T5 swap In progress! A few Questions...

[DiabloDan]

My automatic transmission just went out, again. This one I put 15,000 miles on before it went out...Im tired of buying automatic transmissions so I figured I would swap it over to a t5!

I Landed myself a 93 off craigslist for only $300 and started tearing off parts!

I'm using this as a guide to do the swap! Have everything minus the clutch pedal assembly that I'm waiting for on ebay!
Auto to 5 Speed Tranny Swap

So far I only have one question...the donor car still has a computer in it, and the guy I bought it from says it is still good and that I should swap it with the computer in mine after I do the swap.

My car is a 92 Automatic, the donor car is a 93 Stick. They are both the 2.3 N/A engines.

Is it as simple as switching out the two computers? Are they compatible? Or is this even necessary? The guide I'm using mentions nothing of swapping out computers...

So...your input would be greatly appreciated!



My donor car I snagged:

 

[ID89GT]

Not sure on the 2.3, but I know for the 5.0 an automatic computer will work for the 5 speed.

 

[Chuckman]

Not sure on the 2.3, but I know for the 5.0 an automatic computer will work for the 5 speed.

an auto computer works just fine for a 5 speed, been there done that.

 

[Mustang5L5]

With the 5.0's, you can't swap to a 5-spd computer without swapping out the 02 harness. The result will be that you end up frying the EEC. Unsure if the 2.3's are the same way however.

Stick with the auto computer as well...unless you have full access to the complete trans wiring harness and the o2 harness.

These are areas never really covered in most conversion write-ups

 

[Mustang5L5]

BTW, the trans harness you want runs from the driver's footwell area, over to the trans tunnel and into the tunnel under the car. The difference between this harness and the A4LD harness is the addition of a plug for the NSS on top of the trans.

If you stick with the auto computer, you don't need this harness at all, but since you have the car right there, i'd at least take it and squirrel it away along with the 02 harness and 5 spd comp.

 

[DiabloDan]

So... if I stick with the auto's computer...what's it going to act like?
Any negative side effects? Check Engine Light continuously on? Any problems I'll have?

 

[Mustang5L5]

Shouldn't notice a thing. I do not beleive the A4LD is computer controlled.


I can only speak to 5.0 experience here. I swapped my 5.0 from AOD to 5-spd 2 months ago. I left the Automatic computer in. Car runs awesome.

 

[DiabloDan]

Sweet!

I'll leave the auto's computer in it, but I'm still going to snag the manual computer.
Boss wants the car towed to the junk yard and off his property as soon as possibly so I think I'm not going to worry about the wiring harness...unless I go back and it looks super easy to take out, its all covered in oil and junk.

I'm assuming the vacuum hose that goes to the transmission modulator on the A4LD I can just follow back up the the engine and cap off the ... splitter (idk what its called) that it comes off of.

 

[Mustang5L5]

The trans harness is super easy to take out. Most of it's in the interior and just pulls through the trans tunnel. Since you already have the trans out, it's disconnected...just pull it out

 

[DiabloDan]

Yeah so I realized! Got that out!

But trying to get the pedal assembly out of the car is proving to be much more difficult than the guide showed....
And this is with the dash and everything stripped out of the vehicle...
Not sure how im going to pull it off on MY car with all that still in.

Any tips?

 

[Mustang5L5]

When i swapped my pedals in, i took the dash off, dropped the column out and installed the pedals in from the TOP.

Also, when you unbolt the booster, pull it forward a little so the studs are out of the way.

Pedals were the toughest part, and taking the seat and dash off made it a little easier for me. Also makes hooking the clutch cable up, running the speedo through the new hole and finding the clutch NSS plugs in the corner much easier.

After the pedals and cable go in...everything else is peice of cake.

 

[DiabloDan]

Yeah I have never taken the dash out of my car.
Did it once on a 96 Saturn at school for A/C class...but those darn saturns everything snaps togeather, it was like taking appart a toy. Ha.

When I do this on my car do I have to take the entire dash out, passanger and driver side? Or does just the drivers side come out by itself?

Im at the shop right now and lowered the steering column to the floor on the junk car and pulled it out the top, after bending all kinds of crap out of the way...hopefully I learned from this and going in will be easier.

 

[Mustang5L5]

to take the dash out of a Fox, you gotta take the center console out first, then the gauge pod and gauges. Then the entire dash comes out in 1 peice with a million screws.


If you remove the seat, and drop (or remove) the steering column, you should be able to get the pedals out. Remove the lower dash trim near the driver's knees. You'll also need extensions and universals.

I'm familiar with removing dashes in the Fox, so for me it was an hour of work to get the dash off...then the fun stuff.

 

[DiabloDan]

Alrighty. So dash, seat, and steering column.
I shouldnt have to mess with the frame and stuff under the dash?
I feel confident I can take the dash out and get it back in, But if I have to start taking the metal frame and stuff out under the dash and unclipping wiring harnesses from it and moving stuff around I'm going to start to panic that im not going to get it all back the way it was!

 

[Mustang5L5]

I didn't take the frame out, but i loosened it by removing one or two bolts from the left side. Then i fed the pedals in from the top.

Do what I did....take pics.

 

[90mustangGT]

Doing the swap soon here too. I have the pedals in, not too hard once you get the crap out of your way. Just pull the steering colum out, then take the nuts out that connect the brake booster to the body of the car, then a few more obvious ones and out you come! I need to re-route the speedo cable too, probally swap it for the one from my doner car. I can't wait, just a big task to do on your back.

 

[DiabloDan]

I need to re-route the speedo cable too, probally swap it for the one from my doner car.

Think I should swap mine?
I started to pull it out of there...but by the time I had gotten the pedals out and got around to the speedo cable I was so pissed off that after I pulled on it a bit I gave up.

I figured the one currently in my car should work...wouldn't it?

 

[Mustang5L5]

Yeah, it's the same. Just move it over

 

[DiabloDan]

Well I got it all apart and put back in there, I managed to wiggle it all apart only taking the bottom part of the dashboard apart. Didn't have to take it completely apart!
Well, actually I have the pedal assembly all bolted in and hooked up, I still have to assemble the bottom of the dash, but the hardest part is over!

Have a quick question.
So, I noticed the clutch safety switch, since my car was originally an Auto, had a bypass plug in it.
When I take the Auto out of it and put the stick in there, do I have to bypass the neutral safety switch that the Auto used?

 

[Mustang5L5]

Nope, it's part of the Reverse harness on the T-5. If you look at it closely, you'll see it's a 4-wire plug, but two of the wires are just a jumper loop.

When you are ready to swap the trans, just plug the T-5 reverse harness in, and then remove that jumper on the dash harness and plug BOTH plugs (one is white and the other is black or grey I think) into the clutch safery switch...

All you should have to do.