Finally Done: Series III and F40 Six Speed Swap

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

So I can say my SII/III and F40 six speed swap is finally complete.

The write up will not be too in depth but I will let you know what parts you will need to complete the swap and the main tricks for the install.

First off you will need a F40 transmission out of a 2006-07 Pontiac G6 (RPO code MU9). Also the newer Regal uses the tranny, not sure on the years, but they are hard to find, and parts are even harder to find.

Next you will need the Series 3 supercharged engine (pretty much the same as a SII), enough for the obvious.

Parts and a few install instructions:

Shift cables off a 06/7 G6 with manual 6 speed 15788845

Shifter 15296498

OEM axels off a 06/7 G6 with manual 6 speed (jack shaft 2266835, right 15918505, left 15918504)

Outer axle joints and splines off the Reatta (must be OEM)

KD Tools CV Boot Service Kit - 3-Pc 3954 and YouTube video

Follow the video except you will be swapping the Reatta joints on to the G6 shafts. You will also need the G6 boot kit. IF YOUR PARTS ARE NOT OEM THEY WILL NOT BE SERVICEABLE AND WILL NOT SWAP. The jackshaft mount will have to be modified as the bracket is not at the right angle for this engine, Welding required.

97-03 supercharged fuel rail and injectors

97-03 supercharged throttle body to include IAC, TPS, and MAF

Throttle body adapter plate http://www.wbodystore.com/3800-supercharger-parts-kit-conversion-v6-gm/86-gen-v-throttle-body-adapter-.html

MR GASKET 7678 (or equivalent, it is getting hard to find under the brand) oil filter bypass

It looks just like this one, but I am not sure if this one has the correct threads. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Transdapt-remote-oil-filter-bypass-adapter-1050-/111499812994?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19f5e82082&vxp=mtr

An oil filter relocation kit

04 Grand Prix oil filter adapter

These are to clear the axle. Without them the oil filter will hit the axle.

Throttle cable from a 98 Park Avenue (must be shortened with a crimp or wire stop at gas pedal, but all connectors will work)

Cruise cable from donor will have to be modified to work with our system. I used some heavy cold shrink and it worked out well.

G6 clutch fluid reservoir

Clutch pedal (used one off a Triumph Spitfire and modified it heavily)

Clutch Master Cylinder CM1116 LMC335 (or one of your choice dependent upon pedal selection) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Clutch-Master-Cylinder-Perfection-Clutch-350087-/350824569014?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item51aec618b6&vxp=mtr

You will have to remove the windshield wiper motor to have access to drill pass through hole. (For the pedal and master cylinder you may be able to use a 3 series BMW assembly and not have to drill a hole. I was not able to find one locally and was not paying for an OEM set and not have it work)

G6 clutch fluid reservoir

DAKOTA DIGITAL UNIVERSAL SPEED ADAPTER CALIBRATOR SIGNAL INTERFACE SGI-5 NEW (for correcting speedometer)

The instructions are great, the F40 speed sensor is either 60,000 or 6,000 pulse per mile, not sure off the top of my head. The Reatta is 4,000 pules per mile. I nailed the adjusting on the first try to include my off size tires.

Flywheel from a 2000 Camaro with 3800 engine

You must have this weighted to match the stock SC flexplate. All the weight can be taken off of the weighted section of the flywheel with a grinder, instead of drilling

Clutch your choice from http://www.specclutch.com/conversion_combos/view/11

I made all my mounts as I wanted them to be an over kill. Most of the stock mounts can be used with a little modification. With that being said, if you cannot weld or are not will to pay someone to I would not do this swap.

Wiring on this is pretty straight forward. The ICM will have to be spliced in using the SC harness. It is a standalone harness that runs to the CPS and cam sensor. The color code pretty much match the Reatta harness, but always verify. The injector harness will need to be lengthened. The TPS, IAC, and MAF connectors will need to be swapped to the SC connections. The reverse switch must be wired into the Reatta harness. This brings me to another positive on this swap, most of the stock transmission wiring can be used as anything you like (alarm pin, remote radar, ect.). The VSS will have to be wired into the harness, and the above mentioned signal converter will need to be used to convert the signal and adjust the speedometer reading.

ECM will need to be programmed to run the engine and lock out some of the automatic transmission options. Once again I had/am having Ryan at SinisterPerformance.com doing mine.

AC is another monster in all. I chose to use the AC compressor that came with the motor, so I had to have some custom hoses made. I did this because it is designed to run the newer refrigerant. If you wanted the stock compressor could be used as in an earlier post Ryan did on the forum.

All in all this was a challenging DIY garage swap, but well worth it. Also with the mods I have done to the engine I would say that it is probably too much for this car, because of the lack of suspensions upgrades available. As long as I keep my foot a little light on the throttle this car is extremely quick and a joy to drive.

[handmedownreatta]

this should be made into a sticky.id love to do the trans swap though the stock engines fast enough for me.

[DAVES89]

Good for you Daniel! These are great stories to read as to what could have been. This way above my skill level. If there is a track near you maybe do a couple of 1/4 mile runs to make us all drool.

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

Good for you Daniel! These are great stories to read as to what could have been. This way above my skill level. If there is a track near you maybe do a couple of 1/4 mile runs to make us all drool.

I wish there was a track, they closed the only one just before I arrived here.

[ol' yeller]

Awesome Daniel! You are a master fabricator!

[Guest Corvanti]

Great job Daniel!!!:cool:

that should make folks who put in a SBC with a turbo/supercharger with a beefed up trans/rear end into anything, blush...

maybe there's an abandoned airstrip that could be marked off for the 1/4 mile!

[padgett]

Just goes to show that you can build almost anything. For me I like the Reattas the way thay are and just bought a different/lighter/smaller car that came with a six speed.

