auto to manual tranny swap
 

hey i have a 94 maxima SE, its auto and i would like to do a conversion to manual and i wanted to know if any body did this conversion on a 3rd gen maxima and if they did how much did it cost.
P.S. i already did a search and couldnt find that much

its not possible to do on a 3rd gen....

why isn't possible?

just because

As far as I know, it hasn't been done on a third gen, but the process shouldn't be much different than on the 4th gens. I dont know actual price, but look for something between 1 and 1.5k for the parts. Labor could really be a b*tch on this one if you pay to have a shop do it. Search in all the forums, not just 3rd gen, and you should find a bit about it.

see I told you...it cannot be done!!!! doing tranny swaps is the work of the devil!! :devil:

Here's some crammed together info that I haven't finished sorting out. Yes, people have done 5spd conversions, yes I'm one of them. Don't ask me how to do it until you've removed your auto tranny.

-Kaleb

PARTS YOU WILL NEED:

Manual Transmission Assembly
- Speed Sensor
- Postion Switch

Shift Linkage [341A]
- Support Rod Bracket
-- Rod Mounting Nut and Washer (Stud is on Bracket)
-- Bracket Bolts (3) (For Attachment to Transmission)
- Shifter w/ Bracket, Mounting Studs (2 Small Plate Studs) and Nuts (4)
- Dust Cover for Shifter
- Rubber Seal for Shifter Hole
- Shifter Return Spring
- All Other Nuts, Misc Pieces in Assembly (see diagram 341A)

Transmission to Engine Mounting
- Transmission Gussets (2) That Mount Lower Part of Transmission to Engine ("L" Shaped Brackets on Front and Rear Side of Engine)
-- Bracket-to-Transmission Bolts 10mm x 25mm (4)
- Engine Plate (Thin Metal) for Manual Transmission
- Lower Engine Plate for Manual Transmission (1/2 Moon Shape)
-- Lower Engine Plate Bolts 8mm x 25mm (4)
- Bell Housing Bolts
-- 10mm x 65mm Bolt (1)
-- 10mm x 55mm Bolts (4)

Clutch Hydraulic and Operation System
- Clutch Master Cylinder
-- Master Cylinder Mounting Nuts
- Clutch Slave (Operating) Cylinder
- Clutch Slave Cylinder Hose
- All Hydraulic Clutch Hard Lines (Tubes) OR...
- (Recommended) Hydraulic Tubing w/ Fittings (56") from Autozone
- Clutch Pedal and Bracket Assembly
-- Clutch Position Switches (2)
-- Clutch Pedal and Bracket w/ Spring, etc.
-- Clevis Pin to Attach Pedal to Master Cylinder Push Rod w/ Pin Clip
-- Pedal Bracket Mounting Bolt



Engine Mounts:

11253P - AT, MT different, All MT same
11355 - Same for all VG, and VE MT. VE AT diff.
11335M - AT, MT different. All MT same
11320 - AT, MT different, All MT same

Shift Lock Diagram AT-150
Shift Control Components AT-172
Reverse lamp EL-42


Weight Info:

Automatic tranny:
transaxle w/ TC = 88800grams = 195.7lbs
flex plate = 1950 = 4.6lbs

Manual tranny:
transaxle = 40350 = 89lbs
clutch = 20lbs
flywheel = 7900 = 17.4lbs

STUFF YOU SHOULD BUY NEW:
-----------
30542-03E10 COVER-DUST - WITHDRAWL LEVER
32859-03E01 BOOT - STRIKING ROD
38342-81X01 SEAL-OIL - DRIVE SHAFT
38342-81X00 SEAL-OIL - DRIVE SHAFT
34557-D2700 BUSHING - CONTROL ROD
31098-60Y05 HOSE-BREATHER
30534-03E00 SPRING - WITHDRAWL LEVER
30537-03E00 PIN-BALL WITHDRAWL LEVER
08171-0551A(4) BOLT - TRANSMISSION
08120-8251F(2) BOLT - TRANSMISSION
08171-0651A(1) BOLT - TRANSMISSION
46512-H0101 STOPPER - PEDAL
clutch master cylinder rebuild kit
clutch slave cylinder
clutch hose and gaskets

kaleb, did you put an 89-91 manual in, or the later VLSD manual in? I really want the VLSD, and nismo had posted that maybe the bell housings had to be switched. Any thoughts?
Miles

I put in the non-LSD unit because axles + hubs would have to be changed for the LSD and plus it's so hard to find one.

-Kaleb

Wow!!! is all i have to say. thanks for posting this stuff. it is good information to have. congrats on actually doing it.

