Automatic to Manual swap

I am looking to buy a Mustang from years about 1989-1993. My only problem is all the good mustang (i.e. good milage, good condition, etc) are all automatics. How hard is it (not for me, but the process and to get it done) to swap out an automatic transmission for a 5spd. And around how much would such a process costs. And also, what else is involved. Any help would be appreciated.

i say manual valve body that automatic

the are a few companies that make kits for changing auto to manual, but they sell for 2000 dollars plus. however if your really up to it and u know your way around mustangs, go out and buy a junked manual and swap the old parts over. but its not JUST swap, their will be a lot of customizing and custom fitting some parts involved. u may also then have to get your computer tweeked for a manual as well. hope this helps a little.

This has definetly been asked before...

#1 If you are planning to pay some1 to do it for you.... just stop yaself and keep looking for a 5-speed Stang.

#2 Now if you are going to do it yaself it's a very simple and easy swap. There is no real customization needed. About the only thing you might say is customization is installing the clutch/brake pedal assembly.

u may also then have to get your computer tweeked for a manual as well. hope this helps a little.

Computer???
:banghead:
What computer?
There is a computer in a 93 stang?

u may also then have to get your computer tweeked for a manual as well. hope this helps a little.
Nope an auto computer will work on a manual car, it will just run slightly richer. An auto car with a manual computer is a no no.

But yeah the swap is easy and can be done very cheap if you get all your parts at a junkyard. the only main problem will be getting the pedal assembly in. Although like GTstang said, if your going to pay someone to do the swap, you might as well keep looking till you find exactly what you want.

If your still set on getting an auto and converting it, I'll let you know how it goes when I do mine in the spring.

alright, thanks for all the replies. Since I know I don't know enough about cars to do a swap, I think I will just keep looking for a 5spd. Cuase hey, if it is meant to be, then it will be meant to be.

Nope an auto computer will work on a manual car, it will just run slightly richer. An auto car with a manual computer is a no no.

But yeah the swap is easy and can be done very cheap if you get all your parts at a junkyard. the only main problem will be getting the pedal assembly in. Although like GTstang said, if your going to pay someone to do the swap, you might as well keep looking till you find exactly what you want.

If your still set on getting an auto and converting it, I'll let you know how it goes when I do mine in the spring.

Hi-Flow Mr. Lover of the auto is going to the dark-side! LoL, Let me know when you get to it. Maybe I can make a run up there and help you out.

It won't be till spring, I still have to get all the parts for the swap. I'll be sure to let you know when it goes down though. Hey did you ever find out that info of the Mustang junkyard in NH? I wouldn't mind taking a trip up there.

i too am going to swap my auto for a 5spd but and a little shady on the process, im very car handy, i built my own trans am from the frame up but i have never tried to swap a auto for a 5spd, would u have to cut the drive shaft? would the floor be cut? what would the clutch pedal be mounted to? do u just drop it in and go?
mabey theres a link i can goto that i can read up on this?
anyone got one handy?
thanks

Hey i have a t5 borg-warner out of a 2.3l. I know the case works for a v8, buthte gut will have to be changed i am told. I myself am changing or think of changing my 5 spd for the auto that came witht he motor i am getting. I am getting a 302 HO out of a ltd crusier. Hey i am in maine, like a 1/2 hour form NH. WHere is the mustang graveyard?

Guys, since its an Auto to manual swap thread I thought I might try and get my Question answered here..

How much would it cost to swap in a TKO tranny into an Auto car? Ive seen some cheap Fox Mustangs with auto trannies and high mileage engines, got a good engine lying at home, 351w :smooch: , but I dont want another auto :dunno:
Also how strong are the TKOs?
:)

#1 No the driveshaft on Fox stangs are the same for auto or manual.
#2 The floor does not need to be cut.
#3 The auto car's brake pedal needs to be removed and you need to get one from a 5-speed car cause the brake pedal and clutch are a one piece unit.
#4 Yea I forgot I do need to get Menard's address and number up here for you guys.
#5 TKO swap cost:(all prices are averages)
Bellhousing $200
Clutch $250
TKO $1300
Crossmember $90
Driveshaft or adapter $50 or $200(I think)
Pedal Assembly, Clutch Cable etc.., $200

I hope those prices are for new pieces. Also just a side note. An auto and 5-speed driveshaft are slightly different, but still interchangeable on either car. The auto d/s has a weight ring around the front of the d/s right before the yoke. I think it's supposed to do something with stability in an AOD, but not sure there.

k well im doin a v8 swap next month, the 2.3 has got to go, the 5.0 is in, right now it has a 2.3 with an automatic, im going to change over to a 5.0L with a stick, do i need to cut the drive shaft or is a 2.3 tranny and a 5.0 tranny the same length? do i need a new crossmember to hold the tranny?
any additional info would be great thanks!

well boys its on, i blew my tranny doing world record burn outs last night, like 10 min long, i got new tires and thought it would be fun to burn till they popped,
im going to attempt a auto to manual swap this weekend, ill let everyone know how it goes,
any advice before i begin?

1. Know what yuor doing before u try it..

2. You sound like me...

3. i love the second line in your sig...

i know i definitally posess the skills and knowledge on how to do this, but i have never attempted to do this certain thing, the logics seem simple and i know how to install and manual tranny and an auto tranny, just never swapped them before,
i understand that the manual will bolt into the existing body with no cutting or anything required, and i need a new brake petal because the clutch pedal is attached to it, other then that its just a strait up swap correct?
the compture will work, just run a little richer so im told
anything im missing?
this is a 2.3 engine that im swapping an auto for a 5 spd
ps: i have about 5MB of pictures of these massive burn outs if anyone wants to see them my msn is [email protected]
and my icq is 30503639
ill be happy to send them over

I don't know if the computer has to be changed if it's a 2.3? I know for a 5.0 you can use an auto comp on a manual car.

meh im sure it will be fine, im an electrician ill figure something out

hey GTSTANG
will the bolts fit right into the cross member? no need to re position the cross member? or shifter?

