Hard to convert my 4L80E to a manual?

**Aureliametal** · 12-30-2008, 04:16 PM

I was wondering if anyone knows if it is possible and how much it would cost to convert my 4L80E to a manual tranny with overdrive? Or what there is even available? I swapped out my old 350t in my 79 blazer to the rock crusher...complete swap. I know this would be more expensive and harder. Any info would be great!!! Thanks a lot, Joe

**Crawdaddy** · 12-30-2008, 07:57 PM

As far as I know, no suburban since probably the mid 80s has ever had a manual transmission as an option in Suburbans. I don't know why, but that's how it is. As such, you will certainly have some pretty major fabrication and body cutting ahead of you. You will have to cut a hole in the floor pan for the floor shifter, fab up a bracket for the clutch pedal and linkage, and if you keep an EFI motor in the suburban, figure out some way to fool the computer into believing the auto tranny's still there and functioning correctly. Quite a steep task, but certainly possible if you're fab knowledgable.

**tbplus10** · 12-30-2008, 09:29 PM

It'd be more than it's worth. A couple thousand at least.
The brackets and shifter hole templates are already done for you. Find a 1996 Chevy pickup with a manual, take all the required brakets from it after noting their positions. Make a cardboard cut out of the trans tunnel for your shifter hole.
Then get the driveshafts, transmission, and ecm and put them in your truck.