How difficult is it to change from auto to stick?
 

Title

93 jm1fd 🤔 been looking at an auto but it's so clean

Something as subjective as difficulty is entirely dependent upon your technical skill and tools available...

While that is true, some cars are more of a PITA than others due to design and packaging. This seems to be a product of time as newer cars are often packaged tighter to make them less user-serviceable. As this is the New Member Technical section, it would be reasonable to assume regular hand tools such as those easily found at Harbor Freight, Sears, Princess Auto, etc

3/8" drive ratchet with 6-22mm sockets
a floor jack and 4 stands
Length of pipe (extra leverage for stubborn hardware)

One bit of advice is that you will need to buy or borrow a 54mm (2 1/8") socket and a beefy impact wrench to loosen the flywheel nut. It is torqued to 350 ft.lbs. Since my impact tops out at 240, I MacGyvered a solution to generate the needed torque using a breaker bar, pipe, chain, big tree and a 1-ton come-along. This setup made almost 4000 ft.lbs of torque (2ft long lever x 2000 lbs of pulling power). You'll also need some means of stopping the flywheel from turning while you're removing the 54mm nut. Mazdatrix offers these tools (and a flywheel nut wrench) for sale.

My FC (Series 4, 86-88) was pretty straightforward to do the conversion on, the most time-consuming parts was removing the exhaust (because rust...) and adapting the harness to bypass the disused inhibitor switch. Since it is only driven by people who know how to drive stick already (only 4 including myself), there was no need for a Neutral Safety Switch or Clutch Pedal Switch. Comes in quite handy if/when you need to nudge the car a foot or so.

First place you should look are the wiring diagrams. Then follow Sgt.Blue's link. Plus, having a FSM (factory service manual) is always a wise choice too. Sgt. Fox's site has all of them, even a few Japanese ones that I contributed.

It would have to be priced VERY attractively as well. You're going to have some money in sourcing all the parts needed. And then factor in...let's say minimum wage for your state, for the labor. Honestly, I would rather just buy a 5 speed to begin with. But then I'm old.

Do you have access to a lift ?

I was wondering if this makes much of a difference on LS swap cars. One of the cleaners cars I've come across in my budget was an auto car and was considering this myself. I do have access to a lift.

I would say that if it feels right, buy it.

I was fortunate enough to inherit a 93 Touring automatic back in 1999, and that's what started my love affair with these cars. Yes, I would have preferred a manual, but still.....a wonderful driving experience none-the-less.

Since then, I've owned a couple of manual Miatas that we picked up for our kids along the way, and that was enough to get me to today. I had another stroke of good fortune to find a "fixer-upper" FD that was a manual, and she's my new project. Yes, I'm crazy enough to own and maintain two of these. :)

All of that is to say again, if it feels right, get it. You can get another car, or yes, swap the tranny some day when the timing is right.

Remember too that looks aren't everything. It's a 25 year old car, and getting harder and harder to source parts.

Good luck!

Unless its realllllly cheap, just get a manual

Ops sorry wrong link