can a 5 speed be swapped into an auto cutlass

[no_doz]

im not far from obtaining a 92 cutlass with the 3.4 dohc & auto trans but im not a big fan of automatics (although i am a big fan of the dohc)-how hard would it be to go about putting a 5 speed out of something else (& what kind of trans/out of what would i be looking for & etc...) in it? is this feasible or would it be an absolute nightmare?

[Rhedalert]

if you find a donor car it's not too bad. There's a LOT of odds and ends needed (as well as minor body modification) to perform this changeover. Look for Luminas, Grand Prix's '91-93 with the DOHC and stick shift.

[no_doz]

what trans/trannys can i use & is there anything id need for the computer system? also how hard is it to fab up mounts for the new manual tranny?

[3100 MPFI]

If you get a doner car (1991-1994 Lumina Z34, 1991-1993 Pontiac Grand Prix 3.4, and 1991-1993 Cutlass Supreme 3.4) then you will have everything you need to do the swap.

The only recommended transmission for that car is the GETRAG 284. Anything else, and you will have to do custom work. I know the GETRAG 282 will physically bolt up, but I don't know about any of the other small parts. The 284 is the stock 5-speed offered with your car.

In my opinion, it is too much work to swap in the manual transmission for such a small gain (not in power, but in effenciey). I would rather just buy a car that already had the manual, and YES, they did offer the Cutlass Supreme with a stick. My first Cutlass Supreme was a 1989 international with it, and my friend in Dallas has a 1992 3.4 one with it.

[latemodelnewbee]

In my opinion, it is too much work to swap in the manual transmission for such a small gain (not in power, but in effenciey). I would rather just buy a car that already had the manual, and YES, they did offer the Cutlass Supreme with a stick. My first Cutlass Supreme was a 1989 international with it, and my friend in Dallas has a 1992 3.4 one with it.

I can almost agree with that, I have been doing the same swap on my 91 Z34 since last last thursday and the car has been fighting me tooth, nail, and hand gernade. I'll give a piece of good advice don't have any small children around while you are working on the car because there will way to many choice words coming out of your mouth

[91DOHC284]

First off, they only made 85 olds cutlass supreme international's with the GETRAG 284. So, you will have a hell of a time trying to find one. Not to mention you will have a hell of a time trying to find a GETRAG 284. unless you buy a hole car witch will cost you a pretty penny if the person selling the car has any idea what they have. I have a 92 cutty int with a 284 stock. the tranny is compleatly thrashed and has no 3rd or 4th gear anymore thats why im driving the 4x4 mega gas pig. Fortunatly I know a tranny company that will sell me the parts but i just cant afford it right now. realistically you will find a 282 for around $300 and it will be a B***H to get in there but if you want a manual in it that bad (i dont blame you cuz its way more fun) it will be the most realistic way to go i think. I have been looking for a 284 for a while and only found one for $1100.

Even tho i really dont want to sell my car cuz it will be worth a fortune in 50 years, if your interested pm me and we will talk. but i tell you, your gonna have a hard time ripping it from my hands. after all its 1 of 85 cars made. and its one of the really really nice ones with all the options you could imagine and not one of the P.O.S. ones

[pocket-rocket]

It took me a week to do mine, and I was happy with it. IMHO, it's all about your goals, not the efficiency gain. I personally got tired of my auto. I knew it would go out after replacing it, and I knew it wasn't working at 100%. I knew with my driving habits if I put another auto in the car, I would be replacing that one again down the road. I have also been a fan of sticks vs autos. The only modifications to swap it in is the firewall plate that the pedal mounts go to, or do what we did and make the round hole w. the grommet that everyone uses for their amplifier power wire the right shape so the clutch master cyl. locks into place (which did take a good long while to do to make sure we didn't remove too much material). I had to take my lower wiring harness apart to move the VSS wire from the passenger side to the drivers side, I had to have Ben get me a chip with 5 speed code on it and swap it for my auto chip, I had to cut off the P/N safety switch off, and solder the 2 large purple and yellow wires together so the starter would work (otherwise it would be like trying to start the car in gear which we all know doesn't work). I had to rewire my trunk popper button, because that runs off of that switch too (so you don't pop your trunk with your leg while going down the road), and I could have but never did wire up my reverse lights to the reverse switch in the trans. Yes, use a 284 which come in W body DOHC cars only. Get axes for a 5 speed (if you don't have a donor) and use your old auto axes for cores Back to the firewall plate. If you use your original one, the provisions for hanging the clutch pedal are already there. The only things you have to come up with is the pedal, and figuring how to hook the clutch master cyl. to it because the hole in the firewall plate is recessed and slightly angled vs the 5 speed car plate which is flat and flush. I moved the peg on the pedal to make mine so it wasn't dragging the clutch when I pressed it in due to the angle/recessed hole. Also up to your descretion is wiring in a clutch safety switch so you have to push it in to start the car (I opted not to do this) and wire in a clutch switch to tell the ECM that the clutch is not being pushed (which also cancels the cruise, and I opted not to do this and had Ben take care of the right flag in the chip). And that, summed up in a nutshell is pretty much how you stick a stick in a W body. :P

