LUVTruck.com

I am in the process of buying a LUV. It is an automatic. How hard is it to re-do the interior for a manual, Is there anything I am goint to have a problem with. I have acess to a plasma cutter, welder.....etc. Is there any wiring I will have to change (I hate wiring , like fat kids and diet food ).
thakns,
Dan

_________________
If everybody grows up with high self-esteem, who is going to dance in our strip clubs?
What's going to happen to our porno industry?
These women don't just grown on trees.

I did it to my 77 when I first got it running. What you do with the clutch pedal probably depends on what year your truck is, and what year the donor is. I had a 77 donor for mine, which meant I had a truck built for a hydro clutch getting parts from the same. If you have a 77 or older and try to put in a 78 or newer trans you have more work to do getting a cable clutch put into a truck not really designed for it. Here is the parts list I needed from my donor:

Clutch pedal
Brake pedal (pad on the auto is bigger and gets in the way of clutch)
Clutch master cylinder
clutch slave cylinder
lines from master to slave
driveline
transmission
shifter boot
Speedo cable (not certain on this, but I think the end was different)

The mechanical stuff is pretty easy assuming you don't have to use parts from differing years. The bracket for the pedal is there and there is just a little bolted in plate covering the hole for the master cylinder. The auto shifter comes out pretty easy too and leaves a hole just right for the shifter boot from the manual. The carpet will be cut a bit more around the auto shifter, but you can put the plastic console back on to cover it. Just pop out the square center section with the slot for the auto shifter. I bent a bracket to fit the bolt holes in the floor and the holes in the side of the console out of some scrap sheetmetal eventually, but for a while I just had a chunk of plumber's tape holding it up.

The year of the donor and recipient is important. 75 and older motors will only work with 75 and older transmissions and vice versa. However, I don't thinking they started doing an auto trans until 76 or so. 76-77 will have the hydro clutch and 78-up will have a cable. You could make either work, but the trucks made in those years (even that came as auto trans) will have the holes and brackets for that type of clutch. Makes it easier if it all matches.

On the wiring, all I remember was having to hook up a four wire connector under the dash that leads to the carb emissions stuff and the hookup for the backup lights. The four wire deal had to be modified, but it was fairly simple to figure out and not absolutely needed. I can dig up the diagram I made for it or just look at mine if you need. The backup lights just plugged in.

On thought to consider if you are prepared to do some fabrication work is getting a 5 spd trans from a newer Isuzu pickup. It would need to be from something with a 1.9L or 2.3L motor, and probably means a custom driveline length. (A few $$$s, but there are shops all over that can do it) I know it will mean a little work on the trans mount. The boost in gas mileage and highway driveability would be great though.

The engine it has is a ford V6 ( I don't know which one exactly as I havn't gotten the pickup yet). I guess I will just have to tinker with it a little.

_________________
If everybody grows up with high self-esteem, who is going to dance in our strip clubs?
What's going to happen to our porno industry?
These women don't just grown on trees.

I believe it was a Gilda Radner character on SNL that said: "Nevermind..."

If it isn't a stock LUV motor, then it is pretty much wide open. You could at least use some of this info to figure out how to mount a clutch pedal in it, so I suppose it isn't a total waste. I'm not up on Ford stuff, but I assume there is probably more than one option for a manual trans that would bolt to the motor. Keep in mind that you will need to figure out how to work the clutch when choosing a tranny and it might save you some time and dollars getting it rigged up later. Like I said above, 78 and newer LUVs will be setup for a cable clutch, so if that is what you end up with look for something in a cable clutched Ford tranny. I know you can get hydraulic throwout bearing setups to run the clutch, but they usually cost $$$s and if you match the trans to what the truck can do easily you could save big time on the $$$s and in fabrication/troubleshooting time.