CrazyHawaiian

Just as the Subject says, does anyone know if a T5 from a V6 will bolt up to a V8 motor? I've done searches, looked through the tech articles, tech data, and looked through every page in the transmission forums, but I can't find an answer. According to this post here the T5 in my 88 LB8 (V6) car is a World Class T5. Only difference I can see is the WC T5 from the LB8's is a 4.03 first gear / .76 final gear. I've read that the clutches are not interchangable, although when looking through aftermarket clutches they do not ask to specify V6 or V8. Will all the rest of the parts, and pedals and linkage work with a V8 motor (89 L98 converted to carb)?? Thanks for any info you guys might have!

sr.bond

unless im awefully wrong no,they are not interchangeable because of diff.spline count,besides a v6 t5 would grenade after a 305

RB83L69

This has got to be the most often-asked cheap-out question about these cars......

This button is your friend. Use it liberally and often,

CrazyHawaiian

Yeah you're right, I've been using google and V8 T5's use a 26 spline input shaft while the V6's use a 14 spline. I Found the correct 26 spline input input shaft for $144 here but I need to research how to do the swap. I know the T5 wont last forever (W/C design even), but for my application it will be better than the 700R4. The only good thing I got going for me is the sport I'm participating in involves a deliberate loss of traction, so hopefully it will last a little longer (no drag racing hard launches here). I just came across this T5 for very cheap and if I can somehow use it instead of the 700R4 in the car, then I'm gonna go for it. Thanks for the help!!

CrazyHawaiian

Hey I tried to search. The problem is "V6" is not enough characters for the search to work. You need a minimum of three characters. So I'm stuck searching with the engine code LB8. Believe me man, I tried, and I even went through all the current pages in the entire transmission and V6 forums.

iansane

iTrader: (1)

As far as I know, No. They use diferrent bellhousings. I was going to do the t5 swap last year and picked up a v8 bellhousing and fork just in case I came across a v6 one like you have. I'm pretty sure they have a different engine to bellhousing bolt pattern.

pasky

You can use a V6 t-5 with a V8 Engine, It requires you use a v8 bellhousing a and I believe either a S-10 10 3/4" clutch set or a 94 Camaro Clutch set. The V6 T-5 is the same strength as the V-8 T-5.

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

You can use it, you'll need a V8 bellhousing, it is weaker, the clutch input shaft is 1" 14 spline, you can get a disc made the correct 10.5" dia with the 1" 14 spline hub to make it work perfectly normal, need everything else stock V8, bellhousing, flywheel, pressure plate, hydraulics and pedals are the same of course.

CrazyHawaiian

Sweet! So everything except for the bullhousing and clutch will swap over with the big difference being the input shaft? Thank you so much for the info guys!! Do you guys think it would be worthwhile to swap the V6 T5 14 spline input shaft for the V8 T5 26 spline version for $144 (DIY)? I forsee a lot of abuse put on the clutch (disengage, engage real quick, its a drifting thing). I pretty much figgured on an aftermarket clutch anyway, so thats no biggie. Now I just need to find a V8 bellhousing (aftermarket or stock). Boneyard here I come!! Thanks again guys!!

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

Being that they have different ratios, im not sure if the input shaft would be a direct swap, nor do i see it being worth your money, just get the disc made for a 1" 14 spline, 10.5" dia, i've got one in my car, works just fine.

iansane

iTrader: (1)

If you can't find one around there in a bone yard, I'll sell you mine cheap + shipping. I don't need it and it's just taking up space in the garage for more gofast parts.

f-crazy

iTrader: (-1)

i bought a WC from a 92 RS v6 camaro, i did that on purpose becasue like you guys probly know itll get a LOT LESS abuse then a v8 one would...and sure enough it spins over like butter, even my V8 WC didnt spin this easy AFTER i rebuilt it

i will let you guys know tomorrow if the 26 spline input was swap right in...that was my intention from the beginning actually, if not then how much is it to get that 10.5 inch disc made for the 14 spline hub?

Skatepunk60

My 82 trans am had a saginaw 4speed from the factory it was a coarse spline and what looked to be a 10.5in clutch. Maybe tht would help you guys?

Petes 84Z28

The Saginaw/T-10/Muncies had a 1 1/16" 10 spline shaft. Close, but not quite.

Ron82ZTT

iTrader: (1)

Bringing up an old thread. I'm doing this and I have $0 in the 14 spline T-5. Would a fresh rebuild, changing 1st and 5th to V-8 ratios and changing out the input shaft to a 26 spline be cost effective? One person on here says they are the same strength. The motor is going to stay a 305 carb or maybe a TBI setup so this is not going to be a world beater. Thanks!

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

You would have to replace the countershaft and the input shaft, and likely some of the other gears as well. That can get expensive.

On ebay, there is a guy who will sell a complete heavy duty gear set for $500, without the 5th gears. It is for a WC T5.

