manual conversion (pics also)

[MRtuned]

First off, do not be affraid to do this conversion. Everyone who says it is difficult has probably never attempted it. Everything bolts on, and you can even keep the center console from the auto. This thread will only cover my manual conversion. I am choosing to keep it separate from my generation 3 3sgte swap, because even though i did them both at the same time, most people who do a gen 3 swap do not do a manual conversion.




parts and tools:
vice grips
12mm flare nut wrench
14, 12 & 10 mm socket and ratchet
hammer and flat head screwdriver

all other tools to remove transmission

new manual transmission
shifter cables
master and slave cylindars
clutch hard lines and soft line
clutch hard line connector
brake and transmission fluid
entire shifter assembly
grease
brake pedal from manual transmission mr2
clutch pedal and assembly


start off by removing the center console:




there are some electrical plugs to remove, and you must remove the bolts holding the entire shifting assembly onto the car. You can just remove everything and disconnect the cable. I didn't know this at first, and since i didn't intend on keeping any of the pieces I just broke everything and then figured it out :P you may need to keep the small black computer attached to the shift assembly. I have heard that if you just do a straight manual conversion that you need it to start the car, and the automatic shifter needs to be in park when you remove it. otherwise the car may not start. I believe you also need to plug that computer back in when you're done. I did not need that computer, probably because i put in the gen 3 with the new harness designed for a manual. after that disconnect the cable from the transmission.


remove the transmission from the car. ( I took the whole engine out ).


remove the gas tank. ( this I needed to do anyway, and would not have otherwise known where to route the cables).






Install your new master cylindar in the frunk. it bolts directly to the clutch pedal you must also install now. there is a dust cover over the hole. push it out from the passenger compartment. place a light on the floor of the passenger compartment facing forward. this allows you to see where to mount the master cylindar. you need to install both pieces at the same time, and it is easiest with two people, although this is the hardest part of the swap IMO. you may notice there is a sensor on the pedal assembly. You will not have anything to plug there so don't worry about it. generally you would need to depress the clutch pedal to start the car, but I do not need to. I thus assume that the ecu defaults to allowing you to start the car if the sensor bugs out. Its a good thing toyota did that . you also need to install a new brake pedal because the manual car uses a smaller pedal so there is room for the clutch pedal.






now, you may want to rebuild your shifter assembly.






It just takes some time and a little work you may need to get physical to get the shifter out of the bushing. I just hit it against a piece of steel until it came out (probably not the best idea, but it worked.) remove all bolts and retainers and washers, and just get the whole thing into as many peices as you can (remembering where everything goes of course ) now take a look at everything, isn't that dirty!




clean everything well, and put fresh grease on the bushings. I took this time to install a TRD short shifter






Put it in the car!!! it bolts right in.




route your shifter cables through the rear firewall where your old one went. you can either customise that rubber seal to fit two cables, or get a new one.




see how the center console fits:



if you are just doing the manual conversion, plug that little black computer back in before you install the center console.

route your clutch lines. there is a short one from the master cylindar, and a longer one that attaches via connector to the short one. Use a flare nut wrench to connect them. size 12mm I believe for all connectors on the clutch lines. that is the only connector you need to buy. I got all my lines from Toyota. the long line follows the brake line perfectly, they even left dual hose brackets for you! Just unbolt them one by one and put them back on with both the clutch and brake lines in them. easy!




make sure your bleeder valve works for your slave cylindar BEFORE you put your transmission back in. its in a really bad place to replace if you break it. now put your transmission back in the car. fill it with fluid. hook up the flexible hose to the hard line at the front of the engine bay with a flare nut wrench (12mm). now you just need to bleed the system and you should be good to take it for a test drive. it took me an entire hour of bleeding for the pedal to get pressure, so don't give up! Also, make sure you don't let the master cylindar run out of fluid while bleeding. otherwise you get to start all over again!

Enjoy!!!


