Why do you think your converter is bad
what are the symptoms you are experiencing
Have you checked the fluid level and color
Have you checked the TV cable
Regarding AOD to T5 swap
pros
most people enjoy shifting gears
stick cars have less parasitic loss in the drivetain- they make more hp than an AOD all things being equal
You lose the heavy AOD, TV cable, torque converter
resale- most people want a stick v AOD car
your wife/girlfriend can't drive it
easier to do burnouts
Cons
cost- expect to spend anywhere from $1000 to $4000 to convert depending on what trans, clutch, etc you go with and if you do it yourself or have someone do it.
parts- you have to source a manual pedal, trans, clutch, belllhousing, cable, quadrant and other parts
time- it is not an easy job, You need to take apart most of the interior, exhaust, driveshaft, remove the old pedals, remove the steering wheel assembly, transmission, etc... if you need the car as a daily driver you are out of luck on this job as it will take a few days
Sticks are harder on the drivetrain than AOD's - especially stock rear axles
LMR did a good series of videos recently on the entire process. It will give you an idea of what you are in for.