I have a 1998 suzuki sidekick with a 1.6 liter 16 valve SOHC and i want to swap a 5 speed transmission out of a 1992 geo tracker with the same motor in. My sidekick is a 3 speed automatic with no overdrive and i would like the lil extra power n fuel mileage from the 5 speed. my car(sidekick) is 2 wheel drive, while the parts car (geo tracker) is four wheel drive. i've heard from a couple people that i need a n adapter plate to make the 5 speed transmission work and i just wanna know if thats true or if it will bolt right up.

If you live where you have to smog your car it won't work, it will throw codes left and right because of the year it is and it won't pass. if you want a 5 speed your going to have to get another Suzuki and sell that one.

                                      Ed

Are you sure it's a 3 speed in a 98' ? I don't think they used the 3 speed, no OD
since 95 or 96 with a 16V engine.

You might have an OD problem, possibly an OD solenoid or relay

Wild

the transmission in the sidekick says first, second, n drive, so thats what im guessin is its just a three speed automatic, when i got the car i had a solenoid replaced in the transmission cause it kept throwin a code.  the code was the torque converter solenoid open circuit.  when i put the new solenoid in it, it stopped for a couple of months n started again n now the light comes on goes.  i don't have to worry about any smog or anything i live in north carolina, n all that we really have to worry about inspection wise is safety. Ive had a few people tell me that the 5 speed transmission should bolt up to my motor in the sidekick, n others say that i need an adapter for the transmission, n others say that the bolt pattern could b different on the transmission n engine. i don't know anything about sidekicks n trackers so im in the dark n just wantin some expert advice n help.  i've got the sidekick running great not a thing wrong with it just where i live it don't wanna pull up hills at all hardly, and it uses gas comin up mountains n hills, so im lookin for gas mileage increases mostly not so much performance right now.  I do wanna turbo it later n im havin trouble findin a turbo manifold for it, as well as a header.  will a header off of a samaurai work on the sidekick.

The trans will be a direct fit, no adapter, but you will need the same
2WD or 4WD and you may want to measure the drive shaft to be sure
it's the same length, and if not get the one from the donor vehicle, also
check the cross member and mount to see if it is the same, or get those too.

Of coarse you know you need all the other stuff, pedals and brackets cables
and related stuff, but check again the auto may have the bracket and just
need the pedals.

I did a manual to auto swap once, but not the other way

Turbos are fun, and improve the fuel mileage, but the manifold will
be a custom unit, and the 16V engine will not share the same manifolds
as the 8Valve engines, which early Samurais and Sidekicks are

Wild

ok i appreciate it, i was thinkin bout do the four wheel drive swap also for the winter, but i don't know for sure if everything lines up. from what i can see the parts car looks the same as  the sidekick underneath.  i thought about swappin from the transmission back, the transfer case, and driveshaft and rear end if i could to be on the safe side that everything would fit together tight cause the sidekick is a daily driver n the only vehicle i have right now.  ive got all the tools i need and acces to lifts so i dont have any problem there, cause im takin mechanics in college so i can bring it down to the school n dod it there, i just wanna make sure that there ain't any special parts that i need to get to make the tranny n everything fit.  like i said i don't have a clue on what to do ain't ever done this kinda stuff before, other than a motor swap on a 96 chevy tracker and it was a pain cause the motor was outta of the same 92 geo tracker that i have for parts.

Hi there - for a '98 model you should have an overdrive for the automatic... There are only three selections on the shifter but you have a three speed + overdrive... Go out and punch it so it'll start in first and then count the shifts. What are you 'taching' at 60mph?

As for swapping to a 5-speed manual, all of the bits will bolt together and there is no problem doing it EXCEPT for the 'shifter' hole for the auto is farther back and when you go to a manual, it doesn't line up quite right, a little bit of sheet metal massaging and you'll be ok. In '98 the computer is/was quite tied to the auto so you will get a check engine light after the swap, but if that doesn't bother you, it's not a problem, right?

There are currently no aftermarket turbo manifolds available, that I know of... Anyone else know of a turbo setup?

Good luck!

-Eric

Hi there - for a '98 model you should have an overdrive for the automatic... There are only three selections on the shifter but you have a three speed + overdrive... Go out and punch it so it'll start in first and then count the shifts. What are you 'taching' at 60mph?

