2001 Dodge Neon/2002 PT Cruiser tranny swap? (5sp manual)

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kengaroo59
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2001 Dodge Neon/2002 PT Cruiser tranny swap? (5sp manual)

Post by kengaroo59 » Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:52 pm

I have a 2003 dodge neon that someone apparently swapped the 2.0 engine and 5spd manual transmission. Out of a 2001 is what I am guessing as when replacing the wheels bearings the 2003 bearing did not fit properly. The bearing used on a 2001 did fit perfectly.

My tranny is going out which seems to be a typical problem from what I have been reading here.

I can get a 5spd manual transmission out of a 2002 PT Cruiser, which has the 2.4 motor.
Will it swap easy or not?

Does anyone know what other vehicles and years the transmission will swap out easily with?

chipdogg
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Post by chipdogg » Wed Jun 25, 2014 4:51 pm

They couldn't have put an engine from a 2003 in it. Wheel bearings from 2001 and 03 should be the same.

Any pt cruiser or eclipse/talon/avenger with 420a and 5 speed trans will work. All the same.
COME TO MY NEXT NEON MEET!!!

April 6th, 2013

viewtopic.php?t=64866

kengaroo59
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Reply............

Post by kengaroo59 » Wed Jun 25, 2014 6:44 pm

I assumed it was a different drivetrain because when Napa sold me bearing for a 2003 Neon, they were to wide to fit properly. Maybe they screwed it up? When I took the old bearing to Als Auto..they matched it up with a 2001 Neon. I just ordered all further parts for a 2001 after that and it was never an issue.

I tried to find EXACTLY what transmission was in the car, but am not sure how to do so. Not sure there is a stamp or casting on it somewhere that tells me. Found a couple stickers with the model number it said, but those numbers meant nothing when trying to cross reference them.

So I should have no problem using the 5spd tranny from the 2002 PT Cruiser then to replace the 5spd manual one in my car now then? Or do I need to figure out EXACTLY which tranny I actually have?

chipdogg
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Post by chipdogg » Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:20 pm

Well your car likely has a 3.55 final drive ratio, and the pt cruiser will have a 3.94 ratio. On the backside of the trans behind the driver's side tire is a steel tag bolted to the trans at the top of the black steel cover. Trans part number is on the top and will tell you what gears are in it.

On the outside they are all the same from a pt cruiser and a late 2nd gen Neon. A few gears inside can be different but they'll still bolt in fine and work with no issue.
COME TO MY NEXT NEON MEET!!!

April 6th, 2013

viewtopic.php?t=64866

kengaroo59
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They couldn't have put an engine from a 2003 in it

Post by kengaroo59 » Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:59 pm

Can I ask why you said this.."They couldn't have put an engine from a 2003 in it"

And I want to thank you for your answers. Am not overly concerned about the gear ratio difference. Simply trying to replace the tranny in it easily and cheaply to squeeze a few more miles out of it.

occasional demons
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Re: They couldn't have put an engine from a 2003 in it

Post by occasional demons » Thu Jun 26, 2014 9:45 am

kengaroo59 wrote:Can I ask why you said this.."They couldn't have put an engine from a 2003 in it"
.
I think he mis took the 2001 part being your model year, or mis typed they couldn't have put a 2001 engine in it.

The 2003 to 2005 engines use a different crank and PCM set up. They are not turn key compatible with 2002 and older.

They may have merely swapped the knuckles from an older neon in, instead of changing the wheel bearings. There is no need to swap the knuckles/bearings in an engine/trans swap. Might have been two unrelated repairs.

Edit: I think the early or all 2001 knuckles still used the narrower bearings. The R/T's and ACR's used the wider bearings tho.

If they swapped the MTX/halfshafts from a 2000/early2001, they might have taken the knuckles too, so they would be compatible.
Bill
Olha Koba, a psychologist in Kyiv, said that “anger and hate in this situation is a normal reaction and important to validate.” But it is important to channel it into something useful, she said, such as making incendiary bombs out of empty bottles.
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCM
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester

chipdogg
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Post by chipdogg » Thu Jun 26, 2014 1:22 pm

Yeah, meant 2001. Swapping a 2001 engine into a 2003 would require alot of work, new harnesses and pcm and probably something else.
COME TO MY NEXT NEON MEET!!!

April 6th, 2013

viewtopic.php?t=64866

Jeffro
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon/2002 PT Cruiser tranny swap? (5sp manual)

Post by Jeffro » Tue Jul 21, 2020 7:05 pm

I have 99 neon dohc i need a manual transmission for it can i use anything other than a neon transmission

Jeffro
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon/2002 PT Cruiser tranny swap? (5sp manual)

Post by Jeffro » Tue Jul 21, 2020 7:43 pm

I have a 99 neon and I need a manual transmission for it what transmissions will work

occasional demons
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Re: 2001 Dodge Neon/2002 PT Cruiser tranny swap? (5sp manual)

Post by occasional demons » Wed Jul 22, 2020 8:21 am

Any MTX from a 1995 to 2000 neon. IIRC, everything else is a hydraulic actuated clutch.

Some are 3.55 final drive, and some are 3.94. And the 5th gears are 0.81 and 0.72 overdrive.

If yours is original, it has the 3.94/0.72 combination.

https://www.neons.org/forumdodge/trans.htm

It has to be a cable actuated clutch, the hydraulic actuated MTX's have a different bellhousing. You can swap your cable bellhousing onto a newer MTX, but you need the proper tools and shims to make it work. Just swapping bellhousings will end in a failed transaxle 99% of the time.


In my humble opinion, if you can find a 2000 HD unit, (like finding hen's teeth) hat would be the way to go if you cannot locate another 3.94/0.72 unit.

The 3.55/0.72 is going to suck with a 2.0 for highway acceleration. You'll find you will be downshifting a lot more than you had to before. The 3.55/0.81 fifth gear is almost identical as the 3.94/0.72. You will loose some power on the lower gears, but you'll have that anyways with the 3.55/0.72 anyways. At least your highway gear will be the same.

3.55/0.72 is a great gear for a 2.4 swap, provided you don't go with a big set of cams. It works very well with the low end torque of the 2.4. But to me it is just too tall for a 2.0.
Bill
Olha Koba, a psychologist in Kyiv, said that “anger and hate in this situation is a normal reaction and important to validate.” But it is important to channel it into something useful, she said, such as making incendiary bombs out of empty bottles.
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCM
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester

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