I am curious to know how crazy the idea of changing my 76 vett from an automatic tranny to a 4 speed.. what would it involve changing, and how much am i looking to spend if i do the work and this idea is even do-able?
thanks

 

I am doing this very thing right now. It is VERY doable. There are quite a few folks that have already done it on the forum. However, I would not recommend it as a beginner mod. You will need a very good set of tools and a garage to do the work. Not something you can do in a driveway. You will have to spend a pretty good chunk of money getting the parts to do the switch. Some are a real pain to find. There are some weird quirks to doing the change. Like the bracket assembly that houses the pedals for power brakes is different than for standard brakes. I am gonna convert to standard brakes so it's not a big deal for me. Also, some parts you can NOT buy brand new. The brake pedal is not available new, although you can trim down the power brake pedal and make it work. There is a special mount that the transmission bolts onto that attaches to the transmission crossmember that is also NOT available brand new.
Transmission will cost you around $2000. Either a Richmond 4-speed or a new Muncie 4-speed can be used. They are interchangeable.
You will need a new bellhousing, all the clutch linkage and pedals,
clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing, a pilot bushing for the crankshaft (hopefully the crankshaft is already drilled for the pilot bushing), and gearshift and linkage. On mine the trans yoke from the Turbo 400 and driveshaft will fit perfectly. A Turbo 350 this is not the case.
Like I said....this is NOT something I would recommend for a beginner.
If you get started on the project and need help, there are plenty of people here that can give you advice. They have been VERY helpful to me and I owe them a debt of gratitude. A rough guess on the cost...
around $3500...more or less. Depends how many parts you can get a good deal on.

Dep

 

thanks a bunch for the information, unfortunatly i would have to consider myself a beginner, but luckily my step father is very experience with cars. He mentioned once to me that he has done the same procedure to a car he had when he was younger. Hopefully if i get the money to do this, he may be able to help and make this dream a reality. thanks again for the help

 

You can buy a rebuilt Muncie for a lot less than $2K, probably under $1K.

 

Jesse,
I did this very same conversion in March, 76 with a turbo 350 out and Muncie 4 speed in. I have a few pictures in my corvette pictures.

Deps right about this not being for beginers but with some help it is very doable. Sometimes it can be frustrating but having done it... the driving fun factor is double! it completely changed the personality of the Vette

I was able to get almost everything but the clutch from a forum member for $700. these deals are out there just keep looking. now with the exception of the clutch and a few boots and springs the rest were used but all very useable and I am very happy with the results. I had no issues with the 350 trans yoke or the trans mount I used my auto stuff. I would guess I have less than $1000 in it total.

If you need advise several of the forum members were very helpful. read some of my posts.

Good luck

John

 

Doing a major converdsion of this type, the one of the last LAST items I would use that was rebuilt would be a transmission. You can get a new Muncie or Richmond and not have to worry about something going bad on it for a LONG time. How good a rebuild is depends on how good the guy who does the rebuild is. And how good the parts are that he replaces. And whether he replaces ALL the parts that need replacing.
Just too many variables to consider using a rebuilt.

Dep

 

What you really want is overdrive. Whether it's a 700R4 or 200-4R auto, or a 5 or 6 speed manual. Why? So you can drive down the freeway with dignity, instead of your engine screaming at god-knows-how-many-rpm...

Check out www.bowtieoverdrives.com for auto info, or click on the link to Keisler for standard upgrades. Note that an auto upgrade will cost you about $2K, and a standard will run about twice that.

 

He wants a STICK. He already has a slushbox auto
He specified 4-speed. Smallblock Chevys were MADE to scream down the road at "god-knows-how-many-rpm". An auto is not an upgrade.
It's the same old same old. And a 5 or 6 speed belongs on a bicycle, not a car

Dep

 

Hello -

We have sold scores of automatic to 5 or 6 speed conversion kits. We can supply all of the need parts for about $4,500 depending on which, clutch, flywheel etc... you choose.

This would include a brand new Tremec TKO 5 speed modified to fit your car and even have the shifter come up in the factory 4 speed location; a complete hydraulic clutch setup which will save you alot of work and headaches versus the old style mechanical linkage you'd have to setup with a Muncie, bellhousing, pedals, flywheel, etc...

