A lot. This is like installing air in a car that doesn't have it - possible but silly money and better to just go out and buy the right car, unless you stumble on a wreck with everything you need.

 

We have an install coming up after the first of the year where we are doing just this and installing a manual in an automatic car. The costs really do not justify doing this to a regular car that is not already heavily modified. If it is just a stock Solstice/Sky it is going to be far better to sell the car and purchase another one.

We are also going to be installing a T56 instead of the stock 5 speed also with this build so we will also be able to offer that information after we are done with the install. That will probably be a better option for heavily modified cars since we keep seeing failures with the stock transmissions.

We have a pretty good list of what items are needed to do the swap and once we have done it I am sure there are going to be some items added to it. Once I have that complete list I will be happy to share all of the parts.

 

We have an install coming up after the first of the year where we are doing just this...

I want the 6 speed manual that is in the Mini in SLY. You can do the install after I rip the tranny in Asheville (Hickory) at 2012 :devil:

 

That is AFTER Punisher comes home, right Dave?

 

what are you talking about rob?

Punisher is home... did you miss that memo?

 

Thanks Dave from DDM. I was coming from the point as our platform ages that life-long Kappa enthusiasts may someday consider an transmission transplant. Buying a car with possible quirks/history? vs keeping the one you've known/modified makes being able to modifying the transmission a valid consideration to me.

 

I have always wondered about this also.....

 

Trannys are cheap on ebay. Everyone sells their because it can't shift into reverse. Its 10 mintue fix when you open the case and fix the snap ring....Cost shouldn't be very high. The problem lies with the high speed date and the removal of the tcm. We have already mocked up the trans and everything at one of our dealers. Another issue is the new pedal assembly and slave cylinder.

 

This is a great thread.

I would be very interested in this if the cost is fairly reasonable (say less than $2500). The heavier duty 6 speed tranny is a good idea. It is crazy how the cost of the auto was an extra $1000 over the manual when the cars were new. I would have purchased the GXP with the manual but I got it second hand for about $15,000 under the MSRP with only 2500 miles on it.

Years ago I converted a 67 Mustang fastback 289 from an auto to a manual. I took all the parts I needed out of the other Mustang (clutch pedal, all linkages, drive shaft, tranny, etc.) Total cost was $150. All the brackets and holes in the firewall were all there. Conversion took about 5 hours in my garage. Ah those were the good old days. That car was a lot more fun with the manual.

Here's hoping this conversion will be fairly easy to do at a reasonable price.

One thing I would do after the conversion is take the car to the drag strip to see if I could beat my 13.3 second 1/4 mile - very interesting (auto vs manual).

 

This is a great thread.

I would be very interested in this if the cost is fairly reasonable (say less than $2500). The heavier duty 6 speed tranny is a good idea.....

Actually, not so much.

The 6th speed is pretty useless, and that trans is heavier and adds weight to an already significantly overweight car.

And swapping out a manual for an auto isn't that simple - there are lots of computer issues as well as differennt hardware modules etc. that need addressing - it isn't like just buying the trans and a bracket for a clutch master as it was on your old Mustang. Hell, NOTHING is as easy as it used to be.....:brentil:

 

Just so we're all on the same page I'm assuming the conversion being discussed is for either the stock 2.0 or 2.4?

 

That was my understanding too.

Using a heavier 6 speed 'for reliability' when the stock manual trans comes out of a truck seems to me a non-starter - you are never going to screw up the stock trans unless you don't know how to shift - even with an improved car!

 

Am I the only retard out there trying to put semi-high power through the factory transmissions? The new trans is taking a super beating right now and not missing a beat. God dammit, I really don't want to t56.

 

I'll be trying to go stock once again. My first tranny had syncho issues so we dumped that one.


bought a 2500 mile used tranny from WERKS.......and cryoed it. I'm hoping it will last longer....lol

if it breaks again......the LNF tranny is cheap to replace. But if it will not hold......then I'll go t56. And will be contacting DDM Dave


The semi-high powered car of WERKS.....is always abused at the track. It has its original stock tranny.....and hasn't had any issues so far after all the abuse it gets.

 

I plan to smash on my stock tranny soon. hopefully it holds up... if it doesnt, I will def go to a T56.

However there are a few cars rolling the stock trans at 600hp.

 

Is it a lot of work going from the stock 5 speed to the T56?
This may be some think I would some day do as I do not like the stock 5 speed very much, as it seems hard to down shift.

 

What do you mean by hard to downshift?

That can mean many things. Sometimes mine binds up and will not go in reverse unless i use the clutch :willy:

Seriously, the T56 drop in has been discussed for some time. I been telling Dave I wanted my Jenny's Mini tranny in SLY :yesnod:

 

I cann't get it to go into first till I come to a complete stop. And it is hard to get it into reverse.

 

Sounds familiar

 

melissadunagan : I cann't get it to go into first till I come to a complete stop. And it is hard to get it into reverse.

First gear is low enough that you should only need it if you are stopped. Try using second any time you are still rolling.

Reverse is a problem with many manual transmissions. I know of problems with virtually all varieties. I think our application is more prone to problems because of the stiffness of the drivetrain, as the Colorado does not seem as bad. This would suggest that a T56 may be just as likely to have problems getting into reverse. It is pretty much second nature to me now to cycle the clutch in and out when shifting into reverse, I don't even really think about it any more.

 

Reverse is a problem with many manual transmissions. I know of problems with virtually all varieties.

Because reverse has no synchronisers, there will always be times when you need to momentarily put the lever in another gear to spin the shafts a bit and be able to pop it into reverse. Goes with, as you said, just about any car.

