no its never been done

 

Seriously? The 355's have been around for six years and a single person hasn't accomplished an auto to 5 speed swap? Seems kind of astonishing to me. I've done/worked on 5 auto to manual conversion on the s-series (Saturn) and can fly through those within a day.

Obviously the rarity of the manual doesn't help, but seems like someone would have done it. I was actually contemplating this today because I can only drive an automatic car for so long. I've had my truck for less than six months and I'm already at my breaking point haha.

 

May need the computer from the truck too or just someone that would know how to change from auto to manual on the computer? I dont know if that even matters.

 

Assuming you will be use a 5 speed from a 355, the minimum you will need is a pedal assembly, clutch master cylinder,slave cylinder, trans itself,computer. And all the other little things that will nickel and dime you. Probably cheaper to buy a new truck. However if there's a removable bellhousing available to fit a 355. The next issue is finding an adapter to mate up to the GM transfer case to your desired transmission. You could use the tcase that comes with your new trans, but you would have to program out the 355 t case module out of your computer.
No easy ways around this uncommon driveline.

 

See...I know it is doable.

I'd have held out for a 5-speed truck but I wanted a crew cab OffRoad with the 5 cylinder.

The 5-speed was available in a non-Z71 crew cab 4x4 with the 4 cylinder, or a Z71 extended cab with the 4 cylinder. The 5 cylinder was only available with a 5-speed on 2wd trucks.

If I could find a wrecked 355 with a 5 speed, and preferably a 5 cylinder as well I might have everything I need to do the swap. The hardest part would be swapping the computers etc. if it's even doable.

 

See...I know it is doable.
The 5 cylinder was only available with a 5-speed on 2wd trucks.

.

Not true.

 

Before the 3.7, the 5 speed was available on everything EXCEPT crew cab 5 cylinders, regardless of 2wd/4wd.

Now the 5 speed is ONLY on the 2.9's.

 

There was a very limited run or number of CC with 5 speeds, but I have only seen them mated up with the 2.8.

 

I also have seen the 2.8L CC 5-speed.

However, with the OffRoad package in a crew cab, the 5-speed wasn't offered. Hell, I don't even think you could get the 2.8L in a crew cab if you had the offroad package...only the Z85 I thought.

 

I also find it hard to believe no one's done it before...I'm hoping someone who has will chime in, or that someone with greater knowledge than myself will chime in for me on all the parts I'd need to actually do the swap so I can start looking through junkyards.

 

what transmitions bolt right up to the 3.5L

 

Just about anything with a SBC bell housing.

 

I have an 18 spd. hooked up to a 550hp Cat. in a Kenworth. maybe you can
mod it to fit. Ha Ha Ha.

 

The bellhousings for our inline motors are narrower than the sbc bellhousing. Hence why the bellhousing needs to be swapped out if you do a v8 swap.

 

That's what I was thinking too...

 

Well, that they were more narrow anyways. Not too sure if anyone who has done a swap stayed with teh stock trans or not.

 

We can use the stock 4l60e transmission in a v8 swap if you swap the bellhousing and input shaft. 04cplyzq8 used the ar5 5 speed but had to get a special bellhousing and dicked around with finding the correct pilot bearings. But that's all v8 talk. :lol: