Has anyone thought about converting a TB/Envoy to a manual or stick

[Drec]

I'm a stick guy and now have a couple of automatics; which look like they will need some attention. Any cars that I've had in the past with automatics, when they developed a problem were converted to a manual shift.

Has anyone done this and if they did, what bell housing/flywheel, clutch pedal would work? Any other ideas or problems with this conversion?

 

[northcreek]

I don't think that it would be too hard to do the swap to manual shift mechanically but, getting the ECU to like the swap would be the part that would discourage me from doing it.

 

[Capote]

I know they have manual valve body kits made by TransGo, you'd use that in configuration with a ratchet shifter. The later year 4L60e's in our trucks are computer controlled though, so you'd have to go about a work around dealing with that. On par with @northcreek, this side of it would be the more difficult aspect. There's lot of threads on the LS1tech forum talking about this.:
https://www.google.com/search?q=4l6...8KHReAATYQrQIoBDABegUIABCAAg&biw=1632&bih=728

 

[Sparky]

If it is a 5.3 truck it would be a lot easier as there are parts readily available that would bolt up, and patching in pieces of the tune from other LS-based stick vehicles wouldn't be that hard to do. However, if it is the 4.2, I'm not sure what options there are.

 

[Hypnotoad]

I seem to remember limequat bolting a manual transmission to his 4200 Supra project using an H3 or SSR bell housing. Can't remember the details.

 

[Mooseman]

A tune can make anything work. The biggest problem, with the I6, is getting stuff that doesn't exist for this engine because there was never a manual for this engine. So you'd be starting off with a big handicap.

Maybe @limequat can chime in on this one.

 

[littleblazer]

I believe he found one of like five bell housings for the manual setup... IIRC its basically unobtanium. I could be remembering wrong though.

 

[Mooseman]

I wonder though if one of the smaller truck's I5 and I4 Atlas engines were ever outfitted with a manual?

 

[littleblazer]

There are a few of them floating around I think.

 

[Drec]

Are the backs of the block the same?

Now I'm even more curious, if you were to put a 4.2L into an old car, could you get away with using the ECM and wiring? How would you figure out what needs to be hooked up? Or would try to run an aux distributor and use a conventional electrical system? I had a friend that put a Quad four into a 1930 Model A; which had a Mallory Dual point distributor running off one of the cams via a cogged belt. These 4.2L motors actually have a lot of power and would make an old car go fairly well.

 

[littleblazer]

That's what I don't know.

 

[cornchip]

Are the backs of the block the same?

All Atlas blocks share identical rear patterns. Differences include crank face bolt patterns and offsets. So you can't use a 4 or 5 cyl flywheel on the 4200. However, the AR5 manual found on the smaller Atlas motors has the correct length input shaft length to locate in the crank pilot when using #CT1082 (12557582) bearing. Flywheels are unavailable, unfortunately. A fellow on Vortec4200 (Jerry Weight) was selling them prior to 2012, and that supply dried up since as demand is low for conversions. I made my own a few years back for my conversion in a Jeep. With fewer distractions, I hope to get back to this with better weather. BTW, Vortec4200.com is going dark May 6th and needs an adopted home if attempts to gain ownership to the domain fail. Limequat indicated he might start his own forum as there is some interest out there for stand alone harnesses and PCM tuning for all Atlas family engines.

Vortec 4200 manual transmission flywheel

GM AR5 mated with Jeep AX15 rear section and NP231J T/C

 

[northcreek]

And you might want to talk to this guy:
https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hmn/2017/12/1950-Chevrolet-Fleetline-De-Luxe/3751351.html

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

The H3 I5 could be had with a 5 speed manual. My buddy beat on one for years.

 

[Drec]

VORTEC4200.COM

Has anyone thought about collecting some money and asking the family of Peter Techtanski if they would either sell or continue paying the hosting fee’s for the website? The only way that the site could be transferred, is if some were to gain ownership of the site.

