Harold Heiner and I did this conversion on his car as all of you know.. If you want info on it he is currently doing a write-up but if you need info before it is complete email me(cbr2@softhome.net) AND him. Between the 2 of us we should be able to answer all of your q's. We will also answer Q's left on this post. Here is a list of what one will need to do it.
-Tranny ($550)
-Flywheel
-Manual drive shafts
-clutch kit(pressure plate, clutch, bearing) ($150)
-Shifter
-Shifter linkage bars
-Master cylinder
-Slave cylinder
-Brake pedal
-Clutch pedal
-Clutch cylinder lines

What you don't need
-New ECU
-Manual wire harness

 

I have a question, was this your first one, and how long did you study this before you did it?

 

It was the first time.. We did not study it at all...
I never even did a maxima clutch before.. Only work I had ever done on a max. was interior and once removed an auto tranny. (never put it back in)
As for Harold, he had never done anything on a car mechanically...
I have a G20 in manual which I had done the clutch in. This was the only mechanical experience w/ a nissan besides the tranny pull.

 

Okay, now I'm REALLY impressed.

 

Thanks.....

 

I've always been interested in doing this conversion, though i have always been told that it is not worth it and that i should just buy a stick, how much did it run you guys to pull off this whole conversion? Just a ball park figure nothing specific but something to play with. Any reliability issue that you have to deal with yet or seeing come up? thanks

 

its alot cheaper for you guys to start with a 5spd car....

 

cost ~$1000 then sell your auto (worth like $500)
so $500

 

First, thanks for your assistance with those who wish to do this.

Second, I'm pretty sure this isn't the case for 97 to 99 Maximas as well as a 96. My impression is you did this on a 95, the "easiest" to do ECU-wise because it was still OBDI and not OBDII. Did you research this aspect of the swap for later model year Maximas?

 

I think you guys are out thinking yourselves.. The manual tranny is NOT electronic at all... If you can get your car to start and rev.. Then it will work.. We used a late 96 tranny in a early 1995.. ECU means nothing!! if you were trying to go from 5speed to automatic you would be right.

 

So it will be different with my 97 ECU ?

 

Don't even talk about this OBD thing.. Don't even think about it.. If you have the 4th gen body style any 4th gen 5speed will work.. NO ECU SWAP...

 

cbr2 has a very good point, the TCM controls the automatic transmission, not the ecu, the 5 speeds are free to overrev and die upon hitting abou 8000. Only one question though, wouldn't the lack of a TCM signal to the ECU cause a check engine light?

 

Yup.. u cause a check engine.. But due to the overdirve switch..

 

Which Diagnostic Trouble Codes are set?

I wonder what would happen if you simply disconnected the Transmission Control Unit from the Engine Control Module. Did you already try that?

 

Anyway to bypass it?

 

Actually the light did not come one after the switch of the tranny...
See we did the tranny swap.. Then we did the shifter assembly swap..
We started it after the tranny swap...
And it everything was fine.. Then harold pushed the OD. button and set off the light.. I think if you just bypassed the swtich to make it stay on then reset the light it would stay off.. Harold did not care so we did not try anything..

 

So just reset the ECU ,and you should be set. That is, get the erro code, then reset it. I can't believe that this was really that simple(relatively) and that you all weren't experts on this. I give SO much respect to people that do difficult things. SO much respect.

 

heh where ya guys live you could start a little maxima.org buisness of the switch=/

 

Harold= Louisville, KY
ME(Chaz) = Jacksonville, Fl

 

Have any pictures? I would just like to see how clean the install is. Yea, mad props on the install. I know if I did it the clutch would work backwards or something and you'd have to let it out to shift.

PJ

 

How about mods in the center console/

 

Sorry about the waaaay delayed response haha, but the interior looks dead up factory. I will have LOADS of pics of the whole conversion coming soon (hopefully have them to bring w/ me to maxus) along w/ the detailed instructions.

I had NO idea even where the tranny was in my car, I had loads of trouble changing my brake pads haha, and just so you all know... I CHANGED MY OWN CLUTCH TODAY!!! means I pulled my tranny out and everything, thats about 75% of the conversion haha

The more I learn about cars teh WAAAAY simpler they seem, and CBR2 is right, as long as the car starts and revs, you are set to go, the clutch and tranny is completely manual, not computer controlled like the automatic. I am currently running the auto ecu, but Ihave the 5spd. Maybe at maxus I will run both on the track to see which does better... the auto feels INCREDIBLE !

 

Jut so everyone knows (and did not think it burned out fast). Harold wanted to go to some expensive aftermarket clutch but we could not find one here in Jax so we used the used clutch that came from the parts car in the conversion as a test. When he found out the price of the nice one this past week he just went to Autozone and got their clutch kit and installed it...

 

Ok i want to do this...email me with what i need to get and all the other stuff when u get it together......i should just go to a junkyard and get all the stuff from there eh?>let me know guys!

 

I too want to do the 5-speed switch REALLY soon. Please post the write up and all the necessary parts soon, and where to go to get the parts. Thanks

K

 

Bill,

i dunno about ALL 95's but MY 95 Max is OBDII. guaranteed, from what i know and belive, ALL 95's and up are OBDII, but i wouldnt bet large amounts of money on it cause im not 100% sure.


CBR2, i have 2 honest questions as i am doing the swap soon. 1st is how to bypass the cluth inhibitor switch and relay on the auto tranny? 2nd is, you metioned dont need to change wiring harness, so you left the auto harness in? how does that work with the Tranny ECU? seems odd...maybe you can help me...thanks!

 

Only thing we did was bypassed the Park-N start switch (Just jumped the plug)
The speed senor just hooked up and we left the other plugs (I think like 3) unplugged.. No problem.. We did try one time to get the Manual tranny D-N-R switch working on the reverse lights. But since it was dark after one try we gave up.. Has to be easy to fix though.

 

just remembered this too (and I cant remember if we posted it already) but ABS brakes are gonna be a HUGGGGE pain if you do this.. expect to add a couple hours I'd say if you have ABS brakes... yuck

our donor car had ABS so thats how I knew, and thank god mine didnt.

 

I have been thinking of making the switch from Auto to manual. Here is my situation:

I currently have a 95 Max (auto) with goodies. I just purchased another 95 Max (5 speed). The one I just purchased needs some body work on the front end. The reason I bought it was because I just happened to have my old bumper, head lights and hood from my auto Max, so most of the work on the body is done! I bought the car with the purpose of slapping on my extra goods and selling it. But that 5 speed tranny is calling my name...since I won't have to buy a new tranny to complete this deal, should I do it? I could swap out the tranny's and sell the re-paired car as an automatic! Let me know if you guys think this is a good idea or should I just let things be!

 

I don't think thats a good idea. You're swapping in 2 cars? Getting the manual to become an auto shouldnt be as easy as turn it into a manual.

Imagine, you're losing resale value on both cars. (whatever lil bit is left ) Why not just mod the manual, and sell the auto?

 

I thought about that but I already have a lot of things on the auto and I don't like the color of the manual

 

You can't go in the reverse....So if you do the swap you will still need a manual tranny for the other car..

 

ok, that answers that question. Thanks guys

 

and do the auto into the 5spd, but it would be a waaay harder project. The automatic transmission has 3 more wiring harnesses then the 5spd, so you would have to rewire all the way back (not as easy as it sounds, trust me), and the shifter cable would be quite a pain on the auto. It would definately be more challenging then its probably worth, but you know what - EVERYBODY told me that about doing the auto--->5spd conversion too! Do whatever you want, its your day!

 

I'm highly against this conversion, but, my brother is curious and really wants to do this... i have several questions, and mind you, i've had extensive knowledge and experience with Hondas and cable driven trannies (which are better imho)...so some of these may not apply.

- How is the cable routed to the slave cylinder?
- Are there any special brackets that need to be purchased?
- How heavy is the tranny?
- Is there an intermediate shaft and does it have to be replaced with one from a 5spd?
- I assume when you say "driveshafts", you mean the halfshafts/driveaxles?
- How is the clutch pedal affixed to the floorboard?
- Are there different clutch kits for different years and differen trannys? ie. GXE Tranny has x-amount of splines, therefore needs x-clutch kit, whereas SE tranny has x-amount of splines, there needs a different x-clutch kit?
- Do the hub/knuckles have to be modified to work with the manual driveaxles?
- Reverse lamp, does it work?
- clutch safety switch, is there one?

There's more questions, but, I don't want to bombard you =)

 

- How is the cable routed to the slave cylinder?

There is no cable. It's hydraulic. Makes things alot easier.

- Are there any special brackets that need to be purchased?

Probabaly the 5-sp tranny mounts.

- How heavy is the tranny?

Lighter than the auto.

- Is there an intermediate shaft and does it have to be replaced with one from a 5spd?

The passenger side uses a long shaft that rides on a coupling but so does the auto.

- I assume when you say "driveshafts", you mean the halfshafts/driveaxles?

Yes.
- How is the clutch pedal affixed to the floorboard?

Usually automakers make autos/manual unibodies the same. So there should be a hole already for the clutch pedals and slave cyinders. Just have to be punched or drilled out.

- Are there different clutch kits for different years and differen trannys? ie. GXE Tranny has x-amount of splines, therefore needs x-clutch kit, whereas SE tranny has x-amount of splines, there needs a different x-clutch kit?

In general autos are autos and manuals are manuals. You should use the 5-sp driveshafts though.

- Do the hub/knuckles have to be modified to work with the manual driveaxles?

Since the cv joints go though the lower control arm mounts, it's not really an issue.

- Reverse lamp, does it work?

Non-issue really. If you have been successfull up to this point, rigging a reverse switch should be a piece of cake. But I suppose you can rig a switch using the manual tranny wires and the automatic wiring harness.

- clutch safety switch, is there one?

I would just install the one from the manual (under the pedal) and tie into one of the auto's D,R,123 safety lock outs.

I would more worry about if both cars have abs or not.

 

According to http://www.motorvate.ca/ the 5-speed weighs 107 pounds.

 

im still curious how the auto tranny ECU is bypassed....

hlh0501, i dont wanna start flames but you ARENT the first to do an auto-5speed conversion. Mehran did his maybe 1 1/2 years ago, im not sure about anyone else. Juss giving credit where credit is due. I wouldnt be too happy if someone came on a year later and said they did their turbo setup first...

 

Doesnt the ECU look for the auto tranny to be in the PArk or Neutral position before it allows the engine to crank