[1994KlrWhaleOlds]

First off, they only made 85 olds cutlass supreme international's with the GETRAG 284. So, you will have a hell of a time trying to find one. Not to mention you will have a hell of a time trying to find a GETRAG 284. unless you buy a hole car witch will cost you a pretty penny if the person selling the car has any idea what they have. I have a 92 cutty int with a 284 stock. the tranny is compleatly thrashed and has no 3rd or 4th gear anymore thats why im driving the 4x4 mega gas pig. Fortunatly I know a tranny company that will sell me the parts but i just cant afford it right now. realistically you will find a 282 for around $300 and it will be a B***H to get in there but if you want a manual in it that bad (i dont blame you cuz its way more fun) it will be the most realistic way to go i think. I have been looking for a 284 for a while and only found one for $1100.

Even tho i really dont want to sell my car cuz it will be worth a fortune in 50 years, if your interested pm me and we will talk. but i tell you, your gonna have a hard time ripping it from my hands. after all its 1 of 85 cars made. and its one of the really really nice ones with all the options you could imagine and not one of the P.O.S. ones

Where do you get 85? Considering that the 3.4/5 speed combo was available in 1991-93 on the S, SL and International, there were likely more than 85 made. I've seen 2 SL 3.4/5 speeds, 1 S and 8 or 9 Internationals.

[no_doz]

its not as much about efficiency (although id love to have that 5th gear for highway cruising)-its about the fact that the last care i had with the dohc & the auto trans-i ripped the damn trans outta it runnin the shit outta the poor bastard-that & im not a big fan of autos anymore-i love the feeling of being one with your car as you shift gears & control your rev to speed ratio & choose exactly how much torque or hp you need at any given time & etc... with the auto you dont really have that-you just mash the gas & go- & it chooses when it shifts & etc... its impersonal & im not a big fan of it

[1994KlrWhaleOlds]

5 speed W bodies aren't hard to find if you look hard.

http://www.ridesafely.com/inventory.asp?vt=A&InventoryID=807069693&description=1988%20OLDSMOBILE%20CUTLASS%20SU&Search=page%3D4%26vt%3DA%26Region%3D%26AuctionDate%3D%26Status%3D%26Make%3DOLDSMOBILE%26Model%3D

Although I think that car has been flooded. And it's a 282.

[sspeedstreet]

Are the parts to do the 5-speed swap the same for all W-bodies? As in, will Lumina pedals/shifter/slave etc. fit into a Cutlass?

[3100 MPFI]

yes for shifter, pedals, etc.

One thing you need to check is if the slave, etc parts are the same between the 282 (3.1 MPFI cars), and the 284 (3.4 DOHC cars).

[sspeedstreet]

Well then, this may be of interest.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Lumina_W0QQitemZ170241654718QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170241654718

$1900 and they claim it's drivable.

[91DOHC284]

5 speed W bodies aren't hard to find if you look hard.

http://www.ridesafely.com/inventory.asp?vt=A&InventoryID=807069693&description=1988%20OLDSMOBILE%20CUTLASS%20SU&Search=page%3D4%26vt%3DA%26Region%3D%26AuctionDate%3D%26Status%3D%26Make%3DOLDSMOBILE%26Model%3D

Although I think that car has been flooded. And it's a 282.

show me a 3.4 DOHC cutty international 5spd and ill beleive you

[gpchris]

Whats the 6cyl gearing for the 282?