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Subject Auto to 5 Speed Conversion for Amateurs in 30 steps
     
Posted by zeeway on December 09, 2006 at 12:29 PM
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Message Auto to 5 Speed Conversion for Amateurs in 30 steps

My 1995 NA Z is a great car except for that auto tranny that it came with. I searched and read and reread all the write-ups I could find, and finally decided just maybe I could do this conversion myself. So between the write-ups (thanks, guys) and asking questions on the website (thanks, guys) and finding a good source for parts (thanks, Coz), I forged ahead. I will try not to repeat what is in those write-ups – I will just try to describe my sticking points (and hope the pictures show up).

1. Read all the write-ups more than once. My favorites:
a. Russell @ Z1’s parts list
[ http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=746049 ]
b. YugoBernie’s writeup on conversion – good pix
[ http://twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=1655870&forum=general&dtSearch=0 ]
c. SouthernZ(Little Rock) good conversion pix
[ http://twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=979830&forum=technical&dtSearch=4 ]
d. How you remove ducts under dash
[ http://twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=901202&forum=technical&dtSearch=2 ]
e. This shows the dreaded air bag control module under dash
[ http://twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=895707 ]
f. Wiring details by Gold300ZX
[ http://twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=916979&forum=technical&dtSearch=28 ]
g. Son of wiring details by MidLifeZ
[ http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=1001493 ]
h. Just where is that starter relay?
[ http://twinturbo.net/ttnettech/starterrelay/starterrelay.html ]
i. Clutch replacement – shows good tranny removal pix
[ http://www.ttzd.com/tech/clutchtech.html ]
j. Pilot bearing puller – see another puller later on in this write-up
[ http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=962729 ]
k. Tranny stabbing details – and good general pix
[ http://twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=1005559&forum=technical&dtSearch=0 ]
l. Stainless steel braided clutch line details
[ http://twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=924769&forum=technical&dtSearch=24 ]
2. Besides the normal tools, you need a service manual, a set of metric tap and dies (about $25 on Ebay), six point sockets, tranny jack from Harbor Freight, and ziplock baggies for keeping fasteners/parts – which you will label, of course. I bought a clicker type torque wrench; but after messing with it, I decided I did not trust it, so I bought a simple beam type torque wrench from Sears. Also bought a tranny jack from Harbor Freight.
3. Started off by removing upholstery panel under steering column and floor duct and side duct. The ducts needed a little convincing, but they finally came off.
4. Brake pedal – I was debating whether to change the brake pedal to one from a 5 speed or just trim the brake pedal. Well, I could not remove the connector to the cruise control interrupt switch, so I decided to change out the brake pedal. Big mistake. I had to remove the air bag control module in order to access all the brake pedal bolts. After many hours, finally got new pedal in. It would have been much easier to cut off pedal – and somehow wangle that connector off. So, my advice is leave the automatic brake pedal in and trim it.
5. Clutch pedal – Put it in and wired it per MidlifeZ’s write-up. Hint: Use 12 gage wire for the starter relay cutout switch from the clutch. By the way, to find the starter relay, take off the driver’s side front wheel and open the dust cover in the rear of the wheel well – it’s in one of the write-ups, but I missed it the first ten times through. The top bolt on the clutch pedal was a challenge – especially when I tried to put that piggy back relay back through the same bolt, which was impossible. I finally just put in the top bolt by itself, and tie-wrapped the relay to the side. I suspect that relay is really for the automatic tranny and will not be used, but I wasn’t sure so I left it in. Reattached air bag control module, and I was nervous about that – it took much finageling with extensions and swivels to reach these bolts, and special torx safety tools for socket wrench.
