Trying to decide if I should swap...

[Jeff]

The minivan's transmission is on the fritz again, among other problems. I think the time may be upon me to swap out to a manual transmission. But I'm not sold that that is best. Thoughts? The transmission works...but it feels as if it is on its way out.

Pros-
1. Performance
2. Fuel economy...2 more gears!
3. Fewer problems
4. Fairly easy to do
5. Costs less then getting a different automatic (I already have a tranny)
6. More towing and hauling ability

Cons-
1. Loss of center console (and all my cup holders)
2. The transmission I have is not the best for the job...might not hold up in the long run
3. Will still cost me $100 in parts
4. Paranoia about my remote start. I always put a car in gear when I park it...and I always use my remote start in the van. These two things do not go together. I think I will be to paranoid to ever use the remote start.
5. more torque steer.
6. Sometimes its just nice to not shift...especailly when I am hauling something I don't want to jar around. A little more 5-speed driving would smooth me out I guess, I'm rusty.

I just don't know what would be best. Its nice to have a car I can lend to anyone and that I can just jump in and go without banging gears. But a 5-speed offers more fun when I want it and better use of my boosts... I just don't know.

[Feersty]

4. Paranoia about my remote start. I always put a car in gear when I park it...and I always use my remote start in the van. These two things do not go together. I think I will be to paranoid to ever use the remote start.

Inform me on this. You can't remote start with the parking brake engaged?

[ScottyB]

5 speed all the way. the pro's way outweigh the cons in my opinion. and cup holders...you can always buy an aftermarket console and just put it in the best location you can find



if you're super paranoid, buy some chocks for your wheels if you park on a hill and want to leave it in neutral for the remote start....or just make sure your ebrake is good.

also this project seems to be all about "being different".... what's rarer and wilder than a 5 speed minivan?

[WRXtranceformed]

A built, stalled auto tranny is the absolute best for drag racing, and arguably, a regular non-built non-stalled auto tranny is the best for daily driving.

You're driving a b00sted van. It's not an overall performance car, so stick with an automagic for best results stoplight to stoplight IMO.

[ScottyB]

You're driving a b00sted van. It's not an overall performance car, so stick with an automagic for best results stoplight to stoplight IMO.

true, true. what i should have asked, Jeff, is do you just want to keep this around as a "stuff hauler?" i keep getting the impression you're going to build it up like the 'tona.

[NTIman]

4. Paranoia about my remote start. I always put a car in gear when I park it...and I always use my remote start in the van. These two things do not go together. I think I will be to paranoid to ever use the remote start.

Inform me on this. You can't remote start with the parking brake engaged?

A lot of people forget and leave the car in gear, and even with the parking brake engaged, the car still could start. He's just worried that he's human and would forget to leave the car in neutral, and bad things would happen.

[Jeff]

I'm still torn on this. I want to auto-X the minivan. So the plan is to lower it about 3 inches and 5-speed it. I also have a larger turbo to put on it.

So, reasons for the swap-
1. Handle the riggors of an autocross
2. Last more then two weeks without a problem
3. Get more out of my boosts (higher revs)
4. Handle the extra power of the larger turbo and the upped (14psi) of boost I plan to run on the street.
5. Better fuel economy when I want it
6. Less worry about towing...actually no worry about towing.
7. Face it...the coolness factor goes up by X10

Reasons not to do it
1. The remote start issue (though I think I may have designed a device to get around this problem)
2. Gonna cost about as much as it would to fix the auto again
3. Shifting all the time
4. One tire fires...
5. Engine will stall "from time to time" at low RPMs because it will be hard to find the proper ECU for the swap, I will need to have one made.
6. Will require and additional toggle switch for the cruise control to function.
7. Oh, and the hideous shifter will make it impossible for me to keep my super cool floor console!

[HAULN-SS]

Sounds like your cons outweigh your pros,some of which are made-up percieved benefits, whereas all of cons are real-world problems.

Also, didnt we have a thread a while back about how autocrossing a van was a bad idea?

finish the daytona, drive it when you want to shift.

[Maengelito]

Sounds like your cons outweigh your pros,some of which are made-up percieved benefits, whereas all of cons are real-world problems.

Also, didnt we have a thread a while back about how autocrossing a van was a bad idea?

finish the daytona, drive it when you want to shift.

+1

as far as the coolness factor goes, 10 x 0 still = 0.

you have other cool projects, now finish them, damnit!

[Jeff]

Sounds like your cons outweigh your pros,some of which are made-up percieved benefits, whereas all of cons are real-world problems.

Also, didnt we have a thread a while back about how autocrossing a van was a bad idea?

finish the daytona, drive it when you want to shift.

I still don't see how it is a bad idea. People autoX these vans all the time. If I lower it a bit there will be no reason to exclude it as a roll-over risk. I agree that there are many reasons not to do the swap...but I am still considering it. This is also a way for me to justify buying an aluminum flywheel for the daytona...if I use my steel flywheel in the van I will just have to get the bling aluminum one for the car :wink:

[CaptainHenreh]

You keep forgetting the #1 reason for getting a manual:

Your piece of shit automagic transmission doesn't go fucking 2 weeks without breaking! That's reason enough to do a manual swap for me...

[HAULN-SS]

I'm quite sure they make auto's for vans that last longer. FFS buy a rebuilt one with a warranty if this is a vehicle you want to keep a while.

[CaptainHenreh]

I'm quite sure they make auto's for vans that last longer. FFS buy a rebuilt one with a warranty if this is a vehicle you want to keep a while.

Hi, have you met my friend Jeff?

[HAULN-SS]

Yeah, I just checked and the rebuild kit with 1 year warranty - the most expensive bling one I can find was 267$, but you could buy a smaller kit for like 110$. Drop it out, folllow instructions, and be done with it for AT LEAST a year.