I'd be very careful about assuming that certain parts will fit from different trannies... I asked Bob Hanlon about this a while back, and he said it's easier just to find a good rebuildable core.

mooch1

i have a v6 t5 sitting in my garage ..i always thought of selling it because i heard they were weaker than the v8 t5's,,it's my spare now,,, ,, i brought it to this differential and manual gear repair shop..this guy is real old!!,,he does this from his home and has an amazing shop..he has been rebuilding t5's for years,,he said the v6 and v8 t5's are exactly the same strenght..actually a v6 t5 has a larger cluster gear than a v8 t5 ,,he showed me the insides of both ,,a v6 t5 will bolt right on to a v8 t5 bellhousing and everything else will work ...he says the t5 v8 gear ratio is a little nicer ,,but a v6 t5 with a safari or balzer s-10 clutch disc will work on any v8 firebird-camaro ,,he says the v8 or v6 t5 aren't strong trannies in general and both would be toast if pushed too hard,,,just my 2 cents...

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

That is entirely true, there is no 'strength' difference. It is all a matter of gear ratios and the input shaft, which may be overcome by using the S10 clutch.

mooch1

what the trans guy also told me was that , people change oil in their engines and prestone etc very often,,,but each summer people don't change the tranny fluid,,driving with low tranny fluid in a manual t5 v6 or v8 is a no no...he said why do people always overlook this...while your changing the engine oil in the spring ,,change the manual trans fluid at the same time ,,it will take a few minutes more and you will have a healthier tranny,,,it only takes a few liters and it's peace of mind...

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Also very true... but the real issue is that people have a tendency to drive this type of car very hard, and the T5 can't withstand heavy abuse.

mooch1

this is why a v6 or v8 t5 won't last if you drive like a nut!

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Just thought I'd toss my in here since I've actually done the swap. I used my 92's V6 T5 behind the 350 I swapped in 2 winters ago. It's been holding up just fine through around 7 or 8k miles now. I don't abuse it, but I don't baby it either

To swap it in, you need a stock V8 flywheel, bellhousing, pressure plate, and clutch fork. The throwout bearing, hydraulics, and pedals are the same and can be used with either T5. The clutch disc you need is from an 82 GMC S15 2.8L V6. Its the largest diameter one I've found at the parts stores.

Summit and Jegs used to have a Centerforce "conversion" clutch that was 10.5" diameter with the 1" 14-spline center for the V6 T5 input shaft, but I haven't seen it on there for about a year and a half now.

The gear ratios are a bit short, I find myself shifting from first to second pretty fast with my 3.42 rear end. I have a 3.73 rear waiting to go in the car this winter and I expect that first shift to be even worse afterwards.

As for just swapping the input shaft, I looked into that before I bought my clutch disc and its just not possible. As ternandes mentioned, since the gear ratios are different you would also have to swap the countershaft. Which would then force you to swap the mainshaft to match, or at least pick up a set of V8 mainshaft gears to replace the V6 gears. Both gears for 5th are separate from the shafts they ride on so you could easily use either the V6 or V8 gears as long as they were a matched set.

tyler86z28

So will a stock S10 clutch (9 1/8 X 1 X 14) fit a stock V8 flywheel which requires a clutch (10.4 X 1 1/8 X 26) when using a V6 or S10 T5?

dead sailor

Yes, it can be done. I used to have that setup. And whoever said that it wasn't strong enough for a V8; my 355 made about 400HP and i never had any problems with the transmission.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Yes, it works just fine. The inside diameters of the flywheel and pressure plate clutch surfaces and clutch disc are the same. Its just the outside diameters that are different.

If you use the one I listed, its diameter is 9 11/16" which provides more clutch surface than one that is only 9 1/8" diameter. I don't know how much the extra 9/16" helps, but I figured the closer I could get it to the normal V8 diameter of 10 1/2" the better.

mooch1

how were the gear ratio difference?..were the t5 v6 any better or any worse than the v8 gear ratio?...

fbrow16

What is the difference in pilot bearings or bushing no one has addresed this.

morries

iTrader: (1)

so i'm doing the same thing and was just wondering if the bell housing off of the auto tranny for my v8 will work on the manual tranny from my v6?

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

No.

Your auto trans doesn't have a detachable BH.

tylergill3061

so do u have to change the pilot bearing?

jmd

iTrader: (4)

automatics don't have a replaceable pilot bearing; the converter seats in the outer, larger pilot area of the crank.

third gen manual trans. pilot bearings use the smaller, inner pilot area of the crank and are available as a bushing or bearing.

tylergill3061

So there shouldn't be a difference in the pilot bearing for a v8 Trans or a v6 I'm trying to put a v6 Trans to 350 and it don't seem to want to go in all the way and didnt no if the pilot bearings were different

jmd

iTrader: (4)

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...409-post4.html

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

What clutch disc are you using? You can't use v8 clutch disc, the spline count is different. I used a clutch disc from a v6 s10 from the early 80's in my swap.

drdave88

iTrader: (3)

Sorry to resurrect the dead, I am in the process of this swap now. I bought this clutch kit http://www.summitracing.com/parts/zz...00-1/overview/.