-Eric

[canadam]

Thanks! I'm just about to finish this on my car

[canadam]

Originally Posted by MRtuned

You will not have anything to plug there so don't worry about it. generally you would need to depress the clutch pedal to start the car, but I do not need to. I thus assume that the ecu defaults to allowing you to start the car if the sensor bugs out. Its a good thing toyota did that . you also need to install a new clutch pedal because the manual car uses a smaller pedal so there is room for the clutch pedal.

Do you mean brake pedal here?

[MRtuned]

awe fudge. yea thanks. i have fixed a couple bugs already lol.

[ghs03bigd]

I was just wondering if you ran into any wiring problems when you were doing the whole swap. I am trying to do the same thing but on a 91 and I am getting a wicked spark off the battery when i go to reconnect it. I was wondering if you ran into anything like that?

[MRtuned]

yea I get a small spark sometimes from reconnecting the battery. I think i may have messed up on my wiring though for the gen 3 swap. the only set of wires that could affect how its running would be the fuel sender unit wires...

other than that the manual swap went pretty smooth, pressurising the clutch sucked, but I think i basically got it.

[mr2gsr]

Hey MRtuned, thanks for telling me about this. It is very helpful. I am saving this thread in my favorites. Did you have to do anything to fix the way the key only comes out of the ignition when the vehicle is in park? With the auto drive selector, I really have to push it into park to get the key out and I was worried that I might have a pin somewhere in the ignition to permanately fix.

Did you bother with swaping your radiator?

[TreyMR2]

I was wondering when you where going to make a thread on this. It needs to be a sticky because I hear about people wanting to do this all the time but back out because it looks to intimidating.

[MRtuned]

haha, I thought this was sticky.

Originally Posted by mr2gsr

Hey MRtuned, thanks for telling me about this. It is very helpful. I am saving this thread in my favorites. Did you have to do anything to fix the way the key only comes out of the ignition when the vehicle is in park? With the auto drive selector, I really have to push it into park to get the key out and I was worried that I might have a pin somewhere in the ignition to permanately fix.

Did you bother with swaping your radiator?

I did not have to do anything with my radiator...

I never had that problem with the ignition, make sure your transmission is in park and you can remove the key before/during the swap. If your car will not start, try plugging that little black box back in, the one that is right next to the shifter. I swapped my ECU to the 3sgte ecu, so there is no automatic transmission ecu. I don't know if this would be a problem if you have an automatic ECU, but the easy way to fix it is just to make sure that little computer remembers park as the last gear you were in, and that it is plugged in. You shouldn't have a problem after that. Let me know how it turns out!

[canadam]

You're right, this thread deserves to be stuck.

[MRtuned]

Hey Canadam, did you finish your manual installation? how did it turn out?

[fosley]

I did not need any electronics from the auto shifter or auto transmission. I posted my wiring info in the thread by TomsMR2 here. Basically, run 2 wires from the clutch safety switch to the auto shifter switch, and 2 wires from the reverse light switch on the manual transmission to the auto shifter switch.

The only thing I haven't done yet is allow the clutch to disable cruise control.

[MRtuned]

ah, see my reverse lights work anyway, since I am now using a manual tranny ECU. I didn't even think of that.

[fvillota]

i want to do this. but is there any place down here in miami that will rent me a lift for the car? also u guys know anyone seeling parts i need?

[Servin]

Best to look in the for sale section for someone parting out a NA 2. From what I seen the hardest part is just obtaining all the parts for various partouts and it takes some time to gather all the parts up.

[fvillota]

yea i guess... but im just scared that if i spend the money and or get everything i wont be able to do the swap.

[fvillota]

hey for any chance does the celica 2.2 manual tranny fit str8 in? or do i need an mr2 tranny!?

[ZMR2]

Originally Posted by fvillota

hey for any chance does the celica 2.2 manual tranny fit str8 in? or do i need an mr2 tranny!?

Dont worry buddy Im getting most of the parts out now for ya.

[fvillota]

Originally Posted by ZMR2

Dont worry buddy Im getting most of the parts out now for ya.

well take it easy on the parts for a few days because i was talking to flawlessguy yesturday now and we has everything including a place he can help me do it. if we come to a price agreement i might do it with him.

the swap takes about one full day to my understanding right?

[fvillota]

is this possible without a lift? and alone?