 

[Mooseman]

Please post in the thread I started on this subject.

 

[toybarn2]

All Atlas blocks share identical rear patterns. Differences include crank face bolt patterns and offsets. So you can't use a 4 or 5 cyl flywheel on the 4200. However, the AR5 manual found on the smaller Atlas motors has the correct length input shaft length to locate in the crank pilot when using #CT1082 (12557582) bearing. Flywheels are unavailable, unfortunately. A fellow on Vortec4200 (Jerry Weight) was selling them prior to 2012, and that supply dried up since as demand is low for conversions. I made my own a few years back for my conversion in a Jeep. With fewer distractions, I hope to get back to this with better weather. BTW, Vortec4200.com is going dark May 6th and needs an adopted home if attempts to gain ownership to the domain fail. Limequat indicated he might start his own forum as there is some interest out there for stand alone harnesses and PCM tuning for all Atlas family engines.

Vortec 4200 manual transmission flywheel

GM AR5 mated with Jeep AX15 rear section and NP231J T/C

Do you have any prints or dimensions for this flywheel? Thanks

 

[02trailblazin]

I'm a stick guy and now have a couple of automatics; which look like they will need some attention. Any cars that I've had in the past with automatics, when they developed a problem were converted to a manual shift.

Has anyone done this and if they did, what bell housing/flywheel, clutch pedal would work? Any other ideas or problems with this conversion?

No i havent but i do know u can set up ur tcm tobthink its a 4l80e and make it drive like a manuel transmission accept for the tq converter stall at take off u have to let of the throttle every gear and then get back into it a lil every time u shift gears

 

[cornchip]

Do you have any prints or dimensions for this flywheel? Thanks

Your from the Facebook swap group aren't you? Somebody's been trolling me across multiple forums this week looking for this information. Interesting.

 

[02trailblazin]

I mean it depends wat vehichle the tranny is coming out ofcand going bck in as to the bellhousing and clutch n pressure plate and ive never herd of someone rebuilding a auto transmission to manuel because im pretty sure everything but the actual casing has to b replace with a man set up if they make the parts u need to accomplish this task id b interested to follow i used to only want manuel tranny till i seen this post lol and im mot in any facebook groups. Ill check it out rho if u give me the info

 

[cornchip]

I mean it depends wat vehichle the tranny is coming out ofcand going bck in as to the bellhousing and clutch n pressure plate and ive never herd of someone rebuilding a auto transmission to manuel because im pretty sure everything but the actual casing has to b replace with a man set up if they make the parts u need to accomplish this task id b interested to follow i used to only want manuel tranny till i seen this post lol and im mot in any facebook groups. Ill check it out rho if u give me the info

I'm not sure your following this thread correctly.

 

[02trailblazin]

Why do ubsay that? Because youve posted since my last reply and if thats why. I thought i sent it before i went bck to work but it hadnt yet and i didnt typeall that for nothing

 

[02trailblazin]

If it is a 5.3 truck it would be a lot easier as there are parts readily available that would bolt up, and patching in pieces of the tune from other LS-based stick vehicles wouldn't be that hard to do. However, if it is the 4.2, I'm not sure what options there are.

I do know that gm considers this 4.2 atlas set up as the same engine family as the v8s engine family class #2 because of the internas

 

[Sparky]

No one is talking about converting an auto transmission into a manual here. The orginal topic was installing a manual transmission into one of these trucks.

Please proofread your posts a bit. I get you're likely posting from a phone, but do take the time to correct mistyped words and such as it can be very difficult to read otherwise. I get that sometimes a few may make it through (I miss them myself sometimes too) but at least put in the effort.

 

[02trailblazin]

Got cha @Sparky im new to this so please forgive me i have bad vision since a chemical eye burn n its still healing so sometimes my visions completely garbage and its due time itll get better and you will see leas misspelled words amd less missread posts

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Try using some punctuation please.