In fact my Solstice shows less of this than just about any of my other cars or any I have owned (except the Lambo, which for reasons best known to themselves, has a synchroniser on reverse).

 

What I am doing is coming to a stop, and wanting to have the trans in first before actually coming to a stop. My car act like it does not have a synchroniser in first.

 

I owned another auto vehicle experience that would stall when slowing or stopping. The electronic torque convertor (ETC) went out and wasn't allowing the automatic to downshift causing it to stall out like a manual when you don't push the manual pedal or downshift slowing down.

 

melissadunagan : What I am doing is coming to a stop, and wanting to have the trans in first before actually coming to a stop. My car act like it does not have a synchroniser in first.

While I understand what you are trying to do, I do not understand why you would want to do it.

 

I am putting thr trans in first while I am slowing down far the stop.
One less thing I have to think about when I get ready to go. I live in a very
rural area so my stop can be fast.

 

Melissa, what you experiencing is normal.

 

You know what a really good swap would be?

Cadillac ATS 6 speed manual swap.

It has the new version of the LNF ecotec platform. And if the bolt pattern is the same from each engine, then most likely the oem clutch and disc will work as well.

All the reviews for the ats manual have been amazing with praise over the feel of the transmission shift linkages. And because this transmission was developed for a sports car and not a pickup truck, I think it will put the power down just fine. The ats is essentially gms1 out of the box (power wise).

Not to mention if the rear differential may possibly be better too...

I have been wanting to see ats 6speed swap done since the ats manual has been announced. It has to be less complicated too. I'm surprised no one else wants to see that above everything.

Anyone?

 

Already thought of that also when we saw the ATS at the Detroit show. Right now there are still no part numbers for the ATS to even get the transmission and also CAD files have not been released yet for the ATS to verify fitment. Once all of that is released, for those that just want to go to a 6 speed it should be a relatively easy swap. The reason though to go with the T56 is all strength.

 

The 6 speed raises an interesting question.

I have never frankly seen the need for more than a 5 speed box behind any engine with a reasonable torque curve. The 6 speed transmissions were originally conceived as long (as low as .50) overdrive ratios added for the sole purpose of allowing a car to achieve good constant speed fuel consumption figures for CAFE advertising purposes, which have implications for all sorts of things with the US feds.

I've driven a couple of cars with a 6 speed trans, and the top ratios are either so long as to be pretty useless, or if the engine has enough grunt to pull them (e.g. Corvette) they don't offer enough acceleration to bother with as the 5th gear is normally very relaxed already, but with at least acceptable acceleration possible without shifting.

As the 6 speed boxes almost always carry a weight penalty, you have to carefully evaluate just what you'd be getting if you carry one out. Better ratios and shifting are certainly nice things to have, but I wonder if they offset a possibly useless top ratio and slightly more weight? Has anyone done a detailed comparison with the ATS box or for that matter any of the other 6 speeds out there?

What is your experience with actually using a 6th speed?

 

In my converted car, 6th is very useful as a cruising gear. With the stock GXP differential, the lower 5 gears are very close together and you dont want to cruise in 5th at speeds above about 60 MPH. With the low weight of the car and the torque of the LS3, acceleration in 6th at freeway speeds is more than adequate and high acceleration is one shift away.

If I had a different rear end ratio it would be a different story.

 

Dave I was thinking of doing a t56 swap myself. I have a manual trans now and I want to go with a high horsepower build and with it was thinking of building up the 5 speed I have that had synchro issues so to have a stronger one but if the t56 is relitvly easy swap I'd love to know the details and what parts I need to get from you to do it.

 

Only reason I could see choosing 6 over 5 is if you do a lot of highway driving. Otherwise if I'm understanding what WS is saying if a 6 weighs more than a 5 than MPG may be negligible.

Which brings up the secondary question of what (or is) the optimum RPM for the 2.0/2.4?

I'm going off the assumption that the displacement of an engine may or could affects its optimum performance level? Or another way of saying it is just because you can get an engine to continue to run doesn't necessarily mean the engine seems to like the RMP it's running at?

 

On the Honda S2K big block that I had before the NA Solstice, gears 4-6 were all OD. Best feature that I remember about it was that the shifter was a whole lot smoother than either of our Solstice units.

I believe that the Solstice GXP is easier to drive than the S2K and faster too. :thumbs:

Torque is your friend. YMMV

Steve

 

Wanted to update this thread. Dave at DDM was kind enough to work up a price quote for an auto to manual conversion; so if you are seriously interested please contact him.

 

Are there new ratio sets available ? In the past whenever I have looked at transmissions the range of ratios was about the same for all of the 5- and 6-speed offerings. In other words, those that have a very tall top gear, also have a relatively high first.

Dividing the first gear ratio by the top gear ratio will give you the ratio range. For example:
The C06 Corvette has a 2.97 First and a 0.50 Sixth, for a range of 5.30:1.
The Kappa has a 3.75 First and a 0.73 Fifth, for a range of 5.14:1.

If you put the C06's transmission in a Kappa and kept the same drive axle you would have a taller overall ratio for a much lower RPM at cruise, (eg: You would change from 2500 RPM to 1918 RPM) but would also have a first gear that is roughly equivalent to the stock second gear. You would have to replace the drive axle with one having a 4.71:1 ratio to keep first gear the same, and that would result in a cruise RPM that is only 3% less than stock, (eg: You would change from 2500 RPM to 2421 RPM) which hardly seems worthwhile.

You would have closer ratios throughout the range but, again, that hardly seems worth the trouble.