| Since purchasing my 2+2 in 2008, I've wished it had twin turbos and a manual transmission. Although the former has yet to happen, I completed a manual transmission swap this week. A big thanks to Don (Aliaz) and Wade Transmission in Dallas for a transmission rebuild. Wade Transmission rebuilt a 100k mile TT transmission I purchased for around $150. They used oem syncros and new bearings, resulting in buttery-smooth shifts (and no grinds). The shop installed my new striking rod improperly, however a fix was easy enough. 
Before installing the clutch, I had the flywheel and pressure plate balanced as a unit at Republic Custom Engines in Garland. The $55 was good peace of mind, especially since the shop added 11 grams of weight to balance the assembly! Don showed me how to install and remove the transmission with lighting speed. He also modified a HF pilot bushing removal tool to remove the AT pilot bushing. Although I wasn't sure they were worth the effort, I dropped in stainless steel headers as well. The effort panned out when I discovered my old exhaust manifolds had been leaking horribly. Black exhaust soot covered the flanges where they met my heads. My Z is now half as loud as it was before the swap (and probably faster). Labree is producing cat pipes with WB bungs for my planned Nistune setup to round out the package as well. Old vs. new transmission mount.
 Notice the soot covering the head flange! I believe that the old gaskets were leaking badly.
 
Costs were much greater than anticipated and Ian Lanusse (on the forum) shafted me with a fake flywheel. In the end though, I'm more than happy with the results. It feels like power has improved substantially and the added control over the engine is amazing. Here are some of the swap parts I used: -Authentic Fidanza aluminum flywheel
-Z1 braided clutch line
-TT manual transmission for $200 plus $600 rebuild
-Exedy oem TT clutch kit
-NA clutch pedal
-Heater core coolant pipes
-Aluminum Inland Empire drive shaft
-New battery cable and negative cable upgrade
-Zspeed shifter bracket/cover and Z1 short shifter
-Redline MT fluid and quality differential gear oil
-Stainless Steel Headers
-New transmission mount A couple comments: The wiring guide on the forum is very good, however I would not bypass the starter relay. Who wants the full power of the starter running through their tiny clutch interlock switch? Follow the fsm, bypass the inhibitor switch, and wire the clutch interlock into the theft relay for a safer solution. I don't recommend grinding down the automatic brake pedal. Use a swivel socket to reach the brake booster bolts and swap your brake pedal. I ground down my AT pedal to fit the MT pad, however the pedal is almost an inch lower than the clutch pedal. Apparently, the AT brake pedal is placed differently (it isn't just wider).
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Finally Joining the MT Club! - 
06:26:55 10/22/14
