mfgaffney

I have been thinking about swapping my TH 400 for a 4 or 5 spd. I would asppreciate advice/comments from anyone who has gone this route. I have a 74 BB coupe. Is a Keisler kit really $5K!!! :eek:

John 65

Pulled the auto and put a BW super t10 swap meet trans in the 80 last year and loving it . Lots of work especially hanging the pedal assembly. Not excatly a Keisler set up but I enjoy it. Got all the used parts from ebay. Good luck

Gordonm

The keisler kit is just shy of 3K. With the pedals and some other stuff you need you will probably have about another 500 in it. The overdrive is real nice to have.

robertmc48

I don't want to make anybody angry...not my style. I have never understood why anyone would buy a high performance car and then have an automatic transmission in it ? My "rain/work" car is an automatic. When I drive my Corvette I want to "drive it"...not just aim it and go. Know what I mean ? Put something you can shift in it..no matter what it is...I think you'll have more fun.

rob75383

I thought about this swap many times, but the sheer amount of work involved makes me think its easier to just sell your current car, and buy a vette that came with a manual trans from the factory.
I'm a bit over 6'3", and its cramped now, so I can't imagine having to pump my left leg up and down every few seconds, I'd have to get a 10" steering wheel. Right now, when at rest, my left knee is wedged between the door and steering wheel.

Besides, I'm personally gonna wait for GM to start mass producing the 6 speed automatic tranny I read about in CHP a while back.

-As far as the "it aint a sports car unless its got a manual trans" point of view, some others would say it aint a vette without a big block between the frame rails... or that A/C doesn't belong on a sports car. They are all just opinions.

nd4speed

darkhorse performance has a generic kit for 1699.00. I'm not sure where everyones getting the 3k from. maybe I'm missing something. :confused:

Schmucker

No, it isn't a Vette if it does have a big block.

I too would like to do this swap eventually. But I really don't know anything about manuals. It's sad really. I know a good amount about automatics. I can see the fitment problem, I'm 6'4". I don't have my knee wedged anywhere like ElkGrove. I have the wheel all the way out with the telescoping adjustment. What I worry about is clipping off the turn signal lever.

corvettecris

keisler is more(3k) because it comes with a bracket for the x member, a cut driveshaft, and it is modded for the correct placement of the shifter + some other goodies. I did the darkhorse way, and just did the fabrication and parts-hunting myself. Saved a bundle, but spent a while doing the work and putting it all together. That was ok with me though, because I bought my vette to fiddle with. If I wanted something that I didnt want to work on, I would have bought a Honda....
:rolleyes:

But, if you decide to go this way, I can help you with the 5 speed installation part. As far as converting from auto, I dunno.....I have been under my dash though, and it loks like doing anything up in there would be a pita.

lyonsh

I talked to the Keisler folks at Carlisle last year. They were very knowledgeable and helpful - nice guys. I asked them about a "bolt on" auto to manual conversion kit, and they went through it with me line by line. It was extremely informative.

The kicker - the total cost would have been over $5,000. :eek:

I still want to do it, but .... :crazy:

:cheers:

Summerfun

Mfgaffney,
I have a '74BB that used to have a TH 400.
The engine and tranny combo is now sitting on my garage floor, stored probably forever!!

I put in one BB after the other over a 9 year period until I reached my current setup and first installed a BW Super T-10 and then went to
a Richmond 6-speed and Centerforce Dual friction clutch setup.

I'm in HEAVEN :D :D That 6-speed is unbelievable as you gain top and bottom!

BTW, someone had the whole setup (Richmond 6 and Centerforce Dual friction) for sale in the C3 parts for sale section last week for 2200.....it is a GREAT price!!! I did mention it to someone else last week, don't know if he went for it.

Again it is a very good price for what you get....sounds like I'm the seller....I'm not!! :chevy

applevette

I keep going back and forth btwn a five speed, or a built 2004r with a manual valve body and ratchet shifter. Can't decide which one. Might be dictated by the pocket book and lack of a place to do the work my self.

Wanna see some debating...

Aren't automatics faster?

