From 4L60e to manual - I don't like the way my tranny's shifting and I figure I'm heading for a rebuild. But I'd rather have a stick shift anyway. I ...

I don't like the way my tranny's shifting and I figure I'm heading for a rebuild. But I'd rather have a stick shift anyway. I may have a year or so before I have to do something.

I read a blog somewhere a while ago where a guy did this in a Trailblazer. For some reason he used 2 PCMs, one for the sensors and the other to run the engine. He didn't really explain his reasoning and he wasn't having a lot of luck. Then I lost track of his blog.

So, I have a couple of questions:

-Couldn't I just have Chevy flash the PCM to run it as a manual?

-Does anyone know what the best 5-speed/6-speed is for the 5.3L T motor? I don't haul much but I don't want to break it if I decide to leave a little rubber on the blacktop. Would a Firebird/Camaro tranny work?

-Is there an aftermarket clutch setup out there?

-Has anyone seen a blog where they were successful in doing this?

Thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated.