Well, it begins! I have decided – say it like The Chimp – to convert my ’76 Trans Am from automatic to manual. Why? Well – obviously – because a Trans-Am with a manual is infinitely more fun than one with an automatic. But there is another reason why.
Well, several.
I used to own another ’76 Trans-Am that did have a manual transmission. I loved that car and would still have it – were it not for the dude who ran a red light and totaled it, back in the ’90s. I still have the shaker on the wall in my garage. But otherwise, just memories.
I bought the ’76 Trans-Am I have today shortly after the loss of the other ’76. I love the car but I have never loved that it came with an automatic. So when the mighty 455 sheared off two of the three torque converter bolts, I decided the time had come to make the transition.
My friends say I ought to put a five or six speed in the TA. They have every rational reason on their side. I have a feeling on mine. I miss the feel – and especially the sound – made by my old TA’s Super T-10 four speed. Yes, I know it has no overdrive. And I know I will have to swap out the current 3.90 gears out back for something more reasonable, such as 3.08 or maybe 3:23s. Even then, it will be tachin’ out at highway speeds due to no overdrive. With the four speed automatic (2004R) that’s in the car now – well, was – engine RPM at 65 was around 2,200 RPM. It drove very much like a modern car. I installed the 2004R years ago in place of the factory three speed automatic the car originally came with, because it had no overdrive and on account of that, the engine was really working at highway speeds. 
But I don’t care about that anymore.. I drive the TA around the backcountry roads; I haven’t been on the highway in it in years.
What I am after is the original experience – like the one I used to get to experience every day I drove my old ’76 TA. That car’s been gone for 30 years now – tempus fugit! – but I can go back to then in the now and that’s what I’m doing.
Next comes the manual flywheel. Piece by piece, one thing at a time. If the Motor Gods smile I ought to have the TA up and running by spring!
Stay tuned!
. . .
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That, is really cool.
You caused me to flashback to driving an MG and a 280Z, both with manuals, such a blast. I have driven several 80’s Firebird’s back in the day, but they were all automatics. I can’t hardly imagine what fun a manual would be in that style of car.
A buddy of mine had an immaculate late 80’s I-ROC with a manual we often cruised around in, but that… he never let me drive it! I think it had that whine you were talking about.
That car lift looks so nice, you’ve had it for quite some time now, any drawbacks?
Hi Helot!
I am having fun with this project.This sort of thing makes me smile. I am gonna pull the factory automatic flywheel today and measure to make sure I get the correct manual flywheel. I hope to be able to order that – and maybe the clutch/pressure plate (11 inch) as well. I am going to install the pedals and Z bar over the next several days. Stay tuned!
Seems like you maybe shoulda made a YouTube how-to out of it?
…I can certainly understand why you wouldn’t though.
Hi Helot,
I m going to do videos – piecemeal, I’ll have another up here later today!
This is AWESOME news! You’ll soon be loving that car 100 times more!!!
I agree, Arthur!
I’ve wanted to do this for 20 years. Now I am doing it. I’ll have a new video/shortie up soon about the “bits and pieces”!
Definitely following this build!
I wouldn’t do 3.08, but 3.23 should be a really sweet runner even at highway speeds. That 4 speed will have a low enough first to make up for the gearing change, the current 3.90 gear set with a .69 overdrive is giving you about a 2.69 final drive so you are going to be spinning faster at 70 than you are now, but as you say, so what. The car is not exactly a daily, make it to satisfy.
I don’t recall tire size on the mid 70s, I know some came with 14’s but if you have, for instance 225/70r15 you’ll be spinning the rear axles 736 times per mile, your engine rpm now at 60 is right around 1980 rpm, with 3.23 it will be 2377.
The only detail I would watch for is to make sure the crank will accept a pilot bearing, most do but I’ve been bitten by that detail before. A BOP bell housing isnt too hard to find, I have a line on one if you don’t have it yet. Everything else should be stock GM.
Glad to see it happening. I’m enduring a miserable La Niña winter by overhauling another 8BA flathead, it ran on about 5 cylinders and sure enough 3 exhaust valves were hung open. By this Sunday it should be rumbling along on 8 again, plus cleaned of 70 years of sludge and carbon.
Happy new year!
Thanks, Ernie – very helpful!
You saved me some maff! The car has 15×7 wheels with 245/60 15 BFG Radial T/As. Standard size is 225/70-15.
Nice!
Are you sure you want to tach out at only 75 mph, Eric? Around here, ~95% of people speed up when I set out to pass them on a two-lane road. You wouldn’t want to tach out when trying to get around one of those homicidal psychopaths.
Good luck on your project. It’ll keep you off the streets and off drugs.
Indeed, Dan!
Projects keep me sane. I can focus on important things while lying on my back with my head soaking in gear oil!
You absolutely should install a T-56 manual, 6 speeds are all you need. Plus a heavy duty self adjusting hydraulic clutch.
You should be able to find a junkyard one for a core, or a rebuilt one for cheap somewhere.
A big improvement over a T10.
