Greg Ross 5-Speed

[NCReatta]

What kind of transmission did you use? where'd you get it? where any mods required to make it work? Where'd you get the pedals?

Just a few questions I have. Considering possibly converting mine to a 5-speed.

Thanks in advance!

[handmedownreatta]

i don't think he going to tell us....

[Jim]

Back when Greg was building the car I am pretty sure he did a lot of postings telling what parts he used.

Greg is working way up in Alberta on the oil sands project and may not check this site regularly.

He did just recently buy a red '89 in Florida and mentioned he wouldn't mind getting a '91 convertible.

[Rawja]

Greg used the Getrag 5-Speed that was optional in 90-93 Pontiac Grand Prix with the 3.1L.

They were very very rare then prolly more so now.

Didn't F-14Crazy do a six-speed a coupla years ago? Or did the project not get off the ground?

[DAVES89]

It looked like F-14 got about halfway done when he succumbed to the distractions most men in their early 20s fall for...

[NCReatta]

Greg used the Getrag 5-Speed that was optional in 90-93 Pontiac Grand Prix with the 3.1L.

They were very very rare then prolly more so now.

/QUOTE]

Dadgumitt... My grandfather just sold a '93 grand Prix with a 5-speed!! My aunt drove it for a couple years, and really hurt her wrist with the shifter. Perhaps it's just the way everything is set in the Grand Prix.

[padgett]

Good thing you didn't mention or it probably would be here now.

[handmedownreatta]

i tryed to search for five speed but the search gives results for five plus results for speed.

[padgett]

Try "getrag".

[DAVES89]

Go to Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market and key in 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix and you will see that tere are only 5 available that are not cores in the entire country.

[Guest Greg Ross]

Sorry guys, I check in seemingly infrequently when I'm in Camp here;

Work a 5 weeks in (35 days straight) and then (thank-you) 3 weeks off.

Getrag Model 284 5-Spd, as mentioned was the optional Manual Tranny mated to the 3.4L OHC V6 offered in 91-93 Lumina, Gran Prix models.

To scoop the majority of the needed parts, picking up a complete car would be the very best option. You're going to want;

Tranny obviously

CV 1/2 shafts, (Bits and bobs of several 1/2 shafts have to be blended to adapt the tranny to the front wheels)

Shifter complete with cables,

Hydraulic Clutch-master and slave cylinder set

Pedal set (from the donor car would be helpful to start but fabrication is going to be necessary)

Clutch and pressure plate.

The flywheel has to be custom machined, it takes a GM stock flywheel from about a '90 Camaro that took the GM 3.8L/ Manual Tranny RWD. The bolt pattern on that flywheel obviously matches our FWD 3.8/ 3800 Series I but the thickness is too great to cross over to the Getrag. You have to remember, loads of GM parts are interchangeable but the FWD 3.8 was never offered by GM with a manual gearbox. Closest is the Fiero in RWD but similarly mounted in front of the transaxle.

(I think it's also possible to take the 3.4 Flywheel, plug weld the hole pattern and have it redrilled to match the 3.8, distortion is a risk and how to deal with the "imbalance" built into that flywheel is beyond me)

When I built mine we neutral balanced the flywheel and the engine crank (rods and pistons too since we were into it)

This Getrag Model 284 at one time was the tranny of choice for small block chevy/ Northstar/ 3800 S/C swaps into Fieros. It's a pretty rugged tranny.

Suggest you have a look at "V8 Archies' Web Site and see what tranny he's using in Fiero conversions these days. There may be something more readily available then this rare Getrag (I keep a spare)

This in not an inexpensive process, even with the donor car on hand, with machining and fabrication and in all likelihood some new parts will find their way into it, it ain't cheep! The last clutch and pressure plate set I found new/ reman. was about $400. Hydraulic Clutch set-up complete is likely $4-500. now.

Jim-it's actually an '88 that I picked up in Miami. Confused me too, it has an '89-large hood emblem. (it's OK, I have a NIB '88 emblem for it!

Dave, the Getrag Tranny is not rebuildable any more, this was a contract deal between "Getrag" Germany and GM. GM built the tranny under license at the Muncie, Ind Tranny Plant but rebuild service was exclusive with Getrag. They ceased rebuild service after the 10 anniversary, around 2003.

Edited November 14, 2010 by Greg Ross (see edit history)

[Guest Bill_Boro]

My Stealth used a front wheel drive Getrag 5 speed. It may be possible that some parts could be scavanged off of an old Dodge or Mitsubshi. The shift linkage is supprisingly crisp for a "remote" hook up using cables. (Sorry to use the D and M words on this forum!)

The GM Getrags were a lot also more popular in Austrailia.

[handmedownreatta]

bummer.i was hoping it was mostly bolt in.

[padgett]

My opinion is that with the lockup, the 440T6/4T60 already is a five speed and is common as dirt. If you want a manual trans, just buy a Fiero for less and now you have a spare.

BTW there also was a little bit of data diddling required to keep the Reatta ECM from complaining about not knowing what gear the trans was in and the fact that the VSS didn't match.

Edited November 14, 2010 by padgett (see edit history)

[Guest Greg Ross]

Sorry Padgett,

I omitted that all important bit of information. In fact I never would have embarked on the manual transmission quest, nor the S/C program unless I'd had confidence in the necessay programming alterations.

The "programmer" shall remain nameless!

[Guest Greg Ross]

Bill,

Chrysler used the Getrag in a number of models including the "TC by Maserati". I wasn't aware of the Australia connection, presume that was Holdens?

I have a "good but for one part" Tranny I would like to have servicable. It's the transmission I had rebuilt some years ago. 5th gear went out suddenly, it's a strange piece, a relatviely narrow gear with a guage metal (thin) shoulder gear beam welded on to the side of it-some kind of sycronizer? perhaps. I've never dismantled a tranny so don't fully understand it's function. The shoulder gear weld failed and 5th gear was suddenly gone.

I had tried some research in Europe at the time but couldn't identify any vehicles that would have been using the tranny. I'd heard of the TC conncetion but they wanted an arm, a leg and your first born for one of those gearboxes. Supposedly the guts were the same, just the case being different.

GM did have several other models of Getrag in use in North America at the one point, mainly 4 cyl applications as I recall. Do you by any chance have any connections in Australia?

[handmedownreatta]

My opinion is that with the lockup, the 440T6/4T60 already is a five speed and is common as dirt. If you want a manual trans, just buy a Fiero for less and now you have a spare.

im happy with the automatic but i wish it shifted earlier.i can get 28 mpg at 70,but not near that at 35.

[padgett]

Reattae get the best mpg at low revs in o/d-lockup. My 88 drops to 1275 rpm at 46 mph and is getting over 30 mpg from there to about 65 mph on the flat. The 90 doesn't get into top/lockup until about 52 mph and both are in spec (same 2.97 final drive ratio & both are "C" 3800s though the 90 cam is different).

Tire pressure and how "clean" the car is can make a big difference.