>From: tmeunier@cs.uml.edu
>Subject: Auto to manual?
>
>Can a Bricklin be easily converted to a manual transmission?
>Not sure I'd actually want to do this...it's just a thought.
>I'd prefer a manual trans., though.
That depends pretty heavily on your definition of "easily". ;)
A Mustang 5-speed can be swapped into th Ford-engined cars without too much
difficulty - you just need the right bellhousing, clutch, and flywheel, and
Ford Motorsport can tell you what to use. The bellhousing and flywheel
would be salvage yard parts - I think that what you want is from a '79
pickup or something. The clutch and tranny you can order from the many,
many Mustang tranny shops around.
Then you've got to mount the clutch pedal somehow, and get a matching front
yoke for your driveshaft. Mounting it will probably require some
fabrication too. The big question for me would be where would the shifter
end up?
I think that in ergonomic terms it would work fine if the shifter was as
much as 6-8" further aft than the stock shifter, but you'd probably have
interference with the console then. I haven't been inside a put-together
Bricklin in a long time, and my memory's not clear about the console. ;)
Basically, as tranny swaps go, it should be pretty straightforward. Whether
you want a 4-speed Toploader, a 5-speed T5, or a 6-speed T56, someone can
sell you what you need to get your driveline put together. Then ancillary
things like mounts, the shifter, and pedal arrangment will require some
non-trivial fabrication.
Not a weekend project, but maybe a good winter project...
Hope this helps,
--
Phil Martin
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"
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