I thought that was turbo talk :wall:

Don't forget RWD conversion!!!:reading:

Thanks for all the info Kaleb! We all appreciate you taking the time to give out all that info. Speaking of manual conversions, I have all the parts in my garage now (need a clutch kit though). If I can just get some time to install it now! ;)

it is possible to do it just not cost effective. Talk to Jeff aka maximus75 on the org, pm him or call him tell him that izzy refered you, tell me the cost...

Can you do it on 2000 nissan maxima,
i've been to maximumtunning.net
and it dosent seem a lot of money, but i would like to do it myself, is it hard, and can it be done? where can i get 5spd tranny? thx

For one IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO A 5-speed SWAP!! Escpecially on a 3rd gen. I did it and im only 17. Its a lot work all you have to do is get 5-speed parts from a VE to transfer to your VE. ITs possible, but when I did a 5-speed swap on a 94 ve and im having problems with the clutch slipping. Ive put a new flywheel in a new clutch and still once it gets warm the thing just slips like crazy. Ive already gone through 3 clutches trying to figure out wat the problem was and NOTHING! Does anyone know what could be doing this? maybie the hydrolic lines? Well somone please help! OH and also it starts to slip most when it warm and i press the gas pedel all the way down. thanks in advance

Did you have the flysheel resurfaced? Is there any oil/tranny fluid leaking into the clutch area?

The swap is pretty easy on a 3rd gen. I did it in my free time over christmas break last year. Labor intensive but pretty straightforward. The hardest part is getting the holes for the clutch pedal lined up.

u know it would been a whole lot easier to just go to the stickies and click on the sticky that says "3rd gen mod info" then click on the performance link and then ur gonna c 5-speed swap.http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....=1#post3825774 <--- click on that link and ur gonna have a world of info about the whole swap. everyone's info is on that link includin' myselfs and how i mananged to figure out the reverse lights and cruise control for u guys. enjoy!

one more thing: once u guys go to the link i provided, go to the 2nd page of the thread and go to the last post which is mine (#56) and click on that link and ur gonna have all the info to wire up the tranny. now beware that the info i provided in that thread is only for the VG motors so since u guys r gonna be lookin' for the wirin' info on the VE tranny i suggest to get ahold of an FSM and figure it out from there unless some one else can also put in their effort of providin' their info on their swap for the VE tranny as i did for the VG tranny.

I've got a page I started but never finished from when I did my swap. http://www.digerati.us/car/Car%20Pro...-Speedswap.htm

The link for Page 2 doesn't work as I never actually put it together...

Think long and hard about the swap though. Realize that you will be de-valuing your car at the same time as sinking in about 50% of its worth back into it. If you are doing it because you love the Max, then go for it. If you are going to do it because you think you cannot afford to sell the car and get something else that is a 5-speed its not for you.

I'd have to look at the wiring I did again, I never documented it and its been long enought that the details are fuzzy.

The swap made financial sense for me. I bought the car for 2.2k, and the tranny went out a few thousand miles later. Pay some guy 1500$ to fix it, or spend 300-400 on junkyard parts to make it a 5sp?

I have a question for you.. The 1989-1991 GXE that had the 160HP SOHC was only available with an automatic (as opposed to that same 1989-91 160HP SOHC SE which had either MT or AT), right? And then in 1992 they made the MT and AT availble on both the GXE (160HP SOHC) and SE (190HP DOHC) trims, right?

So unless I'm dead wrong about that, then is it any harder to make the automatic-only body of the 1990 GXE I have into a manual that it would be for the MT-or-AT bodies?

All 89-94 gxe's were automatic only...

Oops, you're right.. I checked the place I looked at before, and I misread it (intellichoice.com). So then I rephrase.. Is it any harder to swap an MT into a GXE than it is to put an MT in an AT-equipped SE?

It would be the same job....The only difference between the two trim levels are cosmetic,like chrome trim[gxe]/spoiler[se]...etc..

But the firewall where i'd mount the pedal, and all electrical hookups are the same? Like, the GXE's wiring and computer can work with all the manual stuff..

Like i said,the SE and GXE are drivetrains/electronics are identical to each other except the gxe has a keyless entry pads on the doors...


Also the 92-94 se has a dohc engine..

Um, and the tranny harnes is different.

So you are saying the tranny harness between the 89-91 automatic SE model and the 89-94 automatic GXE model are Different????


Um..No

once u do the 5spd swap u don't need to change the ECU and u don't need to remove the auto tranny control unit as well. leave all electrical crap where it is and just do the swap. also go up a few posts and i posted a link.