Robert Hall - Keisler Engineering sales
Direct Line 423-773-9789
Main number 865-609-8187 ext 280
1966 327/300 Factory A/C
Keisler 5 Speed Vette #001 !

 

One thing you may want to consider:

what condition is your engine in ?? There are many LT1 engines with 5 speed transmissions on Ebay or on junkyards.... get the whole thing for $2500 or less..... these engines and trannys have been installed in many Firebirds/Camaros from 93 and up.... many have ended on junkyards or on Ebay.... hey, a complete 93 Camaro is about $3000-$4000... including fuel injection.... I own a '99 LS1 and it's only worth $7500....

anybody done this ???

 

If you still want a 4 speed, you can get a brand new M-22 here...
http://www.autogear.net/ultimate4speed.htm

http://www.autogear.net/m22ratios.htm

 

Wish I had known that earlier, I could have saved myself a lot of money by buying a Schwinn instead of a ROD.

 

I highly suggest the Keisler route, if you want a stick. From what I've seen they have the best quality and are the easiest to install.

 

thanks for all the help guys,
most likely im going to want a new engine soon as well.. so the idea of getting a tranny and an engine together sounds nice, but i would prefer to have a 4 speed instead of a 5.
im sure most of you know the feeling that you get when you drive this car with a 4 speed instead of an auto tranny.. and hopefully ill be able to share that soon.
thanks again for the help

 

I would suggest that you drive a 5 or 6 speed car before you do anything. The 4 sped is a good tranny but for highway cruising the 5 or 6 speed trannys let you stretch your legs without running your engine at high rpms for long periods. Of course the rear end your car has, has a lot to do with it too. But no matter which stick shift you choose, you will enjoy it tremendously. I can't wait until I save the bucks to make the same swap!
Bernie

 

When talking auto to 4-speed conversion....NO ONE ever mentions the electrical end of it. If your car is street driven, you must consider the back up light switch conversion, and the clutch neutral safety conversion or...modification of the auto neutral safety. Might as well throw in the trans interlock too. You might not care about some of these issues for your own car, but safety inspectors might.
Eddie

 

No offense to the Keisler people and owners of the 5-6 speeds, but some guys just aren't concerned about fuel economy. As to the manual setup on the old style non-hydraulic clutch cars, it's not all that difficult to find or set up. Hardest part is finding the pedal assembly, and after some searching, Vette2Vette fixed me up with a complete pedal assembly for my car for $125. All the rest of the parts are available from Corvette Central and other catalog suppliers. I did some checking and a brand new Richmont Super T-10 4-speed sells for $1,295, That's BRAND NEW. So it may very well be possible to get the whole package done for under $2000.

I suggest YOU decide what YOU want for your car as far as how YOU are going to drive it and how much YOU can afford to spend on it.
It's easy to spitball suggestions to folks when it's their money you're spending. And what may be right for one group of people may not necesarily be right for everyone.

Dep

 

You should have looked onEbay. My Richmond 5 speed that was brand new sold for $1560 and a Centerforce Clutch/Ram flywheel set-up sold for $250 (with less than 10 miles on them.) I would have been able to supply you with all the other part you needed for your conversion as I stated in the auction of the Richmond 5 speed.

 

Eddie is right. There are some "tricky" things you will need to know.
Like the neutral safety switch wires on the floor shifter (they are purple and purple with white stripe on mine...your colors may be different) need to be soldered together or the engine WILL NOT CRANK!!!
I did discover something interesting on mine. It seems Chevy installed a "universal" harness and I also have the plug connector under the dash for the clutch neutral safety switch. So that MAY be a simple changeover. But I don't think I'll hook that stuff up. It has a funny way of conking out at the most embarassing times. And I always push the clutch in to start a car anyway.
Mine isn't street driven so no backup light worries.
Trans interlock...I dunno. Maybe I'll hook it back up.
The good news is if you install a Muncie trans it will be much easier for things like backup light stuff, trans interlock, and speedo cable. Super T-10 is essentially a Muncie that is beefed up, so it will probably be easy on that too.

Hey Eddie....you need to stop over and check out my progress!!!
And bring that item I accidently left at your house

Dep

 

Now if I were to install a 5-speed, THIS is the way I would go. BULLETPROOF!!!!

Hey Solid, were there any major mods you had to do to install the Richmond???

Dep