what is involved in this,where can i get it done and what will it cost?

 

clutch pressure plate ,flywheel shifter brake and clutch pedal assy. cluth slave and master cyl. the various wires (revers lights)cant think ov anything else. oh yea the tranny

the orice depends on if you can find the parts. i have senn a couple that had the trans ****er console all prdles and hardwear you need for 700 but those deals are ard to find.

 

I'll give you the same advice I got when I considered doing this. Don't do it. Get a TC instead and you'll be faster then the manuals at the track. If you don't go to the track then you would still be faster then the manuals on the street from a dig. They may pass you at the top end but how many times will you be running to 120+ mph anyway?

All that aside the auto's are less maintenance. You can get a fair amount of life from a 4L60e and then when it goes you can get a beefier 4l60e or something like a th400. You can eat a cheeseburger while talking on your cell phone during a race with a m6 that you are winning Plus you won't have all the clutch problems a lot of m6 guys have and you won't bend any rods with an accidental third to second shift in the heat of the moment (ouch).

Ok you won't win every race against a manual but with a 3500+ stall TC and trans cooler you should definately win more then you lose. But maybe drag racing is not your thing. That's cool, autos are still easier on your rear end (don't need to get a 2 grand 10 bolt the minute you add a few horses like the m6 guys).

But if you still want an M6 then do it one of two ways for the least amount of pain and suffering.

1). Find a donar car. There are m6 guys that want to convert to an auto for better ET's at the track. Post up in trade/for sale sections of ls1 sights looking for another camaro who wants to become an auto. If you get a donar then you both make an appointment with any performance shop that'll do it (unless one of you is qualified to do it). Basically the shop will probably charge $500 per car and will swap all necassary parts (computer, trans, harnesses, console, ect) while the cars are side by side.

It can work cross year I think but you'll probably at least want it to be another camaro and not a TA/formula because of the console swap. Not 100% sure that it's a big issue but I think it'll be smoother if a TA swaps a TA and Camaro swaps a Camaro. For best chance of no issues it would obviously be best to find same year and same type. This is much easier and cheaper then trying to find all the parts on your own.

2). Or just sell your car/trade it in on a M6. It tends to be cheaper then trying to switch over with individual parts that may or may not work right when done.

Good Luck with whatever you decide.

 

I am in the process of doing this swap on another 4th gen I just picked up.....its EASY. I cant believe how easy the swap is.

Jason

 

thanks for the information darrens99formul maybe i will just stay with the A4

 

Truth is, other than replacing clutches, the t56 will hold up much better than the 4l60e. It also allows you the opportunity to run more aggressive gearing while not killing you on the highway. No need to ket a different converter everytime you switch cams or make a gear change. I think the benefits of the swap are well worth the cos, which for me were about $1500. I did it by myself in about a day and a half. It is pretty straight forward. My advice would be to do it yourself if you have the capability or get someone to help you. I think you would have a hell of a time trying to find a shop to do it for you, and they would probably charge you way more that 500 per car. I say go for it. You will be glad you did.

 

Then again, with so little miles on your car, you might just want to stick with the auto till it blows up then swap. That is what I did.

 

First off,

There is a place in texas called Davids auto or Davids performance (something like that) that did the side by side swap for a few people for $500 per car so $1,000 total. So it can be done for that price.

Second,

you have al LT1 and they actually sell A4 to M6 kits for the lt1. The LS1 there is no such kit and it would cost more then $1500 to buy everything he needs. It would be very cost effective to do it yourself but if that is not an option then find a performance shop.

Third,

I concur that the T56 is a stronger tranny in general but what you failed to inform him about was that the M6 cars are much harder on the stock 10 bolt rear ends. After a few mods and DR or slicks you can kiss your 10 bolt good bye after a few hard launches.

A 12 bolt rear will be needed and that'll cost you about 2k. Plus you will want 4.10 gears to compliment a T56 because M6's don't have Torque converters to wake them up obviously. So add another $400 for that (assuming you can't install yourself) and then another few hundred for speedo correction unless you have a predator or ls1-edit all ready.