[jbeary]

Sweet!

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

So this swapped was finished quite a while ago, but there where issues. Thanks to the engine shop in Hawaii I had little to no oil pressure when the engine was warm. Cause of this was that they never polished the crank after they ground it. Also the transmission was extremely noisy, an issue that seems common to using the 3800 with the F40. The only answer I had found was turn up the idle. As for me a 1200 rpm idle is not something I was will to live with. After researching for quite some time, I came to realize that the noise was most likely due to the transmission normally being used with a dual mass flywheel. Well good luck finding something that was never produced. Spec clutch (who produces the clutch for this swap) was no help.  After even more research I found that GM, AKA Holden, actually produced a DMF (dual mass flywheel) for the 3800, and amazingly one of the applications had the same tooth count as the current flywheel and spline count as the F40.

 

So after doing Uncle Sam's bidding in Guam for a year I got back to repairing the car. 

I never was able to get all the measurements for the Holden clutch/DMF. Really sucked because the cheapest clutch and shipping was $1200. 

Seeing that the engine had to come out I decided to pull the trigger and ordered the clutch, this was a huge gamble as it is for a RWD car. Thank fully the clutch was a perfect match with the Spec measurements. So I reused the Spec slave and throw out bearing (actually a SAAB part).

I have not put many miles on the new clutch, due to the car not being registered yet, but all indications are that it is the perfect solution for anyone that has done or wants to do this swap. Also the clutch will handle, at least stock power from the series 2 SC engine, as it is used in a SC car for at least two model years. Most important of all the transmission is quiet.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2017 by D-a-n-i-e-l (see edit history)

[drtidmore]

Outstanding accomplishment!  Your contributions to the overall knowledge on the forum are really appreciated.  I am about to use the work you did several years ago regarding cradle bushing replacements after the OEM and aftermarket seemed to write us off.  Since I will have the cradle off anyway, now is the time.  I had mentally filled away that you had a solution and a simple search on the forum pulled it up. 

Edited June 10, 2017 by drtidmore (see edit history)

[89RedDarkGrey]

16 hours ago, drtidmore said:

Outstanding accomplishment!  Your contributions to the overall knowledge on the forum are really appreciated.  I am about to use the work you did several years ago regarding cradle bushing replacements after the OEM and aftermarket seemed to write us off.  Since I will have the cradle off anyway, now is the time.  I had mentally filled away that you had a solution and a simple search on the forum pulled it up. 

 

I actually owe my gratitude for Subframe Bushing replacement to AACA & ROJ Member Dashmaster- for making an outstanding writeup, and Ronnie hosting it at ROJ http://reattaowner.com/roj/component/content/article/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=77:suspension&id=328:engine-cradle-sub-frame-bushing-replacement

 

I had never done work like that before- and this info helped a great deal.

 

Thank you, Gentlemen.

Edited June 11, 2017 by 89RedDarkGrey (see edit history)

[Dashmaster]

Great Write Up Daniel !!, Thank you for your Service also!!, Daniels early research on the Cradle Bushings was my inspiration to try them and  he gets the research credit for my write up. Its is a great community. We all help each other and come up with new things to keep these cars road worthy. 

I would love to have a manual trans in my car.

[89RedDarkGrey]

16 hours ago, drtidmore said:

the work you did several years ago regarding cradle bushing replacements

 

20 minutes ago, Dashmaster said:

Daniels early research on the Cradle Bushings was my inspiration to try them and  he gets the research credit for my write up

 

Wow- I seriously had no idea, at the time I did my Subframe work- that Daniel was the original mastermind behind the idea. I simply read the Tutorial at ROJ, and there is no mention of his name there at all- regarding this work.

 

 

So- now I also thank you, Daniel, for helping me fix my Reatta

[Ronnie]

No matter how well I try to write a tutorial, or how many people I give credit, there is always someone who gets left out. I get emails pretty often telling me what I should have done differently. Trying to satisfy a forum is like trying to satisfy a church. You can't just satisfy one person. You have to satisfy the whole congregation.

[89RedDarkGrey]

You just have to learn how to cook- sugar and salt make everything taste good

 

Thank you, everyone, for everything.

[Ronnie]

On 6/11/2017 at 1:30 PM, 89RedDarkGrey said:

You just have to learn how to cook- sugar and salt make everything taste good

 

I think I'm getting too old to learn how to cook. I'm going to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible and let the experts do the cooking.

[jonlabree]

Great job Daniel, you have built a supercar!

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

One other thing I have not posted yet. On the first test drive, about thirty miles around the island of Oahu, I snapped an axle/CV shaft. 

After spending a bit researching and trying to get a stock G6 axle I ended up having a custom set made. It cost me about $600, but are capable of holding 500 HP each. The stock G6 axles have had many instances of snapping even in the stock application. 

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

On 6/14/2017 at 5:26 PM, 63viking said:

Great job Daniel, you have built a supercar!

 Thank you, but until someone figures out how to upgrade the suspension, I will not be finished.

[mhuppertz]

Any updates Daniel? 

How does it pull? Any clue on 0-60 or 1/4 mile times?

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

1 hour ago, mhuppertz said:

Any updates Daniel? 

How does it pull? Any clue on 0-60 or 1/4 mile times?

 

Honestly I have not completed tuning it. I have moved on to another much easier project.

She is still my daily driver and averages around 18-19 mpg, city driving.  As far as pulling she is a little sluggish at low rpm but once past 2500 she has no stop. Once I finally tune her I assume the sluggish take off will stop. 

I honestly built the car to be built proof, and be able to pass most anything on the open road without worrying about hills or anything else.  She definitely does that.