6. Removed automatic shifter in car. The shift knob has two screws facing toward the front of the car – this took me a while to find. Try to leave tranny in neutral, so you can turn the driveshaft later. To finally unhook the shifter you must undo the connection to the tranny under the car.
7. Jacked car up very securely about 22 inches in the air– used 6T jack stands on all four jacking points. I also used 2x10’s to build three columns 20-21 inches tall, which I placed under the front suspension cross member, and near the two rear jacking points. Did I say I am very cautious when getting under a car?
8. Removed center part of exhaust system while supporting it with the tranny jack. I used a cheater pipe to remove the cat pipe bolts from the manifold (soaked all bolts with PB Blaster before). Found out later I was lucky all bolts came off without breaking. I then got cute and removed the cats from the X pipe, and did manage to break off a bolt. After a lot of effort and drilling, bolt came out and I retapped the threads. I wound up cleaning up all exhaust fasteners with the tap and die set, and lubricating them well. By the way, the torque values in the service manual are for clean, well-oiled fasteners. If you torque on rusty, nasty fasteners, you are likely to overtorque them before they tighten up enough.
9. Removed center heat shield – finally, something that was easy. You are putting each group of fasteners in a ziplock baggie with a label, aren’t you?
10. Then used tranny jack under center of drive shaft – removed center bolts (emergency brake on) – again PB Blaster on all bolts before. Also removed center support bearing bolts, and removed driveshaft front. Rear driveshaft bolts were more of a challenge. Finally made a “special tool”, by breaking off back of closed end wrench so I could use it with a cheater pipe.
11. Removing starter was a piece of cake – figuring out how to remove the skinny wire was not. You don’t remove skinny wire…instead you unclip a connector. The thread sizes on starter fasteners are 10mm by 1.5 mm (diameter and distance between adjacent threads) for the bolt. The stud is the same on the end that screws into the tranny, but the end that sticks out is 10mm by 1.25mm. You will want to know this for cleaning up these threads.
12. Removed all the tranny bolts I could reach. Drained tranny to lighten it up a bit. Then supported tranny with jack and removed rear tranny support bolts, and lowered tranny on jack as far as it would go. Removed all the electrical connections I could reach. Removed connection to auto shifter and removed shifter. I removed the pipe for the tranny dipstick (no fun) and also removed the tranny lines to the radiator cooler (also no fun). Tried to reach those top tranny bolts several ways without success. Finally loosened motor mount bolts, and tipped tranny down just a little more, then from rear of car behind tranny I could see the top bolts. Used various long extensions making up 36 inches and no swivel (but a good 6 point 14 mm socket), and got those bolts out of there. Why did they put that battery grounding strap on that top bolt? I wondered how I would ever get those bolts back in.
13. To get the torque converter loose from the flexplate (auto flywheel-looking thing), I finally got a socket on the front crank bolt, which was not easy (had to remove front dust cover/splash guard to get access). I then moved the tranny back a few inches, which gave me access from the front to the bolts holding the torque converter on. I rotated the crank bolt to gain access to each bolt in turn. When the torque converter was free, so was the tranny – yeah! Lowered that sucker on jack and got tranny out of there.
14. I bought a pilot bearing puller from Harbor Freight, but found the jaws were too large, so I filed them down a bit and stuck it in auto pilot bearing. But I could not get that sucker to work, and the jaw part came unscrewed from the rest of it and stuck in the auto pilot bearing. So I slept on it, and decided to buy some pieces from the Home Depot, inspired by one of the write-ups - bought an electrical conduit connection piece about 2 inches in diameter by 3 inches long, a pipe flange, some standard ½ inch threaded nuts (1/2-13 UNC threads) and washers. The ½ inch nuts fit right on the threaded rod on the original puller - connected to the stuck-in jaws, tightened the left nut (in pix below) against jaw and then tightened the right nut and pulled that sucker out of there – that felt good. First pix shows parts – the shiny ones are the parts I added.
[img src= “[ http://www.photodump.org/stored9/IMG_0640.JPG ]