Hi Saxons,
Yeah, my mechanic friend says the same. But what I am wanting to do is recreate what I had once upon a time. I am not looking to build a Pro Touring car; just a trip back down memory lane! I have owned several second generation F-cars (Firebirds and Camaros) with manuals and loved the way they were. If I were trying to compete with the new performance cars, then – sure – a Tremec makes sense. So also IRS and 20 inch rims and a fuel-injected, aluminum Butler 455 (assuming I could afford any of that). But I do not want any of that. No offense; I don’t take issue with those who do want it. But what I want is what I had when I was young all over again. The factory Hurst shifted four speed makes me smile!
My GUESS (without having personal experience doing this) is that it’s certainly do-able on a car that old. Especially a GM, known for parts swappability.
The EASY part is probably bolting up a manual flywheel to the crank and bolting the trans up to the block. The harder part will be the small details — are the crossmembers the same? Driveshafts? Pedal mounts? Clutch cable brackets? Exhaust and brackets? Does that car have a dashboard indicator for an automatic, or is it all on the floor? You’ll have to plug the radiator coolant fittings for the AT and remove the lines.
Things like that will probably be the hair-pulling stuff.
It would help immensely to have a junk ’76 Trans Am as a donor vehicle, but I doubt you do and I doubt you could find one cheaply enough to make it worthwhile as a parts car.
I’d have to say that on a car newer than that, especially a non-GM, it would not be worthwhile. PCMs on newer vehicles are programmed for auto or manual, among other things.
I’m sure Eric has done the searching. I’ve done automatic to manual swaps and it is often quite involved as you suggest. Never on an F-body but a couple of Toyota trucks.
First thing is to verify that the engine even had a way to accept a manual. In this case it did but that’s not always the case with every engine and transmission option.
There’s a couple things you’re watching for. That the crank can even accept a flywheel (they are not always drilled for a manual flywheel and might only have the flex plate pattern) and that there’s a bellhousing that mates the transmission to the block.
If the factory didn’t offer the transmission you can sometimes find an aftermarket options. In the Toyota world Advance Adapter is the go-to for this, although you’re mainly custom swapping GM parts, like a small block or an NV4500, for the Toyota parts.
Beyond that cross members are a major one. That almost always has to be moved in my experience. It doesn’t have to be a cut and weld, if it’s a common swap and the cross members don’t line up someone may make an adapter or plate to bridge the transmission to the old mount. Or you could fabrication one yourself.
I’ve usually had to cut some holes in the floor for the shifter. You’d need boots or consoles that fit.
Going to a stick means finding the clutch pedal, which might be a whole pedal assembly. That has to operate the clutch, which in Toyotas is a hydraulic system. That means fastening the master cylinder to the firewall. Not all bodies have the captured nuts to do this. Rivnuts is your friend, much easier than welding nuts into the body. This also means routing hydraulic lines, but that’s just getting the parts from the dealer.
The added wrinkle with 4WD trucks is, as you mention, driveshafts usually have to be lengthened and shortened. Plus the transfer cases for Toyotas are different on manuals and autos. So this is either finding the right t-case or using another adapter plate. This sometimes will move the stick for that, another hole and boot.
All of this is doable, just go in eyes open. Budget for it to cost twice what you think and take twice as long. You’ll still go over on both but at least it won’t be as much.
Good post, thanks. I am assuming it would be easier on a 1970s GM than a Toyota. I am assuming Eric needs to run a clutch cable, not a hydraulic line, but finding the pedal and the pedal and cable brackets will be a whole ‘nother issue. I would guess that the auto body probably would not have them. I would also GUESS that GM cranks would not be bored and tapped differently for a manual and an auto (GM being GM, and all) but I don’t know that for sure.
Again, the value of having a donor vehicle with a stick is that you would have all that small stuff and you would be able to see how it was engineered and you’d just have to swap it over. But if you had another ’76 Trans am of any kind you’d probably want to restore it rather than part it out, unless it was really roached, and then maybe some of the components you’d want from it would be toast, too.
Sigh. Ain’t nothing easy these days!
Morning, X!
Actually, it’s easy peasy Japanesy. I have the new pedals already as well as the Z bar, brackets and all the small items. The install for the clutch pedal/mechanism is bolt-on simple. The only mod is drilling a small hole in the floor panel. I’m going to be doing this part next because I have the parts and because I can’t afford to get the other parts, yet! I’m going to pull the auto flywheel over the next few days and get the back of the engine ready for the new manual flyhweel, which I hope to be able to be able to buy in January. Feb will hopefully see the clutch/pressure plate. Then it’s just the bellhousing and the Super T-10 (the big one)!
Cool!
Unfortunately, short of getting a used GM flywheel and having it resurfaced, it seems like all the new aftermarket ones are made in — you guessed it — “Chyna”…
Hi Greg,
Lucky for me, this is an easy swap – in part because all I’m doing is installing the parts the car could have come with from the factory – and also because all the parts are readily available. I already have the pedals and linkages, etc. The factory rear crossmember is the same for the (factory) THM350 auto and the Super T-10. The only major “mod” is cutting the floorpan hump for the shifter rod to poke through. Everything I need except for the Super T10 is about $1,500 – pretty cheap! I may be able to sell the 2004R I have; it’s a perfectly good transmission – and it is “built,” with manual/auto valve body, etc. Prolly could get $500 for it – which would pay for the new flywheel and some of a new clutch/pressure plate, too!