nissan cube cvt->5spd conversion

[CMF_Trouser]

Hi. What a great forum you have here.

I have just bought a 01 nissan cube with a cga3 engine and suprise suprise the cvt has called it a day. My mechanical insurance people don't want to know and overhauling the cvt is going to cost around $5k+.

As the cube is based on a micra/march chassis I was wondering if a manual conversion would be possible?

Has anybody done a micra cvt->manual conversion and what parts did you need and what gearbox to use? Pedal box, flywheel, clutch, cables, shifter assembly.

I can do all the work myself and have access to a well equiped workshop.

It's a long shot I know but i'm kind of stuck with this car.

Thank you.

 

[CMF_Yom]

The gearbox should bolt onto the engine.

However I see the possible following issues:

Drive shaft length
Manual gearbox mount to chassis
Crossmember/rear engine mount position
Clutch cable provision in firewall
Gear selector rod length to cabin

Plus there's bound to be a few more unseen issues you'll encounter along the way. Always is with this sort of conversion.

Thats all I can think of from the little knowledge I have of the z11 and I hope it works out for you.

 

[CMF_nz_aj]

Nissan NZ are selling service parts for the CVT now, you don't have to buy a whole new trans as previous.
If it's really stuffed or you want to fit a manual box anyway, & assuming you're going to have no luck with halfshafts fitting, you might as well fit the RS5F31V, preferably from a GA16DE powered N15 pulsar.
There are cable & hydraulic version of the gearbox available, chances are reasonable the K11 cable operated clutch pedal will fit.
I'd hope you'd have some luck with gearbox mounts, K11/Pulsar bits should hopefully fit...
The gear selector rods can be cut to length from pulsar or whatever nissan you get the box from. Cubes only ever came out in Japan with Automatic or CVT trans so not sure how you'll get on with tunnel console / gearlever boot. Maybe the boot will pop inside the auto console, like on some toyotas.
You in Auckland?

 

[CMF_Bushido]

I am currently in the process of converting my HK11 MARCH N-CVT TO 5 speed. I have come across the March Custom Development wedsite - http://mcd.web6.jp/
you will need a url translator as it is in japanese. In the menu to the left you will see "projects" click on that and he has step by step photos.
also has some other stuff on fitting a cg13 camshaft into a cg10.
hope this helps.

 

[CMF_Trouser]

Many thanks. Looks like I'll be sticking to the cvt and getting it rebuilt. If it wasn't my partners car I would be going for the 5 speed.

 

[CMF_nz_aj]

Well, always got to admire somebody who can say they've actually done something rather than just talk about it.

I would not have removed the CV from the hub in order to change the boot, it's usually stuck. I would have disassembled the inner CV instead.

Loved the photo of the socket jammed between the flywheel ringgear & a bolt, in order to tighten the flywheel, not quite the whay I do it (lately I've been using a couple of engine lifting hooks off a toyota motor with a bolt connecting them together, place one hook around a bolt as shown in their photo & the other hook around a pressure plate bolt when tightening the flywheel or through the gaps in the side of the pressure plate when tightening the pressure plate.

Then there's the picture of all those clutch alignment tools, only ever used one on a tractor, for cars just align by eye, i.e. stick your head where the gearbox goes & move the clutch plate into the centre while tightening pressure plate bolts.

I didn't see any comparison of half shafts.

 

[CMF_Bushido]

yeah I was stoked to see that some had done it and documented it. I will send him a email and ask him about the half shafts and let you know.