Manual transmission conversion? Dreaming?
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Yes. But maybe the systems which wouldn't work with the GM drive train could be brought over from the donor Corvette? Which systems are we talking about here? There is a company in the U.S. which seems to basically do exactly that with X100s. Install LS engines and manual transmission in XK8s.
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In the scheme of things the installation of the GM engine and transmission would not be to big of a problem. Have to work out clutch peddle asm. but can be done. Would need to either modify or get a new wire harness and use the Corvette ECM. Should be a lot of hot rod stuff available for the GM conversion. Now the tough part. I suspect you would need to replace the instrument package and then have to figure out how to make the infotainment system work. You need to remember that everything in the Jag talks to the ECM so you have to find out what signals are used and how to fool them. If you were just building a race car this would not be an issue as you would most likely rip out the dash board and fab up gauges that you would need. Easy to interface with the Corvette engine sensors. So give it a go and let us know how you make out. I've done maybe a half dozen conversions on Jags with the last on an XJS. It was fun and worked out pretty well.
I'm sure there is plenty of gauge packages for the LS, which is again why looked for a LS instead of going for a Coyote V8 for example.For the ECM maybe a stand alone unit?
Infotainment I would probably just get an aftermarket android unit. All I really need from it is navigation, radio, music etc.
Is much of the car controlled by the infotainment as in new cars?
I wouldn't even care if I lost some of the car electronics gizmos in the process. I would like though to keep as much of the safety features as possible, such as airbags, traction control, ESP (if it has one) etc. But if it has different settings for the suspension for example and I couldn't keep that, I would be happy with just manually adjustable old school coilovers.
So what systems would cause problems and what safety features could I keep? Thanks.
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The Jag electrics are highly integrated so you be replacing basically the entire guts of the car, what CeeJay was saying is it would be easier to take a C7 and replace the body panels with X150 panels. But realistically as Jagtoes said unless you are building a race car, it would require custom building everything which almost sounds more challenging than solving the manual gearbox integration.
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There's a ls powered vantage getting around on the net
The owner blew up the original 4.3 V8 and ended up replacing it with a ls (unsure if manual or not) but the point is the entire power train was swapped out
The owner blew up the original 4.3 V8 and ended up replacing it with a ls (unsure if manual or not) but the point is the entire power train was swapped out
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Also, for him to put a LS in instead of just another Vantage engine and swap the whole power train, it must have been cheaper to go the LS way, which again is a good thing.
It would be great if there was a build thread for that car.
That's interesting. I guess if it was possible with the Vantage it must be with the X150. Or is the Jaguar that much more technologically advanced? They are from the same era.
Also, for him to put a LS in instead of just another Vantage engine and swap the whole power train, it must have been cheaper to go the LS way, which again is a good thing.
It would be great if there was a build thread for that car.
Also, for him to put a LS in instead of just another Vantage engine and swap the whole power train, it must have been cheaper to go the LS way, which again is a good thing.
It would be great if there was a build thread for that car.
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There have been several threads on engine swaps. Lets keep this thread alive primarily for manual transmission swaps. Contact Andrew at Jaguar Specialties if you want to swap a LS base engine into an X100, He can tell you the specific complications to trying to do the swap in a X150..
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There have been several threads on engine swaps. Lets keep this thread alive primarily for manual transmission swaps. Contact Andrew at Jaguar Specialties if you want to swap a LS base engine into an X100, He can tell you the specific complications to trying to do the swap in a X150..
Besides this is ALL about the manual transmission. The only reason for going through the trouble of the engine swap is to get the manual transmission. I was just trying to figure if this would be an easier way than dealing with the whole auto transmission software problem. Because it seems that is a no go. So maybe gutting the whole car out and putting another drive train in proves easier or at least "accomplishable". So far all the ways for dealing with the auto transmission software has been Area 51 type of theories.
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All corvettes don't have transaxles so it depends on what year your set up is from. That started in 1997 . Also I suspect you can adapt a new 5 or 6 speed manual if you want. I would stick with the Jag rear . Back to the real problem which is SW. I don't see any major unsolveable mechanical issues. It's just another conversion that needs to be worked out.
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Yes as I said in a previous post the mechanical integration of a Corvette drive train is "easy", it's the electrics you have to sort which won't be much different than getting a manual TCU to work with the Jag ECU as you originally inquired about, I think. Unless you go with a stand alone infotainment system and re-wire/replace all of the Jag harnesses and modules in the body. That's the challenge with highly integrated, low production volume and minimal aftermarket support cars and why the stories you read about and mostly one-offs done by someone who dedicated an immense amount of time to make it work.
Last edited by jahummer; Jun 12, 2020 at 04:19 PM.
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Well there is a rumour that Swallows Racing have begun a manual conversion...
https://swallows-jag.co.uk/reinventi...cU3qoGffE940JM
Of note is their claim the ZF 6-speed manual regains the 50BHP lost to the ZF 6-speed auto. 🤔
https://swallows-jag.co.uk/reinventi...cU3qoGffE940JM
Of note is their claim the ZF 6-speed manual regains the 50BHP lost to the ZF 6-speed auto. 🤔
Last edited by jahummer; Oct 5, 2020 at 09:28 PM.
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Regain the lost 50hp ??
I highly doubt a manual box is going to gain a extra 50hp at the wheels over the auto
XKR 4.2 s/c (420hp)
rwhp - 340 zf auto
rwhp - 390 zf man
Surely they aren't claiming the above
Only logical explanation I can see Is perhaps the reading would be higher in a certain gear due to different ratios in the two boxes maybe 😕😕
I highly doubt a manual box is going to gain a extra 50hp at the wheels over the auto
XKR 4.2 s/c (420hp)
rwhp - 340 zf auto
rwhp - 390 zf man
Surely they aren't claiming the above
Only logical explanation I can see Is perhaps the reading would be higher in a certain gear due to different ratios in the two boxes maybe 😕😕
Last edited by steve_k_xk; Oct 6, 2020 at 07:36 AM.
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Funniest thing today!
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I have no idea, but Swallows is not just a Jaguar service centre and motorsports customizer, they also build race cars and have a race team. The fact they have managed success with this conversion says something for their abilities.
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Manuals have losses as well.
There is a reason high performance cars have transmission coolers, even if they are a manual.
I don't know just how much the difference is, but I did notice that the C7 'Vette has extra gearbox venting for the auto compared to the manual.
I also know that when I used to mod NFS 3 all the default cars had seperate gearbox effiency numbers for auto and manual.
And weirldy, the game makers gave some cars positive effiencies in top gear for the manual! Uhh...yeah, it'd be great to have that extra horsepower in 5th or 6th gear.
There is a reason high performance cars have transmission coolers, even if they are a manual.
I don't know just how much the difference is, but I did notice that the C7 'Vette has extra gearbox venting for the auto compared to the manual.
I also know that when I used to mod NFS 3 all the default cars had seperate gearbox effiency numbers for auto and manual.
And weirldy, the game makers gave some cars positive effiencies in top gear for the manual! Uhh...yeah, it'd be great to have that extra horsepower in 5th or 6th gear.