Puller ready to go- tighten the nut on the right hand side to pull out auto pilot bearing.
[img src=“[ http://www.photodump.org/stored9/IMG_0647.JPG ]

15. I made a South Carolina flywheel lock with two 4 inch angle brackets which I drilled out for tranny bolts. Then bolted these to bottom threaded holes with tranny bolts, locking other side into flexplate/flywheel teeth. Flexplate bolts also needed PB Blaster and a cheater pipe.
South Carolina flywheel lock (patent pending?).
[img src=“[ http://www.photodump.org/stored9/IMG_0639.JPG ]
16. Replaced rear main seal.
17. Pressed in a new OEM pilot bearing after putting it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Tapped it in with a socket that almost matched outside diameter.
18. Bolted on resurfaced flywheel and torqued bolts a little all around (skip two) in several passes before coming to full torque. After putting on disc with alignment tool, put on pressure plate, again torquing bolts very carefully (skip two, skip three), coming to full torque after four passes.
19. Took the rusty rear bracket off the 5 speed tranny and cleaned/painted it. I also put on a new striker shaft boot, which required taking the top striker plate off and driving some pins out. That was a little nervous. I also mounted a new rear tranny mount, and old cross brace.
20. Put on a new throw out bearing, a new boot, and greased everything and put in back together.
21. Put 5 speed tranny on tranny jack and very carefully put it into position. I recommend a trick from one of the write-ups to make tranny stabbing easier – I bought two 3 inch (75mm) long bolts from Lowes – same thread as tranny bolts (10mm by 1.5mm), cut off heads and put slot in end with hacksaw. I used these at 5 o’ clock and 9 o’clock positions to help me line up tranny. I slid it up very carefully making sure the bolts were centered in holes. The last half inch was a challenge – I think this is where the pilot bearing really engages and it is a tight slip fit. I got behind the tranny and kicked it in. If there ever is a next time, I think I will use c-clamps for the last half inch. I crossed my fingers that the pilot bearing was okay. I put in all the bolts I could easily reach which was all but the famous top two bolts. I hugged the tranny from underneath (feet toward front of car) and got my left hand to thread in the top left bolt. I took the battery out to try to help reach the top right bolt, but that did not work – I wear a large size glove, and my hand would not get anywhere near the right spot. So I hugged the tranny again from underneath again and got my right hand up there. After twenty tries to thread the bolt through the washer and through the grounding lug unsuccessfully, I just left off the washer and it went right in. Who needs that stinking washer, anyway?
22. Attached shifter parts, including new boot for shifter and knob. It was beginning to look like a 5 speed now.
23. Hooked up backup lights per write-ups, and attached speed sensor. By the way, that black ground wire goes from one of the bolts on the tranny rear cross brace (which bolts to the body) and the screw that holds in the speed sensor.
24. Put in starter, heat shields and exhaust. Also, if you buy all new exhaust gaskets, you will get two rings - one each on the connections from the cat pipe to the manifold. I scratched my head about fifteen minutes before I figured out you have to remove the old ring – it gets deformed (crushed) and doesn’t look at all like the new ring – take a little screwdriver and pry it off. Some of those driveshaft bolts are also a challenge to torque – used crow foot wrenches for these. Tightened motor mount bolts. Reinstalled front dust cover under the crank pulley.
25. Forgot to tell you that I decided against a one-piece driveshaft because of the many issues with vibration I had read about. I had a five speed driveshaft that was in sad shape, so I took it to a local driveshaft shop, and they put on a new slip yoke and new u-joint on the front half. They sued that with the rear half from my auto driveshaft and balanced it. I decided I would rather have a smooth ride.
26. I had bought a flexible braided stainless steel 48 inch line per several of the write-ups, but I could not make that thing reach from the clutch master cylinder to the slave. Finally got a local hydraulics shop to make a U shape connector that reached the flex line from the master cylinder.
Clutch master cylinder with U adapter.
[img src=“[ http://www.photodump.org/stored9/IMG_0638.JPG ]
If you want your life to be easier, buy a 54-60 inch braided stainless steel line and eliminate the U connector. I would also get the clear coated braided line – like they use on motorcycle brake lines - to prevent the braided line from rubbing something the wrong way. A local hydraulics shop can usually make up the hose for you.
27. Bleeding the clutch took about two hours. I bench bled the master cylinder, then I hooked up the rod to the clutch pedal. Feeling for the clutch pivot pin holes was a challenge – finally went in after 15 minutes. I attached six feet of clear tubing three sixteenths i.d. from the bleeder screw on the slave all the way back to the master cylinder reservoir. Pumped the pedal and saw a lot of bubbles, but couldn’t get it to firm up. Finally decided that I had to lower back of car to convince air bubbles to leave slave – and after about 100 more pumps of the pedal (thanks to Karol, my wife), the pedal firmed up. Hurray.
28. Jacked the car down and reinstalled the battery.
29. Put key in to start the car……and nothing. For the next four hours I tried everything I could think of – fusible links were okay. I even tried to jump start it – nothing. I checked fuses – could not get any voltage anywhere except at fusible links. I checked the relays by the driver’s side headlight – all okay. Then I was messing with the battery again, when I heard one of the relays click. One of the two cables (the skinnier one) that go to the positive battery terminal, had broken loose. Fixed that, and the car started right up.
30. After that, I said a prayer of thanks and went for a short ride. So far, everything feels good, and I definitely like having a five speed instead of an auto.
If I can do it, I am guessing you can do it, too. Good Luck.

     
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