V6 Auto to Manual

deian · Post by **deian** » 11 May 2007, 17:10

Hi...

I'm toying on the idea of converting my Xantia V6 to a manual, is this possible?

Don't get me wrong, i like the auto box, but I reckon the engine is missing out big time due to the auto box.

Any input or advice would be great.

Thanks

Post by **xantia_v6** » 11 May 2007, 17:36

Great idea, but there are a few practical problems...

I don't think that there are many donor vehicles with manual transmissions that will fit the es9j4. Probably only the 406 coupe and the Activa V6, neither of which are thick on the ground.

The driveshafts are probably unique to the manual Activa V6.

The engine management ECU will need changing, or at least reprogramming so that it does not pine for the auto transmission ECU.

Stempy · Post by **Stempy** » 11 May 2007, 17:41

Anything is possible with enough cash and resources but I reckon the cost and hassle involved just wouldn't be worth it. I mean, how much extra do you think you'd get with a manual box? Unless you want to use it on a race track you probably wont see any advantage.

deian · Post by **deian** » 11 May 2007, 17:43

a trip to a scrap yard in France might help maybe, i reckon the boxes could be rare too, but as rare as a working auto box?

it's got to be possible if they had a manual v6 in France which with being left hand drive too had the steering column taking space.

didn't think of the drive shaft situation, i'd say the drive shaft would have to come off a v6 manual xantia too as the 406 probably had different lengths... lets see what others say

thanks

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 11 May 2007, 18:56

So, things don't look very healthy on the autobox front then...

There'll be hassle with the pedal box as well as the physical big mechanical
bits although this isn't the end of the world. I broke a manual gearbox Xm
and saved EVERYTHING required with the plan to convert a crocked auto
car but before the project got very far another car appeared at the right
money to actually negate the whole point of the exercise.

May not strictly be the same scenario with a V6 Xantia although you'll HAVE
to do ALL the spannering yourself to make it cost effective - frankly, you'd
be better off getting the autobox sorted and grit your teeth when money is
mentioned - save a whole load on the cost by removing the box yourself
and take it to a specialist to sort out and then PUT IT BACK IN!!

You'll be good for another 120k miles and then save up for a CX GTi turbo2
to be your alternative reliable back up to spread the mileage out!!

Andrew

Post by **DHallworth** » 11 May 2007, 19:04

are you having gear box problems??

it was lovely when i had the car!!

Really hope its not giving problems already

David.

deian · Post by **deian** » 11 May 2007, 19:19

no no, the auto box is fine!!

but i sometimes wonder what it would be like as a manual thats all, but if it's that much hassle then i won't bother, just wanna get my hands dirty, but no real excuse for it except the cambelt and some other odd jobs.

it's a mean engine, it's brilliant how it comes to life after 4000rpm and lets rip

rossnunn · Post by **rossnunn** » 11 May 2007, 19:46

I've just had a similar discussion with a mate about the v6 Auto vs Manual route.
He says manual is the best as its more involving & you feel more in control & able to wring its neck.
I argue that he's talking rubbish & a V6 isn't about pppoowwweeerrr!!! its more about oooodles of lazy torque & that the V6 & Auto is one of the best combo's period. It gives the car a real Jekyll & Hyde personality, on one hand its a quite confortable cruiser & on the other a real monster of a car.

We agreed to disagree & got back to our pints.

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 11 May 2007, 19:49

Maybe I'm getting timid in my old age, but these kinds of conversions make me nervous these days based on bitter experience.

Converted a CX 2400 Pallas to a 2.5 GTi. Intended to just drop the 2.5 engine in as we'd been told we could but a lack of somewhere to screw the distributor on and no means of driving it put paid to that. Did a complete transplant including all electricals and controls, then had to modify all the fuel lines and eventually woke up to the fact we needed an electric fuel pump fitted at the rear end of the car to make it work. Great project, but more trouble than it was worth.

Sold a BE3 gearbox to a guy who was doing an auto to manual conversion. Had a specialist doing the job who checked it over before he started and was happy with it.
After a week in his workshop being used as a fill in job, his mechanic slides out from under the car when almost complete to announce "it won't work":shock: It was being fitted to a BX TZi but came from a Trs. The TZi has a CAS which is fitted to a hole in the top of the bellhousing; the Trs being a carby car doesn't have one so nowhere for it to be mounted.

