TheSamba.com :: View topic - Converting a manual to automatic transmission

Thu Jan 20, 2022 12:20 pm

Unfortunately I have developed arthritis in my right shoulder and left knee.
My westy is manual and is somewhat painful to drive, especially when doing a lot of shifting.
I am not ready to give up the westy experience yet, so I am asking how hard is it to source an automatic transmission and all the bits to make it work.
BTW I live in Canada, so shipping will also be an issue.
Thanks

Thu Jan 20, 2022 12:25 pm

I just had this done to my 85. Midtown Automotive in Denver did the work and sourced all the parts. They didn’t have much trouble locating everything they needed, but the cost was high.

The result is great. I didn’t realize how much effort went into shifting that beast until I drove the auto.

Thu Jan 20, 2022 12:28 pm

not hard, but expensive and time consuming.

you'll need a lot of bits to make it work. off the top of my head:

shifter

shift rod/cable assy

transmission with mounts and linkage

axles

flex plate

accelerator cable

this would be a case where it may be cheaper to find a donor

Thu Jan 20, 2022 12:28 pm

The only way to do the conversion without pulling your hair out is to purchase a donor vehicle. I did this converting a '78 manual bay window to automatic. The donor vehicle was a '77 automatic rust bucket. I was able to recoup not only the purchase price of the donor vehicle but bonus cash from the sale of extra parts I didn't need. I still have some parts listed.

Thu Jan 20, 2022 1:02 pm

Put up ads on every media, looking for someone doing the opposite swap. You never know...

Thu Jan 20, 2022 1:18 pm

I bet there is someone with an automatic that wants to go manual that you could swap with. I debated this a few years ago (I have an automatic) but now that I have a manual play car again (RX7) I'm glad I didn't do the swap, although slightly improved MPG would be nice.

Thu Jan 20, 2022 2:08 pm

For sure there are people out there going auto-to-manual that you could work a deal with. I picked up a nice 2.0 automatic van and threw a 1.9 manual power train into it last summer (easy-as-pie swap), advertised the full automatic power train (all the stuff Skills lists above, plus the interior shifter surround and lower dash piece) and had plenty of interest.

The fellow who bought it drove 5 hours to pick it up and traded me the manual interior trim stuff to boot, which I was missing - we both had brown interiors so worked out great. Would have liked to get his 4-speed transmission in trade too, but it was trashed.

Might take a while to find but they're out there - I'd start advertising now and keep renewing the ad, eventually you'll find someone close by.

Thu Jan 20, 2022 3:10 pm

Find that person who wants to swap their auto for a manual soon after they first buy their van. If you had posted this 9 years ago I would be all over it. But I’ve enjoyed driving my auto for far too long to be interested :lol:

I think you’ll find someone to swap with.

Fri Jan 21, 2022 6:24 am

Luck is with me. I called the local Vanagon shop and the owner has just finished an auto to manual conversion. He is going to sell me all the parts for the auto.
He claims it was recently rebuilt. A bit vague on details as that is what the previous owner said.
So.. should I send it out for another rebuild or do the swap and see what i got.
Txs

Fri Jan 21, 2022 7:10 am

jocoman wrote: Luck is with me. I called the local Vanagon shop and the owner has just finished an auto to manual conversion. He is going to sell me all the parts for the auto.
He claims it was recently rebuilt. A bit vague on details as that is what the previous owner said.
So.. should I send it out for another rebuild or do the swap and see what i got.
Txs

I'm assuming when you say "it" you mean the automatic trans. Unless the previous owner has the paperwork showing the rebuild, I would not install it until a complete rebuild including the converter was done.

Fri Jan 21, 2022 7:36 am

Reading the thread title, I’ve never seen this done in any make or model.

Fri Jan 21, 2022 7:44 am

jocoman wrote: Luck is with me. I called the local Vanagon shop and the owner has just finished an auto to manual conversion. He is going to sell me all the parts for the auto.
He claims it was recently rebuilt. A bit vague on details as that is what the previous owner said.
So.. should I send it out for another rebuild or do the swap and see what i got.
Txs

I would see if the owner of the shop can put you in touch with the previous owner that had the trans rebuilt.

In any case this sounds like a good time to grab the parts.

If the trans looks really clean, like it should after a rebuild, I'd give it a go but keeping in mind that it may have to be pulled again. If you do not like that scenario and have the funds then send it out to get 'rebuilt' again.

Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:03 am

Exactly. I called the shop and he told me the previous owner had his engine and tranny rebuilt and he drove on it for about a year.
The shop told me they drove it around and it worked fine. Said it would be prudent to replace the input seal as its easy and cheap.
Soooo
Do I
1) install as is (with the new input seal)
2) pay more money and have him do a rebuild?
3) attempt to do the rebuild myself.

I haven't laid eyes on it, but it is supposedly "clean". Next step will be for me to give it a visual inspection.

Txs

Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:11 am

Having been a juror multiple times, I have never relied on hearsay. If the proof isn't there, have it rebuilt including the converter.

Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:00 am

jocoman wrote:
Do I
1) install as is (with the new input seal)
2) pay more money and have him do a rebuild?
3) attempt to do the rebuild myself.

Txs

Depends who is doing the work? if your having a shop do everything it would probably best to have it checked over and rebuilt.

If I it were me, I would install as is and test it. Its not too difficult of a task to drop the tranny and remove if I needed it rebuilt later.

Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:32 pm

I'd install as-is too, unless you love spending $$. Seeing the work that comes out of a lot of shops, I'd be worried it would come back in worse shape post-rebuild. Those early autos are actually really tough little transmissions.

If you did have trouble, as skemems stated it's a nothing job to drop the trans back out.

Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:32 pm

Abscate wrote: Reading the thread title, I’ve never seen this done in any make or model.

And I see what you did there...

:)

Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:39 pm

I've done this on a few vehicles. It's pretty straight forward. My advise is to leave the clutch pedal and whatever else you can. I put a C4 in a '67 Mustang. I was able to push the clutch pedal down under the carpet & kept the shiftier mount installed. The idea was to keep it easily reversible.

It's much more difficult going from an auto to a manual. I did that on my Jetta

Fri Jan 21, 2022 5:42 pm

I have all the parts to undertake this exact procedure, but no time in which to execute the plan. Hopefully this Spring.

Fri Jan 21, 2022 5:50 pm

Yeah that *$(%ing Vanagon clutch pedal setup. I've read that it can be done with the dash in the van - but those must be better and more determined folks than I - there was no way I could swap it with the dash in.

Really not much of a job (doing the whole auto/manual swap, I mean), just time. I did a small writeup with pics somewhere here on my swap (auto-to-manual) and some of the minor hiccups I encountered.