Corey_68

Go to your local drag strip and you'll see what Autos are popular. High HP Manual cars area a blast, I OWN one, but for the quickest e.t. autos rule. :yesnod:

robertmc48

The last time I was at the dragstrip the pro stocks were all manuals...and they were pretty fast. 7 seconds or so as I remember !!!!

SharkPilot

I did this swap a few years ago in my '69. It took me many months to gather the parts. This was prior to eBay.
I had an assembly manual and got all the needed part numbers from there. A friend at a local Chevy dealer ordered the parts. I found the trans in the classifieds, and bought the bell housing used.
I used nothing but factory parts. All of the linkage and shifter parts were bought new. I didn't want to deal with old/bent/worn used parts.
The toughest part of the job was swapping the pedals. That took an entire weekend of work. While the steering column and brake cylinder were out, a friend welded the bracket onto the frame for the clutch cross shaft.
It was kinda funny. I drove the car for the final week as an auto... with a clutch pedal too.
Then it took another weekend to swap the transmissions. After a day of adjustments and learning to drive it, I was off, stirring my own gears.
I have regretted it only a few times. Each of those times I was sitting in our miserable SoCal traffic.
So I say... Go for it. :yesnod: You'll enjoy the results. :party:

Hope this wasn't too long winded.

All the best... :steering:

James B

I too and going to do an auto to manual swap. Once you aquire everything you need to do the swap its just a matter of finding time and knowing how everything goes together. Im lucky because my neighbor down the street has swapped a 6 speed into his 73 and my freind bobby has taken his transmission out so many times hes lost count. Find you some good knowlegable freinds to help you out and it will make things much easyer. I heard the hardest part of the swap is putting in the pedals because off all the stuff that is in the way like the steering column and dash. Thanks for the read and good luck

James

Rbbmoose427

I did the swap from Auto to the Keisler 5 speed this summer and I'm very happy with it - My (68 - 427/390) is much more fun to drive with the 5 speed. In hindsight, I should have got a manual to start with, but the 5 speed shifts much better and the overdrive 5th is great to have.

Everything comes with the Keisler kit, but the throwout bearing - You also need to make sure they send you the correct flyweel/bell housing for your starter (or buy a new starter as I did)... It's not a weekend job - and not exactly bolt in because you have to weld bracket on the frame - but I would definitely do it again...

Ray

90 KOTH

There's also a recent thread on this topic over on the Corvette Action Center C3 Technical Forum. It's got a lot of the basic information you'll need. I'm waiting for delivery of my Keisler kit now (it takes quite a while). My total cost is approx. $4000. I'm getting the basic kit from Keisler which is approx $3200 and I gathered the pedals, linkage, clutch, flywheel etc myself from various sources for about $700.

Phil

gerry72

First, it has been a while since you were at a dragstrip. They'd laugh you off the track if you aren't deep into the 6.80s running PS. There is also no similarity, other than a clutch pedal, between the transmission they use in PS to what you use on the street. Likewise for a dragrace automatic.

As to being perplexed over the question (I know you didn't raise it) of why anyone would bother owning an automatic Corvette... I suppose that if one had a choice of options in buying a used car you could raise this as an issue. But unless I greatly misunderstand used cars, you take what you can get.

In the case of C3 Corvettes, there have always been more automatics produced than manuals so the odds are immediately against you from a numbers perspective.

Is it right for a performance car to have an automatic and is someone in their right mind to even consider owning such a car? Gee, I don't know. Ask someone who owns an L88 automatic.

And unless I also misunderstand genetics, having an automatic in a Corvette doesn't diminish your manhood or make your weiner smaller. You are who you are regardless of how the power reaches the differential.

I have an automatic Vette and I'am fine with it. I can also appreciate that someone who has a manual in their Vette should be fine too. If you have a preference for one or the other, then that should dictate your car shopping. If you don't, then the list of candidates is a lot longer.

wgc_3

Wow! I have been looking for a kit like this for a good year or so. Does anyone, know where I can get the floor pedal, and clutch linkage? I hear the clutch linkage is really the problem.

Thanks,
wgc_3