Someone said they just took the entire harness from the 5spd donor car and stuck it in the place of their auto's (don't know if GXE or SE, but i see that doesn't make a difference) harness. Is that necessary?

Okay, even I got a little messed up reading everything. So to clarify:

ALL 1989-1994 Nissan Maxima GXE Have The VG With AUTO
ALL 1989-1991 Nissan Maxima SE's Have The VG With AUTO or 5 Speed.

ALL 1992-1994 Nissan Maxima SE's Have The VE With AUTO or 5 Speed.

So, Judging from the information; everything with the VG engine is swappable with eachother. And Everything with the VE Engine ISN'T swappable with anything from the VG Car.

Yeah, I got that now, I just thought someone took the harness and the transmission from their donor car, so that wiring the 5-speed into their good car would be easier with the cruise and reverse lights, or something like that. Because I thought someone else said that they had to drill a hole somewhere to hardwire the reverse light onto the new tranny. I was just wondering if it'd be worth the money to bring the manual's wiring harness over from the donor car, or if it's better to pocket the difference and wire any necessary things myself.

I never took out the auto wiring or ecu, but when I pull the engine/tranny to do some maintenance this month I'm going to remove the extra wiring and the transmission computer to simplify things. It works just fine and gives the option of going back to auto. It was a possibility at the time but not any more!

All I did in my swap is follow phatsa's and GRNMAXDMON's write ups. Just search around theres all kinds of info in the stickies and all the thinks in that thread. I just spliced 6 wires and it works. One thing to do before you put the tranny in is change the reverse/neutral switch. Its bad on my car and the cruise and reverse lights don't work.

I did my swap last year and Its been going strong ever since. If the clutch is slipping you need to check and see how the pedal is adjusted, I know who ever posted that did so about 4 years ago just good reference.

OH and one thing to check out. If you have driven a manual car before, some cars will have the clutch pedal close to the brake pedal and others wont. I liked the factory position (away from the brake pedal) but it ended up getting drilled closer to the pedal. I don't like it as much so I'm going to slot the holes and move it over. Just something to keep in mind so its done once.

~Alex

I actually don't like my brake pedal's height. It's too tall comared to the gas pedal, for my tastes, which pushes me too far away from the steering wheel. Hopefully I can fix this when I put on the narrow brake pedal on, so I can sit more comfortably in the car, and rest my elbow on the door armrest like I could in all the other sticks I've driven (in order: 1998 Saturn SC once, 1991 Corolla twice, 2000 Protegé once, 2006 Miata once), to get a more stable hold on the steering wheel when shifting becuase I'm very dominantly right-handed. I also looked on the engine-side of the firewall to see where the clutch master cylinder would go, but I couldn't see any signs of a mounting point, or a hole for the pushrod, or anything. I was looking to the driver-side of the brake booster, just behind the strut tower. Did I look in the wrong place, or is this one of the places I'll have to modify stuff?

I also want an SE steering wheel and spoiler (and maybe foglamps)... basically a visual conversion from GXE to GXE-SE hybrid.

No I was talking about how close the 2 pedals are together, not the height of the brake pedal.

And unlike other Nissan's there is no predetermined spot for the clutch pedal assembly. Thats why you have to make a GOOD template. And why mine has to be slotted and adjusted.

~Alex

Oh, I knew what you meant about closeness. I'll hopefully get it right the first time. My comment was more of "well while we're talking about the pedals...". When the people on the site do swaps, I know they have to rig the P/N start switch, but are they using the clutch interlock or can their cars start without pushing the clutch? I'd just as soon take the switch that activates when you push the clutch down, and wire that into the P/N switch as the short, and kill both birds with one stone.

Mine is wired (or not wired rather) and will start without pushing the clutch. Just like My 20+ year old 944. Doesn't care about the clutch, just turn the key and go.

as far as parts-gathering, I know VG axles only work on VG transmission, but can I get shifter/clutch-master-cylinder/pedal/slave/everything-else-but-the-transmission-itself off VG or VE donor junkyard car, or only the VG. There's a car I remember seeing at the local junkyard that was a 5speed (beter yet, I actually shot a picture of it), and the shifter and clutch pedal and boot and stuff are (well, they were on 10-13-06) still in that car, but I think the car was front-ended and that the tranny in it was for parts only, so that's why I'm asking.

I think it's a VG car though, based on the steering wheel not appearing to have airbag-weakspots in it, but I can't tell:
http://btp.mine.nu/Jared/max.org_stu...1386_small.jpg

the only specific stuff should be the tranny/axles. The shifter/pedal and all that should be the same.

~Alex