Bought a series one BX16V with no air/con so decided to do a swap over from a series 2 wreck we'd bought; what could be more straightforward than that?
Discovered the penetrations on the firewall were non existent, so had to be cut out, the wiring wasn't in the harness and the car only had one internal fan, needed another to operate but didn't have any penetrations, captive nuts and extra wiring to accomodate. Fun job cutting holes and fitting captive nuts by spot welding them behind the dash of the car. (which was out at the time) Even more excitement when we had to cut into the wiring harness to fit up the extra wires in the circuit.

I'm no auto fan, but these days with modern boxes, I don't think there's much performance advantage in a manual over an auto. I've got an auto BX Tri-122 and a TZi manual and side by side there's little in it, after all, the auto can't screw up a gearchange and once it gets locked into gear, there's nothing to slip as there was with the old band type autos.
Enjoy the convenience.

Alan S

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 11 May 2007, 20:08

Going back to the V6 manual question.

Didn't we have a member here who managed to put a V6 from a Peugeot 406 (with manual gearbox) into a Xantia Activa?

f00lzz · Post by **f00lzz** » 12 May 2007, 05:08

Pop over to Europe and buy a left hooker!!!!!!!!!

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 12 May 2007, 07:54

Homer wrote:Going back to the V6 manual question.

Didn't we have a member here who managed to put a V6 from a Peugeot 406 (with manual gearbox) into a Xantia Activa?

I believe you're thinking of "Andy C" who as far as I know hasn't yet managed to get hold of the box yet.

On the subject of whether the auto or manual transmission versions of the same car are quicker, my daily employment involves running both manual and auto car's back to back in convoy and in the real world auto's are definately quicker. This is due to the constant acceleration offered from an auto which through 'kickdown' finds the most responsive gear almost immediately, whereas a manual car has numerous breaks in accceleration for the gear change.

Bare in mind is that 0-60 times shown in magazines are achieved by dumping the clutch at maximum revs then crashing through the gears

which personally I prefer to avoid.

f00lzz · Post by **f00lzz** » 12 May 2007, 16:26

DickieG wrote:
Homer wrote:Going back to the V6 manual question.

Didn't we have a member here who managed to put a V6 from a Peugeot 406 (with manual gearbox) into a Xantia Activa?
I believe you're thinking of "Andy C" who as far as I know hasn't yet managed to get hold of the box yet.

On the subject of whether the auto or manual transmission versions of the same car are quicker, my daily employment involves running both manual and auto car's back to back in convoy and in the real world auto's are definately quicker. This is due to the constant acceleration offered from an auto which through 'kickdown' finds the most responsive gear almost immediately, whereas a manual car has numerous breaks in accceleration for the gear change.

Bare in mind is that 0-60 times shown in magazines are achieved by dumping the clutch at maximum revs then crashing through the gears which personally I prefer to avoid.

Agreed

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 13 May 2007, 05:46

DickieG wrote:
Homer wrote:Going back to the V6 manual question.

Didn't we have a member here who managed to put a V6 from a Peugeot 406 (with manual gearbox) into a Xantia Activa?
I believe you're thinking of "Andy C" who as far as I know hasn't yet managed to get hold of the box yet.

Nope it was ActivaV6UK, and as far as I could tell from searching he decided on an auto box but I'm not sure he ever got it all together.

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 13 May 2007, 08:03

Homer wrote:
DickieG wrote:
Homer wrote:Going back to the V6 manual question.
Didn't we have a member here who managed to put a V6 from a Peugeot 406 (with manual gearbox) into a Xantia Activa?
I believe you're thinking of "Andy C" who as far as I know hasn't yet managed to get hold of the box yet.
Nope it was ActivaV6UK, and as far as I could tell from searching he decided on an auto box but I'm not sure he ever got it all together.

AndyC and ActivaV6UK are same person. I couldn't recall what name he used on this forum, AndyC is the name he uses on Activanet.