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Need parts to swap from auto to manual - RL411


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Hello all,

 

I'm looking for anything/everything that is necessary to replace my RL411's auto transmission with a manual. Ideally a 5-speed setup. I'll need:

 

Brake/clutch pedal assembly

Clutch master and slave cylinders

Manual transmission (roadster 5-speed preferred) with bellhousing for R16/U20

Driveshaft that couples with manual transmission (will shorten/lengthen as necessary)

Steering column cover for manual transmission (no PRNDL indicators)

Anything else the 411 gurus can think of

 

I was originally under the impression that I'd need to couple a roadster 4-speed transmission case with the guts/tail from a 510 4-speed, but after seeing the recent RL411 for sale in the 410/411 forum, it looks like a 5-speed can work.

 

-Scott

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Any particular reason for swapping out a "bullet proof" British Borg Warner for a 5 speed of doubtful ancestry?  Unless your BW has not been properly maintained or you want to autocross I see no need for this swap, but each to his/her own taste.  As the Germans say "Yeder tsu zinem gesmuck."

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Hey Mike,

 

You made a similar point when I mentioned this as a possibility several months ago.

 

Unfortunately, my "bulletproof" BW35 has been having issues lately. Shifting has become somewhat unpredictable. Sometimes it won't downshift. Sometimes it won't upshift. The gasket around the front pump appears to be leaking badly. I just did the front seal thinking that was the problem... now I have to pull the transmission again.

 

That said... even if it was working perfectly, I just don't like automatics with small four-cylinder cars. They are significantly heavier (the curb weight of the manual RL411 is a full 40lbs lighter than the auto). There is a lot more fluid and a lot more places for it to leak. They represent a significantly greater power loss in the drivetrain. They provide 3 gears with a car/motor that really needs more. Buzzing along on Highway 5 at 4000rpm on multi-hour-long trips gets extremely tiring. The car has plenty of power at lower RPMs, and needs gears to suit it.

 

Road test data shows the 4-speed manual version of the RL411 to get average fuel consumption that is about 3mpg better than the auto version. It also shows a 0-100mph acceleration time that is a full -35- seconds better. No, I don't plan on driving 100mph in the car, but the point is that the RL411 suffers when hampered by the big, heavy BW35 transmission.

 

I'm probably a little biased, as I come from the vintage Volvo community. Those guys despise the BW35 in 1800Es. I don't know that I feel as strongly as they do, but I do know that I've always felt far more connected with a car (especially a lightweight one) when it has a clutch and a manual transmission.

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Understand, your choice.  Hope you find the right transmission and pedal assembly.  The tunnel for the automatic equipped cars does not have the hole for the shift so it's on your good eye.  On the other hand, whatever hole you cut will be in the right place!

 

It sounds to me as though the BW needs a good upper and lower band adjust.  The upper band is almost flush with the drive tunnel and if you have the transmission serviced by a  dealer or garage they never have the Nissan tool made for this purpose and are too lazy to manipulate a crowfoot extension so usually skip this step.  The lower band is inside the housing and needs a quarter inch spacer [like the stem of a quaretr inch socket drive] and 10 inch pounds of torque to properly adjust.

 

Another error is to lubricate the mechanical shift cable. A No No!  Also, the length of this cable is critical and is best left alone.  The proceedure to properly adjust it if replaced is really hairy.

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Roadster 5-speeds are extremely rare and expensive nowadays... unfortunately they're also the only ones that fit properly.  I have heard that a SD22/SD25 diesel transmission can be made to work, but they're also fairly rare.  Hell, anything that fits a R16/U20 is gonna be rare.  411s are pretty scarce, Automatic 411s are almost unheard of.  So few left...

 

Anyhow, a Roadster 5-speed is your best bet but you're almost going to need a whole RL411 parts car for everything else.

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I've already located a flywheel and pedal assembly. So I'm down to the tranny, master and slave cylinders (easy to find rebuilt ones), the metal plate between the engine and tranny (I may have a lead on this as well), the correct driveshaft flange to fit the 5-speed, and then I need to figure out the rear mount. I'll also need a clutch kit, but they are available for cheap on RockAuto.

 

Mike - thanks for the tips on the BW35. I may dig into it and see what can be made of it.

 

-Scott

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