Auto-to-Manual Butcher Job

[Powerhouse Ranch]

Isn't it that manual trans. trucks don't have a neutral safety switch on the column? I guess because you're either out of gear or not. With an auto it would be in some gear if it wasn't for the switch. Although I have started a manual truck and it lurched forward until I got my foot on the clutch peddle! It scared me.

well you see my '80 is a manual and it can only be started in neutral and the clutch HAS to be in during the whole process. I'd mimic that clutch setup there as much as i could, judging by the undercarriage components everything down there is the same, although my '80 has two springs to the chassis. I just don't want to tear down my truck's dash and all that and disable it as i basically daily drive the thing, with a car show on Sunday too i believe.

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

Isn't it that manual trans. trucks don't have a neutral safety switch on the column? I guess because you're either out of gear or not. With an auto it would be in some gear if it wasn't for the switch. Although I have started a manual truck and it lurched forward until I got my foot on the clutch peddle! It scared me.

It's not so much a neutral safety, as a clutch safety. It wont crank if you dont press in the clutch. On my 86, it still works, wont crank unless your in it pressing the pedal. All my other manuals, it doesn't, and they'll lurch like you say.
As long as you know to press the clutch when your starting it, or putting it neutral, you'll be fine.
If someone wanted to make one, you could mount a momentary push button switch on the firewall, connect it to the ignition switch, and weld a tab on the back of the clutch arm, so that when its depressed, it engages the switch and allow power to go to the starter.
I just bypassed it all together in my blazer, only has 2 switches running the whole thing, one for start and one for ignition.
Had to move it a couple inches forward to get it off a wrench I parked on, just bumped the starter and it jumped forward enough to get my wrench.... so it can be useful to bypass it, Haha.

 

[Powerhouse Ranch]

I'm more or less at the case in which, yes i've checked my local scrap yards, yes i've searched online but i'm majorly wondering, is there an acceptable substitute out there or did summit make something for me?

I'm looking now for a complete 73-87 GM clutch-brake pedal assembly, all springs included. Any ideas? thanks

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

I'm more or less at the case in which, yes i've checked my local scrap yards, yes i've searched online but i'm majorly wondering, is there an acceptable substitute out there or did summit make something for me?

I'm looking now for a complete 73-87 GM clutch-brake pedal assembly, all springs included. Any ideas? thanks

As far as a substitute goes, you could convert it to a hydraulic set up relatively easy. They sell kits for that.
If you looking to keep it original spring set up, there are alot of clutch conversion kits online for Squarebody that summit and other companies sell, but none seem to come with the springs. You could maybe check all the dimensions of the spring on your other truck, and either check at a hardware store or auto parts store for a spring that will fit and do the same job. If you want the exact part, your pretty much limited to junkyards and ebay, but like you said, they're not much help.
There are 2 squarebodies at a junkyard that I go to all the time. Never stopped to look if they're manuals or not. Next time I go, I'll check. If one of them is a manual, I can take all the parts off that you need and send them to you if you want. The guy at that yard is super reasonable price wise, always gives me stuff cheap.

Here are a few kits I found. Sure you've found the same...

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[WebMonkey]

It's not so much a neutral safety, as a clutch safety. It wont crank if you dont press in the clutch. On my 86, it still works, wont crank unless your in it pressing the pedal. All my other manuals, it doesn't, and they'll lurch like you say.
As long as you know to press the clutch when your starting it, or putting it neutral, you'll be fine.
If someone wanted to make one, you could mount a momentary push button switch on the firewall, connect it to the ignition switch, and weld a tab on the back of the clutch arm, so that when its depressed, it engages the switch and allow power to go to the starter.
I just bypassed it all together in my blazer, only has 2 switches running the whole thing, one for start and one for ignition.
Had to move it a couple inches forward to get it off a wrench I parked on, just bumped the starter and it jumped forward enough to get my wrench.... so it can be useful to bypass it, Haha.

i'm old enough that what driving instruction i had, included what to do if your truck stalls on a railroad crossing.

crank engine while in gear to move off the tracks.



my '85 was missing the clutch safety switch when i got it.
it's still missing just in case i stall out straddling train tracks.

 

[Powerhouse Ranch]

As far as a substitute goes, you could convert it to a hydraulic set up relatively easy. They sell kits for that.
If you looking to keep it original spring set up, there are alot of clutch conversion kits online for Squarebody that summit and other companies sell, but none seem to come with the springs. You could maybe check all the dimensions of the spring on your other truck, and either check at a hardware store or auto parts store for a spring that will fit and do the same job. If you want the exact part, your pretty much limited to junkyards and ebay, but like you said, they're not much help.
There are 2 squarebodies at a junkyard that I go to all the time. Never stopped to look if they're manuals or not. Next time I go, I'll check. If one of them is a manual, I can take all the parts off that you need and send them to you if you want. The guy at that yard is super reasonable price wise, always gives me stuff cheap.

Here are a few kits I found. Sure you've found the same...

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thanks for everything, yeah if you could at the junkyard that would be awesome

 

[SirRobyn0]

As far as a substitute goes, you could convert it to a hydraulic set up relatively easy. They sell kits for that.
If you looking to keep it original spring set up, there are alot of clutch conversion kits online for Squarebody that summit and other companies sell, but none seem to come with the springs. You could maybe check all the dimensions of the spring on your other truck, and either check at a hardware store or auto parts store for a spring that will fit and do the same job. If you want the exact part, your pretty much limited to junkyards and ebay, but like you said, they're not much help.
There are 2 squarebodies at a junkyard that I go to all the time. Never stopped to look if they're manuals or not. Next time I go, I'll check. If one of them is a manual, I can take all the parts off that you need and send them to you if you want. The guy at that yard is super reasonable price wise, always gives me stuff cheap.

