did i mention it's the cheapest i'v found them? lol keep repeati'n myself......Andy