auto to manual conversion
Record Breaker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,032
Likes: 1
From: Elk Rapids, MI
yeah i definitly wanna go with the nv4500 but finding my truck 5speed is hard enough let anlone in the junk yard. now if i find a tranny out of say a regular cab longbed will i have to have a new driveshaft? or would mine work?? i know i want to change it to 5speed cuz i know the auto trannys are junk. i know mine isnt going to hold much longer so i figured id start my research now save up and piece it together so i should have everything by the time my decides to go.
It doesn't matter what variation the truck is (reg. cab/ext. cab, long box/short box), you will need new drive shafts, front and rear. Even if you get them from the same variation truck, the auto and manual are different lengths.
Do you want to change to a 5 speed because the auto's are "junk", or because you want a 5 speed? An auto tranny (even the 46re/rh ) can be built to handle power and last, and for much less money and headache than swapping a 5 speed in (depending on how you shop for swap parts). Plus you will have a "new" tranny as apposed to a "junkyard" 5 speed.
Someday I will be doing this swap, but only because I am sick of an auto and miss a manual. I have already got a nicely rebuilt auto (just under $3000), so it might not be for a while.
The easiest way to do the swap in my opinion is to snag a donor truck for a good deal (like the one mentioned above), that way you have everything... and thats A LOT of stuff. You will still have to get your PCM flashed from what I understand.
Last edited by olyelr; Aug 26, 2009 at 07:21 PM.
Captain
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 533
Likes: 0
From: Jackson, MO
one thing that is not mentioned here is the pilot bearing, on the 318's like mine at least, you will have to get a new engine or swap the crank, the auto cranks have no pilot bearing hole.
In my case I swapped, but because I gave up on finding a new truck, built the 318 a little and swapped the crank and computer, took some firewall mods to get the pedals to be right, but not too bad.
In my case I swapped, but because I gave up on finding a new truck, built the 318 a little and swapped the crank and computer, took some firewall mods to get the pedals to be right, but not too bad.
Champion
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,839
Likes: 5
From: Apex, NC
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...-5-2l-4x4.html
You will need a flywheel specific to the 5.9L, you cannot substitute a 5.2L flywheel because the two engines are balanced different.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
pedal help
one thing that is not mentioned here is the pilot bearing, on the 318's like mine at least, you will have to get a new engine or swap the crank, the auto cranks have no pilot bearing hole.
In my case I swapped, but because I gave up on finding a new truck, built the 318 a little and swapped the crank and computer, took some firewall mods to get the pedals to be right, but not too bad.
In my case I swapped, but because I gave up on finding a new truck, built the 318 a little and swapped the crank and computer, took some firewall mods to get the pedals to be right, but not too bad.
