Tremec Five Speed Conversion

Before the manual-trans conversion can begin, the automatic has to go. The TH350 came out without a fight, and we also pulled the flexplate, shift linkage, and factory transmission crossmember.

The one thing we'll miss when the automatic is gone is the slick factory "basket handle" shifter, but having a Hurst stick in its place will be worth it. Keisler's instructions advise to remove the console, but we suspected the install could be done with it in place. The '69's cable shifter mounts flat to the floor with no hole, save for the cable pass-through.

The stock clutch linkageused on GM carsof the muscle era may seem a bit like a Rube Goldberg contraption, but when properly set up, these systems were quite reliable. The exploded view reveals just how many parts are involved: all are currently reproduced.

We were expecting a hassle when it came time to swap our big brake pedal to the clutch/brake pedal set, but GM made it relatively easy to switch. The automatic brake pedal has a tube at its pivot point that slips into the pedal box and is secured with a pin; the narrower manual-trans brake pedal mounts identically, but the pivot pin is attached to the clutch pedal. Keisler can provide pedals, but we got ours as repros from Classic Industries.

To get the original brake pedal out, the clevis pin that retains the master-cylinder pushrod should be removed first, followed by the pivot pin; the pedal should then slip out. Both pins are retained with special spring clips that are easily removed.

Classic Industries has been carrying all the clutch-linkage parts for early Camaros for years but only recently started offering them in kit form. The kit (PN K511) includes the "Z-bar," block ball, throw-out rod, clutch-pedal rod, frame bracket, retainer spring, spring clips, and felt grease seals. Classic even has the factory-style rubber clutch-fork boot.

The folks at GM were good enough to provide the hole in the firewall for the clutch linkage to pass through; you simply have to remove the small cover to open it up. The trick is actually laying eyes on it--it's obscured by the power-brake booster and steering column. This shot is of another Camaro with a vacant engine bay and manual brakes to give an idea of where the cover is.

If you want to do the swap right, get hte factory style firewall boot for the cllutch rod, also included in the Classic Industries' clutch-linkage kit. The boot is reatained with the same pair of tiny hex screws that held the cover plate in place, and they're a pain to get to.

The frame bracket that supports the outer pivot of the clutch-linkage Z-bar bolts to the outside of the subframe rail, and even on automatic cars, the holes are already there. The splash guard stapled to the wheeltub blocks two of the bolt holes from view, but the bracket slips right into place and the bolts are easy to access. We mounted ours using the bolts that formerly mounted the shift linkage for the column to the inside of the frame.

The block pivot ball screws into a threaded boss found on all traditional Chevy V-8s. We're test-fitting it here, but to assemble the linkage, the ball must be inserted into the end of the Z-bar, then the other end of the Z-bar is slipped into the frame bracket while the pivot ball, still in the bar, is threaded into the block.

Here's the Z-bar in place on its mounts. Now is the time to install this, as it will be much harder to reach once the transmission is in place. This is also the time to attach the upper rod that connects to the clutch pedal.

We're using an 11-inch Chevrolet-style billet flywheel from Keisler, though the more typical 10.5-inch flywheel commonly found on Chevys would work as well. Don't try to use your flexplate bolts to retain the flywheel--they're too short. Keisler provided a set of Mr. Gasket grade-8 flywheel bolts and star washers for the task.