Here are a few kits I found. Sure you've found the same...

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

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I dream one day of converting my truck to manual the right way and will keep this in mind having not realized a kit is made. However unless my life changes a lot it's unlikely to ever happen, not enough time and one of the guys on the farm I let drive it once in while does not drive stick for ****.

i'm old enough that what driving instruction i had, included what to do if your truck stalls on a railroad crossing.

crank engine while in gear to move off the tracks.



my '85 was missing the clutch safety switch when i got it.
it's still missing just in case i stall out straddling train tracks.

I had a 65 Chev that did not have a safety switch nor seat belts (was in the 90's), and I'll admit the one thing I did a few times was cranked it not realizing it was in gear, of course I learned the importants of pushing in the clutch during starting even though I didn't have to.

@Powerhouse Ranch I have nothing really useful to contribute, my square is good, but I've had rigs in the that were butchered to death practically and I know what it's like to try to make it right. I actually just had a 56 Belair in the shop, that looks really nice from the outside but has been hacked to death under the hood, including 454 dropped in, no suspension work for the weight. I won't distract from your thread from with the details but I feel for ya!

 

[Powerhouse Ranch]

I dream one day of converting my truck to manual the right way and will keep this in mind having not realized a kit is made. However unless my life changes a lot it's unlikely to ever happen, not enough time and one of the guys on the farm I let drive it once in while does not drive stick for ****.


I had a 65 Chev that did not have a safety switch nor seat belts (was in the 90's), and I'll admit the one thing I did a few times was cranked it not realizing it was in gear, of course I learned the importants of pushing in the clutch during starting even though I didn't have to.

@Powerhouse Ranch I have nothing really useful to contribute, my square is good, but I've had rigs in the that were butchered to death practically and I know what it's like to try to make it right. I actually just had a 56 Belair in the shop, that looks really nice from the outside but has been hacked to death under the hood, including 454 dropped in, no suspension work for the weight. I won't distract from your thread from with the details but I feel for ya!

thanks @SirRobyn0, she'll be a peach when she's done. just gotta keep chuggin away and let the cuss words flow, cuz the po's caused me to say words i didn't even know existed

 

[SquareRoot]

I'm more or less at the case in which, yes i've checked my local scrap yards, yes i've searched online but i'm majorly wondering, is there an acceptable substitute out there or did summit make something for me?

I'm looking now for a complete 73-87 GM clutch-brake pedal assembly, all springs included. Any ideas? thanks

You do know that all clutches from 85-87 are hydraulic I assume? I recently converted my auto to nv4500 and complete factory hydraulic setup (except bellhousing). In a 4wd its the only way to go. All the parts are available for cheap on RockAuto as well.

I assume you have vacuum brakes? FYI, I have a complete pedal assembly (hydraulic/vacuum) I'm willing to part with for what I paid for it.

 

[Powerhouse Ranch]

You do know that all clutches from 85-87 are hydraulic I assume? I recently converted my auto to nv4500 and complete factory hydraulic setup (except bellhousing). In a 4wd its the only way to go. All the parts are available for cheap on RockAuto as well.

I assume you have vacuum brakes? FYI, I have a complete pedal assembly (hydraulic/vacuum) I'm willing to part with for what I paid for it.

yeah i have vacuum and whoever swapped the transmission didn't do hydraulic clutch. i don't think i'm gonna swap, not now at least. its 95% there, just missing some springs and boots. Just want to get this thing on the road asap

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

thanks for everything, yeah if you could at the junkyard that would be awesome

Sorry it took me a while, been busy.
Checked both my junkyards, found 3 squarebodys, all of which are automatics.
Sorry, no luck.
Did find a 93 chevy with a 5 speed, but I looked at the pedal assembly, and its totally different.

 

[Powerhouse Ranch]

Sorry it took me a while, been busy.
Checked both my junkyards, found 3 squarebodys, all of which are automatics.
Sorry, no luck.
Did find a 93 chevy with a 5 speed, but I looked at the pedal assembly, and its totally different.

yeah that would be crazy if it stayed the same with the body style change. thanks for looking anyway my friend

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

yeah that would be crazy if it stayed the same with the body style change. thanks for looking anyway my friend

No problem man. I'll keep looking for you.
That 93 looked alot like the hydraulic setup that's on my 86, but totally different than the older spring clutch like my blazer. Worse case, if you cant get the springs you need, you could get the newer style, and just retro fit it. But I like that your trying to keep it original style.

 

[AuroraGirl]

yeah i have vacuum and whoever swapped the transmission didn't do hydraulic clutch. i don't think i'm gonna swap, not now at least. its 95% there, just missing some springs and boots. Just want to get this thing on the road asap

Wait. I just realized. My sm465 came from a 85-87.

I have a bell housing for a manual trans in my shed it’s blue and I don’t know what it was for.
My original 80 sm465 is in the shed without a bell housing adapter on it too

maybe my grandpa put it on the newer one because he kept a mechanical clutch linkage.


Is there a way to tell a hydraulic from the mechanical

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

Is there a way to tell a hydraulic from the mechanical

Yeah, a manual will have a big spring on the inside, a mess of linkage, a plunger rod that goes through the floor, and the linkage physically interacts with clutch/throwout arm.
In a Hydraulic, the pedal presses a plunger that goes into a single port clutch master cylinder, from that, there are lines that go down to a hydraulic slave cylinder, the depresses the clutch throw out arm.
It's easy to tell, they look totally different. Just look for a reservoir under the hood that says clutch. If you have one, you have hydraulic.
The bell housing for a hydro will have a bracket to hold the piston. A manual bell housing will not.
Check out the pics I sent a while back, you'll see the difference.