The pressure plate bolt holes are too small for the flywheel bolts. Did you have to drill them out at all? The flywheel bolts are 3/8, and the holes on the pressure plate seem to be 1/2.

jmd

iTrader: (4)

Go with http://www.summitracing.com/parts/add-716104 and the V8 third gen pressure plate instead.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

The clutch disc in that kit will work, but you want to use a regular thirdgen pressure plate as jmd noted. The clutch disc that jmd linked would be the better choice as its actually the correct diameter. I'm running about a 9.75" clutch disc I think on my conversion. I don't remember the exact diameter but I know it's less than 10".

Also, make sure you use actual pressure plate bolts, not some hardware store or random bolt. When pressure plates and clutches fly apart, they have been known to take the driver's feet with them.

Atilla the Fun

They are NOT the same strength. Cases are the same, but the deeper the ratios, the less torque capacity. Unfortunately there were no WC V6 versions with the 2.95:1 gear set, nor even the 3.50:1 gear set.
Salvage yards are full of C1500s with 700R-4s that are bolted to TBI 350s, go get ya one for $75, just drop the trans pan before paying. Then do a new trans filter before installing.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Good to see you are still lurking about, Attila!

Frankie Pinzone

so the main way to tell the v6 from the v8 t-5 is the cluch splines?

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

The splines on the input shaft, yes. The ID number on the metal tag will tell as well.

jmd

iTrader: (4)

If it's a tilted tailhousing mount pad and 4 bolt muncie front bellhousing pattern case, yes. Those 2 items assure it's a third-gen T5.

Gumby

The problem is it doesn't work out well in a performance app where your going to drive it hard most of the time.

I hang out on 67-72 chevy truck board and they use any T5 they can get for the MPG as most are just straight 6 and they don't drive them like sports cars.

[useless info for the straight 6 chevy engines, most need to take a angle grinder and extend the splines on the input shaft to get the right action from the clutch. DIY job, no machine shop needed.]

Frankie Pinzone

the reason i asked is i bought a complete kit for my 84 camaro to get rid of the junk slushbox and im tryin to cover all my bases before i jump in head first, ty for the info

camaros10junkie

you can use a 4.3 bellhousing and clutch assembly will work but it can take much over 450 hp unless it is reinforced

58mark

iTrader: (3)

this is a great thread. I have 2 transmissions over here from v6's, and I'm having a hard time finding one for v8 for my swap. I already bought I v8 bell housing, so I'm really tempted to use one of them

one thing I'm confused about is the input shaft. Is it true that the input shaft is a different length on the v6 transmission? If so, does using the s10 Clutch compensate for that? (maybe it's just different on the s10 transmissions)

I want to get this clutch because of the 10.5" size. Are you all saying I can get the pressure plate separately, or do I need to buy a complete v8 kit, and just give away the v8 clutch to a friend?
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/add-716104

or this one is an option too. saving these so I can find them later

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Flathe...ate,13007.html

drdave88

iTrader: (3)

I have nothing to compare to, but I had no issues with the input shaft when fitting my 88 WCT5 behind my 355.

Here is the clutch I bought http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Flathe...ion,38143.html
and got a pressure plate from Rock Auto for like $70 or something, dont have the link handy right now.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

I'm not going to say I'm excited about using a v6 t5, but there seems to be a lot of misinformation about them out there, and for certain non performance uses, it's not a bad plan.

I'm hoping to use my car for a lot of highway and cross country driving for car shows, so I'm thinking the v6 t5 combined with a 305 TPI and a 2.73 rear end should give me what I need. I wouldn't think about putting a 2.73 behind a v8 t5, but with the 4.03 first gear and the .76 overdrive, they seem to be a good match for each other.

That being said, if I find a non-g82 V8 T5 and a 3.08 rear end, I'll probably go ahead and use that one.

big gear head

I know that the S10 2.8 T5 has a longer input shaft and bearing retainer. These transmissions will not work for a V8 conversion, no matter what bellhousing and clutch you use. If the F body V6 T5 has the correct length input shaft and bearing retainer then I'm glad to hear it.

As for strength, any 2 transmissions that are the same, except for the gear ratio, the transmission with the higher numerical ratio will be weaker. The BW Super T10 with a 2.64 first gear is quite a bit stronger than the Super T10 with the 3.42 first gear. The M21 Muncie with the 2.20 first gear is stronger than the M20 Muncie with the 2.56 first gear. This is true with any transmission.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

I guess you're right, but I don't launch cars, so it should last me a long time with a 305