Always have to be different...

[chevycrew]

So here are some things I have learned recently.

I am a manual trans guy, always have been, always will be. I like wheeling with an auto in some stuff, but I ultimately want full control.

So, Im thinking of doing a 5 speed swap.

Here are some crazy out there ideas of what it will involve. Note: I have not finished research, nor do I know if all this junk will work together.

Plans, at this early stage:

5.3L, TB harness, tuned, with camaro pan, NV3500 '98 or newer with rear shifter location, current np231 and np241.

clutch pedal, clutch master, etc from a colorado or canyon.

adjust driveshaft lengths, wiring, etc.

[06MidnightBlue]

If you succeed in doing all this...you must drive to California and do it all in my rig. Good luck dude!!

[fishsticks]

I was going to suggest a SM465 in the other thread....but then I realized that they don't mate to Gen3/4 motors very well.

[chevycrew]

I'm not a fan of the 465, the wide split between 2nd and 3rd, combined with a granny low and no overdrive kills it for me. A nv4500 would be nice, but heavy, and with duals I don't need the granny first. The nv3500 should hold up, and will give me 5 usable gears.


And if I pull it off? Have you seen the rig now? Lol. It can be done, just trying to keep it simple with factory parts is the trick.

[chevycrew]

As soon as my iroks sell, I will be picking up a motor, then the measuring and cussing will begin!

[Trail X]

You just don't stop, do you. I like it. Carpe diem!

[navigator]

I know you don't care much about doing stuff the easy way but wouldn't it be easier to get a different oil pan, isn't there one with some kind of pump to help the oil pressure?

[chevycrew]

I could swap the oil pan to a rear sump style, and that would fix all the oil starvation issues. But, there are some limitations in the factory pcm tuning, and not much aftermarket support for the engine.

Basically I want the ease of having the V8.

[navigator]

got it, I also understand they have better low end torque than our I6.
Isn't the V8 shorter than the I6? I imagine the logistics of the swap to be a nightmare er I mean a lot of fun for you

[v7guy]

Since the 5.3 came in the LWB I cant imagine the swap would be too bad. I did a similar project when I swapped the V6/A4 for a V8/M6 in my 94 firebird. I did ask a few years back about how simple it would be to swap the 5.3 into an I6 truck and guys started going on about the can bus system in the BCM needing all these inputs from the engine and it would be a disaster. Then I never pursued it cause the truck only had 60k miles on it and it seemed silly at the time. I don't know if any of that info was true or how much it would even apply to you with all the mods you've made. Did get similar "the sky is falling/it's way too much work" when I was doing the swap in the bird. Determination solves a lot.

Do you want the NV3500 from the 2500s for the close ratio or are you looking at the wide ratio more?

Is the NV3500 strong enough? I looked at a 5.3 cross eyed once and it made 450 hp, ate the neighbors children and beat their dog. The NV3500 is supposedly rated stock for 300 ft lbs. It'd suck to put something in there that breaks in a few months.

[bartonmd]

IIRC, if you get a pre-2006 5.3L, you don't have to completely re-wire for the CAN system, but the I6 has the "car" setup with a PCM for everything, and the 5.3L (and all LS engines, I gather) run an ECM and a TCM seperately, so it can be a bit of re-wiring. I gather that it would be easiest to find a wrecked 5.3L TB and completely swap wiring and dash.

Mike

[JCrayton99]

Or get a 5.3L TB and swap the SAS in and do the tranny/transfer case work to that...Or start over completely and put your TB up for auction on here!

[chevycrew]

I can't afford to build a v8 tb, the cost difference is more than the swap would be.

The nice thing about doing a 5speed is I remove all the trans crap.

[bartonmd]

I can't afford to build a v8 tb, the cost difference is more than the swap would be.

The nice thing about doing a 5speed is I remove all the trans crap.

Actually, that makes it more difficult... The engine computer actively takes input from the trans computer, to control the engine. Take away the trans module, and the engine doesn't run right. I'm sure somebody makes something that cures it, but it's not anything like swapping a '90 12-valve auto to a manual, where you just chuck the trans computer and everything's happy...

Mike

[dvanbramer88]

I don't know Utah's inspection/emission rules, or if it even has one. The easiest thing to do would be strip all the computer crap, run manual gauges and drop a carbed 305 in it. That is, if the law in your state allows.

[bartonmd]

I don't know Utah's inspection/emission rules, or if it even has one. The easiest thing to do would be strip all the computer crap, run manual gauges and drop a carbed 305 in it. That is, if the law in your state allows.

You seem to have transposed your numbers... I believe you meant to say "350", not 305...

The issue with carb'd stuff, though, is the same has he's having right now. Get on a big angle, and it stops running.

It happens enough that I'm sure somebody makes a computer for engine stand-alone... Worst case, a re-programmed ECM out of a manual transmission truck or LS-1 F-body. There are tons of options. My only point is that it's not just a "keep the ECM and throw away the TCM, and it'll all still work fine" deal...

Mike

[dvanbramer88]

You seem to have transposed your numbers... I believe you meant to say "350", not 305...

The issue with carb'd stuff, though, is the same has he's having right now. Get on a big angle, and it stops running.
Mike

I Like the way you think.

And with the steep incline, fuel injection is better than carb, but even fuel injection is limited. I got on some steep hills last time Josh and I wheeled and kept stalling my truck.

[bartonmd]

You seem to have transposed your numbers... I believe you meant to say "350", not 305...

The issue with carb'd stuff, though, is the same has he's having right now. Get on a big angle, and it stops running.
Mike

I Like the way you think.

And with the steep incline, fuel injection is better than carb, but even fuel injection is limited. I got on some steep hills last time Josh and I wheeled and kept stalling my truck.

Fuel injection is only limited by keeping the engine oiled, and keeping enough fuel in the tank to always keep the fuel pump wet.

Mike

[fishsticks]

There's always propane...

[06MidnightBlue]

Propane....hmmmm....