240 automatic wagon to manual

[justallan]

Apart from the gearbox, foot controls and gear selector, what needs to
be swapped to convert a 240 wagon from automatic transmission to
manual gearbox with overdrive?

(I'm mainly wondering, do you need to swap the driveshaft? Or is it
the same length with both gearboxes?)

Thanks for reading.

 

[James Sweet]

Apart from the gearbox, foot controls and gear selector, what needs to
be swapped to convert a 240 wagon from automatic transmission to
manual gearbox with overdrive?

(I'm mainly wondering, do you need to swap the driveshaft? Or is it
the same length with both gearboxes?)

Thanks for reading.

I've done a few of these. The front half of the driveshaft is different,
overdrive relay and wiring are different, neutral safety switch is
bypassed by a loop plug where it plugs in near the shifter. You will
also need to pull out the pilot bushing and replace it with a pilot
bearing, and the drive plate is replaced with a flywheel and clutch. LH
2.4 injection cars need a flywheel with the 60-2 hole pattern drilled
around the perimeter for the crank angle sensor.

 

[justallan]

Thanks, James... A bit more effort than I thought then. I have the
opportunity to purchase a nice 1978 wagon (with slipping auto) and
have access to a badly rusted 1984 (manual). Which is why I was
thinking about doing the swap. Maybe I'm better off just waiting
until I find another wagon that is already a manual. (Or just fix the
auto.)

But I've heard in the past something about automatics use more fuel
than manuals. Is that true? If so, what kind of economy difference
would we be talking about?

 

[James Sweet]

Thanks, James... A bit more effort than I thought then. I have the
opportunity to purchase a nice 1978 wagon (with slipping auto) and
have access to a badly rusted 1984 (manual). Which is why I was
thinking about doing the swap. Maybe I'm better off just waiting
until I find another wagon that is already a manual. (Or just fix the
auto.)

But I've heard in the past something about automatics use more fuel
than manuals. Is that true? If so, what kind of economy difference
would we be talking about?

It's really not that bad, especially if you have access to a parts car.
Several years ago I converted my mom's 240 wagon to a manual in a
weekend, it's just a matter of swapping parts around. Since you're
dealing with older cars you don't have to worry about the crank sensor
and drilled flywheel, that didn't come about until the late 80s. You can
replace just half the driveshaft (they plug together) but if you have a
parts car you might want to just pull the whole shaft to make sure it
stays balanced. Also there's a few tricky nuts that hold the pedal
assembly in, I found it easiest to pull the instrument cluster to access
them. You'll probably want to buy a new clutch kit for the job, that
will come with the pilot bearing you need to stick in the end of the
crank, if the old bushing is stuck you can get pilot bearing pullers
pretty cheaply. If you decide to go through with it feel free to ping me
with questions.

It varies by car, but just for reference the '86 240 wagon I did came
with a AW70 4 speed automatic and got about 24 mpg highway and after the
conversion to a M47 5 speed manual it jumped up to 29 mpg. If I swapped
the rear axle ratio to the taller gearing normally used in the manual
cars it would likely push it up over 30 mpg so the difference can be
substantial. Another bonus is the car feels so much more responsive and
powerful without the slushbox sapping away all that power.

 

[patanga]

Hi.. New to this forum but I am also considering swapping out an old auto to 5spd manual in an 88 240 wagon RHD. I'm happy to keep the lower final drive from the wagon but I am wonder what might the best doner model to get the strongest possible 5 spd. I believe there is the M46 & M47 to choose from. Are they basically the same with only ignition sensor holes being the difference, or is there more to it. If the M47 is the way to go can you tell what year they commenced?

I'm encouraged to learn that it only took you a weekend to complete. Presumably then the floor tunnels and fire wall pedal box mounting areas are the same between auto and manual bodies. Out of interest, are there any threads that give a full explanation with photo of this conversion being done that you can refer me to? Last question (for now) do you know how much power the 5spd boxes can comfortably handle?.. I'm not planning anything big but just wondering if they are inherently sturdy or if they have weaknesses? Thanks.