hey all, i got a 98 SOHC automatic .. and i hate it. I've seen a few people on car domain and all that have done a manual swap. I've looked around a lil bit but not really finding the answers. i do eventually plan on getting turbo..


how much is this goin 2 cost?? im assumming quite a bit
how easy is it to do yourself?
has anybody on here done it?


i just hate auto cars, ive had manuals all my life... but still IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE ON ATX

 

1st if you are gonna go turbo, stay with the auto. check out modernperformance.com, they have valve bodys for around $300, that will crisp up the shifts a bit.

 

There's a lot you can do with the atx to make it better, but it's going to take a lot of money to get it close to the output of the mtx, and it's still not as reliable with high-powered engines. The atx is nice for bracket racing, but the 3.55 mtx is still the preferred tranny for a turbo setup. If you want more info on building up the atx, neons.org is a much better resource.

Swapping from atx to mtx isn't remarkably difficult. You'll need the tranny (including dust shields), the tranny mount, the tranny-to-engine brace, the pedal assembly, the shifter assembly, the clutch cable, and the shifter cables, both front axles (make sure they're ABS if that's what you have) and clutch from a donor car. To avoid getting a CEL (torque converter crap), you can pick up a used PCM for a mtx as well. If you're lucky, you can pick it all up for $600-800 or so at a salvage yard, or you can hunt around for a beat up/wrecked/non-running used Neon for about the same price. With any luck, you'll get the modular clutch assembly which will bolt directly onto the flexplate you currently have. Otherwise, you just have to remove your flexplate and install the non-modualr flywheel and all (alignment tool would be a great idea...). Better yet would be to pick up a brand new modular clutch assembly for a PT Cruiser if you have the funds ($250 or so). The job will be a lot easier with at least 1 extra person and some sort of support for the tranny (3rd person, cherry picker, tranny jack). The auto tranny is a bit heavier than the manual, which weighs in around 85 pounds dry. You'll also want to head to the dealer ahead of time and get 3 quarts of Mopar Manual Transaxle Fluid, around $12 per quart... don't tell them it's for a Neon or they'll tell you to put in ATF+4 (despite the all caps/bold warning in the FSM not to do so...). Tell them it's for a PT Cruiser... same gearbox...

Trannies can be swapped out in a day with just hand tools. Getting the axles in/out of the hubs, lining up the tranny to the engine, and dealing with rusty bolts (battery tray in my case) are the biggest hassles.

Best of luck!

 

Found this great suggestion... I will be replacing 3-speed AT in '01 Neon with 5-speet MT.

Can anyone suggest any links with pictures or more suggestions, on what needs to be done? My Neon has 96K km on it, and I already located donor car with 11K km on it.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

 

if he was going to go turbo why would he want to stay with the auto? would the same go for me? i have an 04 Neon.

 

Autos are nice for consistency in bracket racing, and the taller gearing means less spinup time for the turbo between shifts. It's a give and take deal. Most people prefer to just stick with the 3.55 final drive of the extra 15% power to the wheels though. Plus, the torque converter isn't all that great at handling that much power. The 3-speed is the same tranny used in the Omni...

 

yeah i'd really like to know if keeping an automatic is smart if you want a turbo, you guys prolly know that i want to turbo my 02 neon atx. I dont know why it'd be a waste, i know a lot of cars with automatics and have turbos/superchargers

 

Bottom line is that if you are looking for a car that is fast and consistant at the track stick with the ATX, if you want a car that is fast and sounds cool when you shift then use the MTX.