Finally,

You can't change the fact that with a TC and tranny cooler you will be faster in the 1/4 mile then an equally modded M6. And you can hold onto your 10 bolt rear end a lot longer as the A4 does not shock the rearend on a launch like the M6's do. Plus who said you have to stay with a 4L60E? Drive it till it needs a new tranny and then either upgrade to a level 2 4L60E or get something better like a TH400.

The swap will likely not be worth it $$$ wise. I'm not saying don't get an M6 if you really want one. They are a blast to drive and I plan my next LS1 to be a 2002 M6. All I am saying is it would be cheaper and easier to get an M6 by either swapping or even better just selling the A4 and buying an M6.

But if you drag race at the track you are far better off staying with the automatic. They trap less but ET better with a 3500+ stall TC. You can get both cars into the 11's fairly easily but it is far cheaper to do it with an A4.

But M6's are more fun to drive for most people. Damn them for the fun factor. I say stay with A4 and TC the heck out of it or just trade it in for an M6.

Good Luck

BTW TCS converters offer unlimited free restalls so even if your mods change to the point you want a bigger stall then you can remove it, send to them and they will restall it to your specs. Vigilantes do this too but you only get one restall.

 

Just depends on what you want to do with it. Some like autos, some manuals. This is something that can be debated till the end of time. Bottom line is if you want to swap to a T56 go for it. It is not as bad as you would think.

 

Just depends on what you want to do with it. Some like autos, some manuals. This is something that can be debated till the end of time. Bottom line is if you want to swap to a T56 go for it. It is not as bad as you would think. Oh, and on a side note, look at my sig. I am making decent power with a six speed all on a 4.10 geared ten bolt. Drive reasonably and you would be amazed what they will really hold.

 

It'll hold up fine on street tires. No argument there. I'll hold up fine on the street under normal driving conditions. No argument there. But launch hard with decent HP at the track on slicks and sooner or later....

BOOM

That can happen with A4's too but it takes a lot more to get to that point. Driving reasonably is the key part of your statement. Yes if he drives reasonably then he will not need to worry about his 10 bolt.

I'm not saying the M6 isn't worth it. I'm not saying the A4 to M6 kit for LT1's isn't a good idea. I am saying the A4 to M6 swap in the LS1 is harder and more expensive so it would be better to just trade it in on a M6 car.

Take that $1500 and use it as a down payment for the trade-in. Or look for the donar car to swap with because you need a lot of stuff and there is no LS1 kit like there is for the LT1. If he had a LT1 I would of linked him the company that sells the kit and said go for it but LS1 is a different animal.

If you want an M6 get one but just be aware that it won't be cheap to do it in your car and there is no guarantee it'll be problem free afterwards. It's just easier to buy an M6 in the first place.

Sorry for rambling.

 

I debated switching from A4 to M6 for about 3 months.

Your car probably will be faster than a stick if you get a good 2800+ stall converter and atleast 3.42's in it.

I personally don't really drag race my car that much so i went the 6 speed route. Did all the work myself except for removing the A4 and putting in the t56. Really the swap is easy as hell. Especially if you have another car to pull parts from.

I bassically got me a T56 conversion for FREE. I bought a Wrecked 96 Z28. Pulled all the stuff i needed/wanted out of it Sold the parts I didn't need. Really and trully the only thing I had to pay for was labor. I Bought a new clutch, shifter and trans mount. The money i made of selling parts paid for all of it and the original cost of the parts car.

Thanks
Shawn

 

It depends on you setup and what you want it for. The 6 speed is a lot more fun to drive than an auto. They both have ups and downs though. I am currently doing what you want to do. I bought everything I need (BRAND NEW, even a brand new t56 with spec stage 2 clutch)to change it over for $ 3600. It may seem like a lot but I am getting everything brand new. If you want to do what I did, email josh@sixonthefloor.com and he will help you out.


Larry