Hi, I am new to this forum, but have been working with cars for many years. My 89 240's auto transmission is just way too slow for my liking. My question is: are the bolt patterns the same for any 5 speed? I would love to be able to throw a manual transmission in my car.

Thanks for any replies, Ian

only thing i'll say is the auto is much more durable than the m47 5 speed. if yoy have to have a stick, then try for an m46 overdrive. you will still have to get the right bellhousing. good luck, chuck.

In other words it can be done, but it's not as simple as you might think.
Finding the right donor car could be a little tough- it really should be a 1989 or newer so that the hole in the top of the bellhousing is punched out to accept the crank sensor.
A 1987 or 88 M47 won't be pucnhed out. LAter cars become progressively more rare in terms of number of 5-speed cars built.
I know who's got a bunch of them though, both alive and for parts:
www.theautowerkes.com
Good luck with it- I own both and the 5-speed 87 is twice as much fun.
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 225K, 88 744GLE- 209K, 91 244 183K. Also responsible for the care and feeding of: 88 745GLE, 229K, 88 244GL, 146K, 87 244DL, 235K, 88 245DL, 236K

Yep. I believe your option is the M47 (True 5-Speed). You should be able to find one at a bone-yard or off a parts car. Just grab the tranny, entire driveshaft, crossmember, pressure plate, flywheel, clutch disc, clutch pedal assembly, clutch pedal cable, release & pilot bearings, and the speedo cable (if you grab a M47 out of a pre-86). Although your 89 currently has an electronic speedo that runs off the rear end so I guess you could leave out the cable.

Another option would be to get an M46 (4-Speed + OD gear). This tranny is a work horse but you press a button for the OD (5TH GEAR) rather than move the shifter. You would also have to get the wiring from the fuse box, to the OD relay, and back to the tranny if you decide to get an M46. Someone may correct me if I'm wrong but I think the M47 & M46 both bolt up. It maybe that only the M47 would fit so keep an eye out for a correcting post from someone else.

Another note is the M47 has been known for poor oiling to the rear gears resulting in premature failure so the best thing for the tranny is regular oil changes (ATF F) and a little over filling each time so that there is enough fluid to make it to the back gears. Best Of Luck on your swap. I know I love it!

Sincerely,
--
Julio Meza

1979 264GL B27F 122K

Features Added:

BW55 To M46, Central Locking System, 25mm IPD Front Sway Bar, 81+ Dash W/ Oil & Ambient Temp Gauges In C, Oil Pressure, Volts

Next Project:

+Cruise Control

Actually, you need BOTH the brake and Clutch pedals, they are different from A/T to M/T cars, and you need to change them both.
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JohnG 1989 245 MT @216,500

Sorry if I mis-worded it but that what I had in mind when I typed it in the response. The clutch pedal bracket is welded onto the smaller bracket pedal assembly bracket so I assumed that when he went for the clutch pedal he would see the brake pedal would come along too. At least this was my exp. when I did my BW55-M46 swap. Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
--
Julio Meza

1979 264GL B27F 122K

Features Added:

BW55 To M46, Central Locking System, 25mm IPD Front Sway Bar, 81+ Dash W/ Oil & Ambient Temp Gauges In C, Oil Pressure, Volts

Next Project:

+Cruise Control