The slotted holes on the crossmember give you enough play to put either tranny in.

k i dropped the auto tranny tonight no problems, smooth and easy, just time comsuming, i got my 5spd i measured them up for length, the 5spd is about 1/2 to an 1" shorter then the auto, will this be a problem or will the drive shaft just not sit into the tranny as far
also a question that i have been asking myself is, when i put the new clutch into the 5spd where should i drill a hole in the firewall to feed the clutch shift cable?

how do i set this up so that it will work every time and wont kink and such?

i more thing, my new clutch came with the throw bearing, but there is no inner bearing like on a chevy, is there ones on ford? im talking about the bearing that sits on the very tip of the tranny and slides into the crank
my cousin says there should be one but it dosent look like there is supposed to be one
any advice greatly appreciated

Also how strong are the TKOs?
:)

The TKO will take twice what you're going to throw at it.

k i dropped the auto tranny tonight no problems, smooth and easy, just time comsuming, i got my 5spd i measured them up for length, the 5spd is about 1/2 to an 1" shorter then the auto, will this be a problem or will the drive shaft just not sit into the tranny as far
also a question that i have been asking myself is, when i put the new clutch into the 5spd where should i drill a hole in the firewall to feed the clutch shift cable?

how do i set this up so that it will work every time and wont kink and such?

i more thing, my new clutch came with the throw bearing, but there is no inner bearing like on a chevy, is there ones on ford? im talking about the bearing that sits on the very tip of the tranny and slides into the crank
my cousin says there should be one but it dosent look like there is supposed to be one
any advice greatly appreciated

Driveshaft from auto is fine to use on a 5-speed. The hole should already be there on the driver's side of the firewall. Inner bearing is called the input shaft bearing. You can get one from ya local Ford dealer.

I've done the swap before. Mind you my car is a carburate 5.0 swap from a 4 banger. Anyway, you will need the tranny clutch, and flywheel. I got my clutch pedal assembly from an 86 4 banger with a 4 speed tranny, which was nice because of the self adjusting clutch. The flywheel bolts are longer than the automatic's flexplate, also the transmisssion bellhousing bolts I believe are longer, or shorter "I forget". The crossmember, i do not know about because I had to switch to a double hump crossmember because of the swap.

ok guys i got my clutch petal today and there is a whole bunch of sensores attached to it, what do i do with them? just leave em alone?

at this site they tell you how they did their AOD to T5 conversion
http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/transmission.shtml
only problem is that you much have a subscription, but they have lots of other good stuff on that site, so it might be worth it.

ok trouble today and lots of it,
once i got the clutch all in place i put the tranny in, took a long ass time but we got it in
my problems lie here, my drive shaft wont fit into the tranny, either that or its a really tight ass fit
2. my cross member is no where near the tranny mount of the 5spd, all night tonight im going to fabricate a new crossmember to make it fit

the clutch isnt in yet but it looks like its going to be a big job, should i take out the steering column as it looks like im going to have to
thanks for the help guys

You don't need a new crossmember. Just bust the tack welds that keep it from sliding on the cans of the bushing. Now you can slide it back and forth all you want. Line it up tack weld it your done.
Also I have no idea why you can't get your driveshaft to go into your tranny. I have 2 AOD's and 1 T-5, with matching driveshafts in my garage. I just went out and checked, they are all interchangable

This a 2.3L motor, that you installing a T5 into correct? Which means the orig trans was an A4LD if the car is a 87-93 FOX. I'm not sure if the 4 cyl auto trans driveshaft will fit a V8 manual? I do know that pre 87 cars used different driveshafts for the different transmissions used. What year is your car, and what year did you get your parts from?

my car is a 1990 stang with a 4 banger with an auto tranny
i blew the tranny and put a 5spd in it, the 5spd is for a 4 banger im not sure what year the tranny come from but i was told it would fit, the damn thing is so close to size it has to fit there is no way it cant

update:
i hooked up all the electrical shit today put the clutch pedal in and hooked up the clutch linkage, tommorow im going to attempt the drive shaft then fire it up and go from there

i dont care what anyone says
that god damn drive shaft does not fit into the tranny
tommorow im just going to get the one off the car i got the tranny from

everything else has gone smooth,
clutch pedal was very easy just time consuming cause i had to take the whole steering column out,
what else...
i started it today and everything shifts smooth and the clutch works,
its just funny cause i dont have to push the clutch in to start it, that could be trouble
lol
ill let everyone know how it goes
on a bonus i put my saleen wing on today!!!
:)

You can start the car without pushing the clutch in cause you didn't wire up the pedal assembly right. No biggie as long as you don't goto a Dragway cause most will check to see if that works in tech.

yeah i didnt even bother to try and hook up the clutch too much work, i have to put new wiring harness in my car cause the computer is still auto and there is no clutch wires comming from the car to hoop up so i just left it blank

i put the drive shaft in today, the new one, much easier just a charm,
all i got left to do is put the new clutch cable in, i got the new cable a lined up but i can find anything to clamp the end down
any idea's
everything i used just lets the cable slide through it then the clutch wont engage cause theres too much slack

I was trying to figure out how to do a tranny swap, and i found this link

http://www.saabnet.com/sites/900conversion/tswap.html

and i hope it helps someone.

I just bought an '89 mustang GT. It was a 5spd but for some reason the guy converted it to automatic. It came out to 380whp which feels like 300 with the 3 spd auto, so I'm wanting to change it back & need to know what all i need out of a manual.