As for swapping to a 5-speed manual, all of the bits will bolt together and there is no problem doing it EXCEPT for the 'shifter' hole for the auto is farther back and when you go to a manual, it doesn't line up quite right, a little bit of sheet metal massaging and you'll be ok. In '98 the computer is/was quite tied to the auto so you will get a check engine light after the swap, but if that doesn't bother you, it's not a problem, right?

There are currently no aftermarket turbo manifolds available, that I know of... Anyone else know of a turbo setup?

Good luck!

-Eric

appreciate it, no i dnt really care about the engine light thats no problem to take care of, but as for what im tachin i have no idea mine cluster set doesn't include a tachometer.  If i take of from a dead start i hit 43 in first and round 70-73 in second and 91 in third and its wound out then.  anybody have any tips/tricks for gas mileage n alil performance, i have a spectre cleanable airfilter cone on it and i did have the timing advanced to 2 20 degrees but backed it back off to 0 degrees.  in a 1/8 mile stretch im runnin 12.6 at 57mph rite now which i believe is impressive for a stock 1.6 liter 16v with an air filter and lowered.

Guys, if he has a 2 door, then it will be a 3 speed.  If he has a 4 door, then it will be a 4 speed.

If he has the 3 speed auto and swaps to a 5 speed manual, then the ECM shouldn't throw any codes.

All 1.6 trannys will bolt up to other 1.6s, so there is no issue with the tranny bolting up to the engine.

You should be able to swap the 5 speed and tcase into yours.  The 4x4 crossmember should bolt right into yours.  You will need to use the driveshaft from the donor vehicle though (that is assuming yours is a 2 door, like your donor).  If yours is a 4 door, then you will have to find a driveshaft from a 4 door 4x4 with the 5 speed tranny.

Guys, if he has a 2 door, then it will be a 3 speed.  If he has a 4 door, then it will be a 4 speed.

If he has the 3 speed auto and swaps to a 5 speed manual, then the ECM shouldn't throw any codes.

All 1.6 trannys will bolt up to other 1.6s, so there is no issue with the tranny bolting up to the engine.

You should be able to swap the 5 speed and tcase into yours.  The 4x4 crossmember should bolt right into yours.  You will need to use the driveshaft from the donor vehicle though (that is assuming yours is a 2 door, like your donor).  If yours is a 4 door, then you will have to find a driveshaft from a 4 door 4x4 with the 5 speed tranny.

thanx mines a 2 door model, like the donor car but mines 2 wheel drive n the donor car is 4x4

will my ecu work with the 5 speed swap out of the donor car or will i need to take the one out of the donor car

will my ecu work with the 5 speed swap out of the donor car or will i need to take the one out of the donor car

You will need to keep your current ECM.
I noticed you said that the 92 tracker had the same engine as your 98.  It shouldn't have, unless some of your info is wrong.  If the 92 is a 2 door tracker, then it has a 1.6 8V engine.  The trackers didn't have the option of a 16V until 94.  And the only 92s that got 16V engines were 4 doors (and there were no 4 door trackers made in 92, only sidekicks).

What can I look for on the donor motor to c if its an 8v n will the transmission still work then

What can I look for on the donor motor to c if its an 8v n will the transmission still work then

If the motor looks like yours in your 98, then they are the same motor.
A 16V will have an aluminum valve cover with "16 Valve" on it.  An 8V will have a stamped steel black valve cover.  The difference is pretty obvious.
Yes, the transmissions will still interchange, even if the donor is an 8V.  Since 8V and 16V motors use the same block and therefore where the trannys bolt up is the same.
The only difference between 8V and 16V manual trannys is the 5th gear ratio.  The 8Vs have a .86 ratio and the 16Vs have a .795 ratio.  The RPMs will be about 300 lower with the "16V" tranny at 65MPH.

Guys, if he has a 2 door, then it will be a 3 speed.  If he has a 4 door, then it will be a 4 speed.

If he has the 3 speed auto and swaps to a 5 speed manual, then the ECM shouldn't throw any codes.

Yeah it should be the 3spd, but on OBD2 ('96-'98) the TCC is fully ECU controlled. I'm pretty sure it will throw a P0740 code unless he uses a manual trans ECU.