VT_Maverick's 5 Speed Swap

[Buffy]

As promised picture time!!

Clutch installed, I spent several hours searching for an alignment tool and had to settle for a universal unit. Note to self, Isuzu clutches DO NOT include and alignment tool. Advanced Auto can order you one for $1.49.



The AR-5 and the 4L30E side-by-side...



The AR-5 had a stud at the top that I had to remove. This bolt hole was not used...



Here you can see the interference I encountered between the cases...



You can see where the cases were rubbing together whiched was making it difficult fitting them together...





The shifter plate had to be clearanced as well...



This will give you an idea of the amount of massaging it took to get the cases together. It took several hours as I only wanted to remove just enough to make things work. I lost count of how many times i put the cases together to get it how I wanted.



SUCCESS!!!!!

[Buffy]

Once I got the cases sorted out I turned my attention to the brake pedal. It is a pain to get out but got easier once I losened the steering column to firewall bolts. Here are the two assemblies side-by-side...



Here is the dash carnage, Easy Ashley... I'll get it back together today! You do not have to swap the brake pedal out to do the swap. The pedals would be a little close but useable but my end goal is a factory appearance so out it came!



When they built the VX they obviously used the Trooper RS floor pans. This is the same tab the 4 door Trooper uses to connect the hard hydrolic line to the soft line of the slave cylinder. This is why the Trooper parts are more of a plug-and-play factory appearing vs the Rodeo parts.

[Buffy]

I got an early start today so here are some pictures....

Here is the Trooper clutch master cylinder and hard line installed...



Here is what the tab I showed earlier is used for. If I were doing the swap I would opt for the Trooper parts.



Do yourself a big favor and install the clutch master cylinder BEFORE installing the pedals. It is almost impossible to get to the top nut with the pedal in place...



The interior is looking better....



Ok Ashley you can breath a sigh of relief...



The computers are lables MAN or AUTO...





You will need to swap the mounting brackets over. The VX mount is on the bottom...