# Convert Auto to Manual tranny 1988 honda civic dx
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297
**Category:** NYSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [May 30, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297 "2008-05-30T22:50:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@evanwhitey](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/evanwhitey)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/1 "2008-05-30T22:50:45Z")
hello everyone, i was wondering if someone could show me some pics or maybe explain how to covert a automatic to a manual transmission, as i hear from many people this is not a very hard task it takes some time… i would like to do an engine swap, and covert my car to manual. please help!!!
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### Author:  [@I\_Have\_an\_STD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/I_Have_an_STD)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2008, 9:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/2 "2008-05-31T09:08:38Z")
its not hard. but mechanical knowledge and experience is a must. i’ve done about 10 of them. GOOGLE SEARCH.
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### Author:  [@dftsilvia](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dftsilvia)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2008, 9:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/3 "2008-05-31T09:13:43Z")
easy here is a list
clutch pedal
slave cyl
some tubing so u can plumb the system
clutch,pressure plate and flywheel
trans
and u will have to work out the neutral safety switch so u can get it to start its normally the 2 biggest wires in the trans harness
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### Author:  [@Cavi\_Mike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cavi_Mike)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2008, 9:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/4 "2008-05-31T09:19:35Z")
1988?! Please tell me your car is in showroom mint condition with low miles and quite possibly even a concours winner. If not, save your money for a car that’s already a manual.
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### Author:  [@AShort](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/AShort)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2008, 9:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/5 "2008-05-31T09:42:37Z")
> [@dftsilvia](#):
>
> easy here is a list
>
> clutch pedal
> slave cyl
> some tubing so u can plumb the system
> clutch,pressure plate and flywheel
> trans
> and u will have to work out the neutral safety switch so u can get it to start dont kno what kinda whip u have but its normally the 2 biggest wires in the trans harness
its a cable transmission…not hydraulic
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### Author:  [@cky89](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cky89)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2008, 9:47am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/6 "2008-05-31T09:47:18Z")
you will also need a different cluster I believe. Unless you want it to say P N D D3 D2 D2 still.
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### Author:  [@dftsilvia](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dftsilvia)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2008, 9:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/7 "2008-05-31T09:50:09Z")
oh… im not really up on my hondas so then that makes it even easyer
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### Author:  [@I\_Have\_an\_STD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/I_Have_an_STD)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2008, 9:54am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/8 "2008-05-31T09:54:51Z")
> [@Cavi Mike](#):
>
> 1988?! Please tell me your car is in showroom mint condition with low miles and quite possibly even a concours winner. If not, save your money for a car that’s already a manual.
dude, shut up. do you know how hard it is to find ANY clean EFs? autos are usually in better shape.
you need to swap the entire pedal assembly in an EF, not just a clutch pedal. the NSS can be bypassed in the shifter harness, and the reverse lights are in the same harness. you can use the same cluster and ECU, but the ecu will throw a code, and the cluster will just have P lit up all the time.
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### Author:  [@cky89](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cky89)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2008, 9:57am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/9 "2008-05-31T09:57:52Z")
Ohhhhh that makes more sense than how the dumbass explained it to me when I was going to manual swap my ek.
He’s right about the pedals though, they all need to be swapped. The brake pedal is wide in a auto car, it interferes with the clutch pedal.
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### Author:  [@AShort](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/AShort)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/10 "2008-05-31T16:59:18Z")
> [@I Have an STD](#):
>
> dude, shut up. do you know how hard it is to find ANY clean EFs? autos are usually in better shape.
>
> you need to swap the entire pedal assembly in an EF, not just a clutch pedal. the NSS can be bypassed in the shifter harness, and the reverse lights are in the same harness. you can use the same cluster and ECU, but the ecu will throw a code, and the cluster will just have P lit up all the time.
x2
this guy knows his shit :tup:
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### Author:  [@Cavi\_Mike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cavi_Mike)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/11 "2008-05-31T17:24:51Z")
> [@I Have an STD](#):
>
> dude, shut up. do you know how hard it is to find ANY clean EFs? autos are usually in better shape.
Didn’t I say don’t waste your time **unless it’s clean**? You don’t have very good reading skills, do you? I actually like these old civics, my friend had one back in the day when I had my cavaliers, it’s cool as shit. The fact is the only ones you see around are shot, just like the 1st gen cavaliers like I used to drive. If it’s rusty and beat up, it’s worthless now.
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### Author:  [@E.Roy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/E.Roy)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2008, 5:49am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/12 "2008-06-01T05:49:06Z")
> [@cky89](#):
>
> He’s right about the pedals though, they all need to be swapped. The brake pedal is wide in a auto car, it interferes with the clutch pedal.
Well on my 240sx I just used a sawsall to chop the brake pedal while it was still in the car, just had to cover the carpet, then I trimmed the pedal cover and RTVed in place
It worked fine in the s13, this could be tried in the Civic
And you might as well spend the 30 bucks and get a manual ECU
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2008, 6:28am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/13 "2008-06-01T06:28:40Z")
> [@FlatBlak](#):
>
> Well on my 240sx I just used a sawsall to chop the brake pedal while it was still in the car, just had to cover the carpet, then I trimmed the pedal cover and RTVed in place
>
> It worked fine in the s13, this could be tried in the Civic
> And you might as well spend the 30 bucks and get a manual ECU
i was thinking the same thing about “trimming” the brake pedal, although I have absolutely no swap experience. Also, isn’t a manual ecu a necessity?
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### Author:  [@Bacon](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bacon)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2008, 6:43am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/14 "2008-06-01T06:43:56Z")
No a manual ECU isn’t necessary for the car to run, however there is a good chance you will get a CEL if the transmission has any form of electronic controls.
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### Author:  [@dawn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dawn)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/15 "2008-06-01T17:29:56Z")
I don’t see the point of coverting your car to manual, even if it is the cleanest car evaaaarrrrrrrr. It’s a 1988. I was born in 1988! Ha.
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### Author:  [@Rsnake91](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Rsnake91)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/16 "2008-06-01T17:53:48Z")
its not worth imo. just buy a already MT car.
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### Author:  [@cky89](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cky89)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/17 "2008-06-01T18:11:18Z")
Do you know anything? These swaps are stupid fucking easy. If you have a quarter of a brain you can do this swap in a day with the necessary tools and parts. I’ve had a motor out and in, in a day. This isn’t hard, it’s a honda.
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### Author:  [@LXIFLYBY](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LXIFLYBY)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/18 "2008-06-01T18:14:50Z")
Agreed. I did it in my accord in 5 hours. I had a lift and the pedals were already swapped in, that was the hard part
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### Author:  [@dftsilvia](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dftsilvia)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2008, 7:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/19 "2008-06-02T07:52:41Z")
the auto ecu will just mess with the car when u push the clutch in. with the auto ecu the revs wont drop right away when u push the cltuch in they kinda hang for a bit then drop down to idle.
i dont know about the hondas AT trans, but if there is a park selector switch u need to make sure its in park or neutral or the car wont start. ( the computer will still think the auto trans is in gear)
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### Author:  [@99\_civic\_si](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/99_civic_si)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/convert-auto-to-manual-tranny-1988-honda-civic-dx/49297/20 "2008-06-02T11:36:55Z")
ok then…if he does the work to do this. He can then give me his ECU, and I’ll convert it to a manual ECU for a small fee.
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