QuestionI have a Mercury Grand Marques LS 1997 and i was wondering if there was any way to go from an automatic transmission to a semi automatic or manual transmission.
AnswerHi Brett,
This is a loaded question. The answer to your question is yes, there are ways to change your transmission type. However, when you change a transmission type, such as auto to manual or semi-auto, it does require a lot of time, money and work to get the job done correctly.
Here are some things to know before you decide to embark on this project.
When changing a transmission, there are a multitude of things that must be done. For example:
You must change the transmission itself. You will need to install a new gear shift (when going from auto to manual this requires cutting into the floor of the vehicle to install the shifter, housing and upper and lower boot assemblies). You will need to replace the steering column because you no longer will be using the shifter on the column. The ignition system will need to be modified, because an auto tranny senses the vehicle is in park and neutral through the shift selector on the steering column, where as the manual senses from the shifter in the floor, so some re wiring is needed there. A New Fly wheel will be needed. Some models require a different radiator to be installed also. Wiring harnesses must be replaced. The ECM (Electronic Control Module) or "Computer" might also need to be replaced to switch from auto to manual or semi-auto. There is always the likelihood of the shifter not lining up properly in the floor. There are exhaust clearance issues and modifications to deal with. You will need to replace the bracket that holds the pedals into your car, to accommodate the addition of the clutch pedal, as well as getting and installing the clutch pedal, you will also need to install the linkage to the carburetor. If your vehicle is equipped with EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection), there are modifications needed there also.
In most cases not all but most you will need to replace or modify the engine to accept the new transmission type. There is some heavy electrical modification that will need to be done to switch the tranny and engine from an automatic setup, which is controlled by the ECM (Electronic Control Module) and the electronic sensors that sense when the vehicle needs to be shifted, because a manual transmission does not use this setup since you will be shifting yourself.
This is just the beginning, there is much more that would need to be done to properly change over your vehicles drive train. Remember that what you are talking about doing is switching over the entire system for how the vehicle drives (Drive Train).
I would recommend that you seriously consider this before going forward. There is a lot of work to be done if you decide to go through with this. This job will cost a considerable amount of money also. I would recommend that unless you are going to be keeping this car for a long time, or you plan on making it a show car, that you do not perform this modification. It would be wiser and more cost effective to purchase a car that already has the transmission type you are looking for in it. Also, if you plan on doing this work yourself you will need an EXTENSIVE knowledge in the following areas to properly perform this overhaul: Automotive mechanics, Electrical, body modification, fabrication, Engine repair and performance, transmission work, etc. As you can see this is very involved. I have not even heard of anyone ever attempting to do this to a Grand Marquis, which is the Mercury version of the Ford Crown Victoria, most notably known for their use in the police industry. I would highly recommend opting to not go this route and investing in a different vehicle if you really want a different transmission type.
I hope this was helpful, also below i have inserted some links to more information on the different types of transmissions for you to read over and get a better understanding of how they work.
Good Luck to you.
Thanks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-automatic_transmission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_transmission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_transmission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_gearing
Check out these links, they have a lot of info for you to read, to get a better understanding of how the different types of transmissions work.
Again good luck to you, i hope this helps you in your quest for knowledge. If you have further questions or concerns please let me know and i will do my best to answer them for you.
