It is finally done!

I just spent the last 10 hours with my buddy using his hoist and air tools to install the VE 5-speed tranny. 3 hours of that was spent on that damn carrier bracket, what a PITA. Honestly, we both agreed that was the most horrible thing either of us has had to do to a car. For starters, the motor mount is bolted on top of it...NOT fun.

And a curious problem arose after completing the swap, maybe you guys can help me figure this one out: The car won't start in plain old neutral, the shifter must be held to the left (as in between 1st and 2nd gear) or the neutral position safety switch won't disengage and it will keep the starter disabled.

The neutral safety switch is a factory feature and worked properly on my old tranny. What would cause it to need me to hold the shifter to the left to start it? What could I adjust to remedy this problem?

Another thing: there was no pilot bushing installed and I'm sure I didn't remove one the first time installing a stick. I got one from Napa (which they ordered specifically for me) but it was too wide to fit. So there is still no bushing in there.

One final comment. Unfortunately, I can't really have any fun with the car right now because after screwing around with virtually every aspect of the front end it is now HORRIBLY out of alignment. The steering wonders, it doesn't corner well, and there is lots of tire noise. I hope I can get an alignment shop to take it in tomorrow so I can enjoy it over the weekend.

I will post pics when I am not coated in grease and exhausted...

 

I just might try this soon... way to go!

 

Congrads, the neutral safety switch could have corrosion on some of the points. You can carefully remove it... they are easy to break. Then clean he contacts on the switch. Or replace the switch.

Have fun laying into some corners !

 

You are referring to the 4-wire connector on the tranny, correct? I will pick up some electrical cleaner tomorrow and see what happens...

 

Congratulations!
What method did you use to align the clutch? Any tips on changing the bracket? I'll prolly try to do it this weekend.. Did you hold the engine from the top with the hoist and then take out cross member and rear mount?

 

You don't really have to align the clutch. As long as you get the clutch CLOSE enough to the correct position that you can slide the tranny in you're good. The first time you hit the clutch pedal (after bleeding etc!) the clutch will be aligned perfectly.

 

Every clutch I bought came with a clutch alignment tool.....

 

Hey Goon, do I need to drain the gear oil to remove the position switch? If so, I want to reuse the oil. I'm not wasting $60 worth of AMSoil. On a related note, does anyone run LSD additive in their VE M/T? The guy I bought the AMSoil from said I shouldn't need it, but we'll see if I get any chatter.

I just looked at the FSM and it looks relatively easy to do. I think I will pull the one out of my old tranny and install it in the new one. Any other tips on removing / installing the position switch?

 

Picture time!

The shop we worked in:





Pic showing there isn't / never was a pilot bushing:


Pic illustrating how camber CAN be adjusted w/o installing camber plates:

 

Removing the sensor is actually the method for draining the oil. If you want to save the oil I would just drain it into clean pan and poor it back in. To clean the contacts you need to scrap the scum off, it's like carbon build up. I used a razer blade.

 

but... it the sensor os hard to get out(like mine) then you are gonna wanna use the bolt on the opposite side of the tranny and drain dat byiotch.

quick question tho... isint the ve 5spd and the regular 5 spd the same thing minus the lsd??

 

Any idea how I would go about rewiring the neutral position switch to disable it w/o disabling the reverse lights or cruise control?

 

Same bell housing, different internals...

 

you want to disable it how? to prevent car from starting in neutral? to bypass it to start the car w/o pressing the clutch? I got your answers just lemme know what ya need.

 

I never got around to wiring the clutch safety switch. I have a neutral position switch but want to get rid of it. I don't like "idiot-proof devices." Plus I have to hold the stick to one side to start the car due to some issue with the neutral position switch. I'd rather just get rid of it altogether...

 

Maxitech... question ?

I`m also planning on doing this swap in the future. I`d like to know if it was absolutely necessary to switch to the Manual trans intake. and swap the harness. My VE is auto and I really dont wanna tear the whole dash and swap ecu`s. I know there`s a way to bypass the neutral safety. I helped a friend in my shop do an SR/Manual trans in an S13 240 and was wondering if all the electrical mumbo jumbo was required... thanks

 

go to the harness plug and just connect the brown to the green/black and you'll be set. here's a pic from my a/t->m/t swap. you see both harness plugs there... note the Y/B is wrong and it should be R/B for reverse. FSM had a typo. Anyhow i just popped the wires out and swapped them around to make my wiring work. well it WOULD work except my N/R switch is broken so i will put that in when i drain my tranny for my new clutch.


that's how i wired my clutch switch. I grabbed the brown from up on top of the SMJ, and the green/black from the harness on top of the ECU/TCU bracket thing. as for the ascd cancel i just popped one terminal out of the brake pedal harness, put it onto the clutch pedal, and spliced the open wire on both togher to finish the series circuit:

 

I'll try to disable it this weekend when I have a moment. I have almost no time to even eat or sleep this week...

 

I have a VG. I think you are referring to the variable intake manifold that came with the VE-5. No, I don't think you have to, as it doesn't have anything to do with the tranny...But it does help power, even on autotragic VE's. There is no need to change ECU's. There are 4 plugs containing 20 wires that go to an automatic tranny. You need 1 plug and 4 wires for the manual. The rest can just be cut and taped off. The wiring procedure is on here somewhere. Search for it, or when you get to that point post a thread and I'm sure me, Capedcadaver, Grnmxdmon, or someone else who's done the swap can help you out.

 

my wiring is teh sex. just thought i'd put that out there.

 

I have just today disabled the NPS. I didn't mind having to hold the shifter to the right to start the car, but in the last few weeks it has become much worse. It was to the point where I would have to hold the key in the start position and position the stick EXACTLY somewhere between neutral and second gear.

Upon taking care of this issue other issues I hoped wouldn't happen presented themselves. When the NPS is disabled it takes with it the reverse lights and cruise control. I guess the only way to FULLY fix the problem is a new NPS from the dealer...GRRR!

(I NEED cruise control)

 

Pshh... CC is way overrateed IMO. I never use it if I have a manual tranny. I think it takes the fun out of driving the car! Well GL with the other issues tho!

 

courtesy has them for like $25. but it might be a simpler fix than that. pull the NPS out (that is, if you can manage to get it out without breaking it into pieces) and pull out the white plastic thing with the springloaded ball and contact strip in it. Clean everything up and straighten the contact strip (they bend over time). Then just put it back in (careful not to drop the contact strip into the tranny case) and see if that helps.

 

..... be sure to drain the tranny first and have a bucket under the NPS when you remove it too.


FYI, usually the NPS will come out in pieces. FSM says very specifically to split the case and push it out from the inside. it's stuck in there pretty good, so by the time it comes out from the outside of the tranny, it's going to be junk.

 

yea that's the issue I ran into trying to remove mine... I didn't care about salvaging it, i just was worried about pieces falling back in since i bashed it with a screwdriver a few times. after getting the old RTV out of the way the new one slid in easily tho.

 

if u get a new NPS it comes w/ that lil white contact thing in the tranny. I had to tear down my trans because my striking rod was bent from the junkyard. While I had it all apart, I changed every seal and the NPS in 1 shot

 

just some pics to let you know what you can expect to see




the switch is on the left. the long contacts are for neutral. and the small ones are for reverse, and some other (apparently unused) circuits.

 

For the price I will just get a new one. I tried to salvage the one from my VG M/T, but ended up breaking it. A new one sound like the way to go.