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Will T56 fit my car no problem??

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Old 10-14-2003, 08:31 PM
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Car: 89 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 350 stock (big mods coming up)
Transmission: automatic for now (T56 coming)
Will T56 fit my car no problem??

I'm about to buy a T56 tranny from a 2002 Camaro SS used with LS1 engine. My car is an 89 GTA with 350 and automatic transmision and 3.27 rear.
Will it fit just bolt on?? ( of course with the manual flywheel, clutch, bellhousing, and all that...)
Will I also need to make any changes on my speedometer, speedometer gear or whatever my current tranny has?
Old 10-14-2003, 08:34 PM
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Car: 1992 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: GM T56
I'm 99% Sure an LS1 T56 will NOT fit in your car. Different bellhousing bolt pattern or something. However, you will need the Dakota Digital SGI-5 for your speedo and you'll need to enlarge your shifter hole 1-2". Check my site and do a search.

-Rippin

EDIT: Wait, do you mean you'll get the tranny AND engine? If so then yeah, it'll all bolt in. With a new crossmember and motor mounts. I thought you just meant the tranny.
Old 10-15-2003, 10:35 AM
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Car: Transam
Engine: ZZ4,Holley Stealth Ram,Commander 950
Transmission: T56
I too believe the LS1 T56 wont fit.
See this;
T56 6 Speed Conversion for 82-92 F-bodies


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You might have blown up your 700R4 or T5 transmission, and now want to bolt in something much stronger. You can use a race prepared 700R4 transmission, but what fun is that? Shifting through 6 speeds is where it's at, whether for road racing, or fun on the street. The Richmond 6 speed is pretty nice, but at over $2000, its too expensive for most of us. The Tremec TKO is another bolt in alternative, but why have 5 speeds when you can have 6 for the same price? Besides, the T56 can officially withstand more torque (around 425-450 ft-lbs).

The T56 transmission from a '93 to '97 f-body is almost a bolt in modification. This page should answer most of your questions. When you go to a junkyard to get your donor parts, you will need to get almost everything from your donor car. About the only thing you can reuse is the rubber transmission mount and torque arm mount. Everything (and I mean everything!) has to come from the donor car. If you can get a 94 or newer transmission, it has a wider gear ratio (with a .5 overdrive) so you can run 4.11's and still get great highway mileage.


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Speedometer Calibration

If you have a 90+ Camaro or an 87+ Firebird you already have an electronically driven speedometer. If not, the transmission's electronic signal has to get converted to a mechanical shaft drive, or the speedometer must be changed to an electrical unit. JTR (Jag's That Run) has a conversion kit available to change the electrical T56 output to a mechanical cable, but unfortunately, it is around $300. Abbot makes a black box that drives a cable speedometer as well, for a few hundred. Auto Meter has an electronically driven speedometer that accept's the VSS signal. I'm using this, along with a few others very succesfully.

The T56 has a 40 pulse per driveshaft revolution VSS signal generator in the tailshaft. This has to get converted to a 4000 (or 2000) pulse per mile signal for your VSS buffer input. The easiest way is to purchase the Dakota Digital SGI-5 signal recalibration box to do this. This is just spliced in between the transmission and chassis wiring. I also put together an Excel spreadsheet to calculate the VSS divisor ratio if you are so inclined.


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Automatic Transmission Specifics

There isn't much additional work if you have an automatic transmission originally. The obvious is that you'll need to hang the clutch pedal and cut a hole in the transmission tunnel for the shifter. The clutch pedal can be gotten from any 1984-1997 Camaro/Firebird. You'll also need to mount the master cylinder on the firewall. This is one larger hole for the master cylinder, and two smaller holes for the bracket. GM might have even dimpled the firewall in that location to make things easier.

The other difference involves the wiring. You (automatic owners) have a wire going to the shifter for park/neutral. A manual transmission car does not have this, but instead has the clutch anticipate switch, below the clutch pedal. This prevents the car from starting without pressing down the clutch. It should be just moving wires from one to the other, but please refer to the wiring schematics in your service manual. There are differences in the computer chip, and many people have changed to a T5 chip. People have also run fine with the factory automatic chip as well. That about sums up the differences!


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Finding Parts and Prices

As 4th gen f-bodies become more plentiful in junkyards, the prices steadily decline. Expect to pay around $750 (I've seen them from $500 to over $1000) for a used T56 transmission bare, or $1250 ($700-$1700 range) for the complete package (with the flywheel, clutch, shifter, all bolts, etc.) Make sure whoever you purchase it from will give you a guarantee. I've had to return one in the past for worn bearings. The cheapest way to find one is to call your local junkyard and hope they don't realize the going rate for the T56. The other alternative is to either purchase a new one for $2100, or get one from an f-body junkyard which is more expensive for the convenience. You could always post a message on one of the f-body message boards or classifieds as well. Other than this, I don't have advice on where to find one.



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Differences between the '93-'97 f-body, 98+ f-body, and Aftermarket T56

1993 to 1997 LT1 F-body T56
Same length as T5 and 700R4, so you can re-use your same 27 spline driveshaft, torque arm, and bushings
Electric 40 pulse per driveshaft rotation VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor)
LT1 pull-style clutch, bellhousing, and slave cylinder is necessary

1998+ LS1 F-body T56
This is from the LS1 f-body, so it has a different length input shaft, and a completely different push-style clutch setup. The throwout bearing is a hydraulic unit that eliminates the clutch fork. To change this transmission to work with the LT1 clutch and bellhousing, you will need to replace the input shaft as well as the front cover of the transmission case (because it does not have the clutch fork pivot). An LS1 master cylinder might be necessary. The case and tailhousing dimensions are identical to the LT1 T56.

Retrofit T56
The major benefit to the Retrofit T56 is that it allows you to use a standard style clutch and bellhousing. It also has a mechanical speedometer sender which is similar to the 700R4 & T5 transmission (an electric 700R4 & T5 VSS will bolt right in). The draw backs are that the transmission is 1.9" longer, so the driveshaft and torque arm must be shortened. It is available new from Tom Sallee at Sallee Chevrolet for $2295.


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The following instructions are specifically for an 89 5 speed IROC, but I'll attempt to make them for all third generation f-bodies.



Parts Needed

T56 6 speed
Fabricated Crossmember
T56 Bellhousing
T56 Shifter
T56 Flywheel for 1 Piece Rear Mainseal Crank
or Centerforce 2 Piece Rear Mainseal Flywheel - CTF-700107
T56 Clutch Disc
T56 Clutch Pressure Plate
T56 Sealed Master/Slave Cylinder
T56 Tranny to Bellhousing Bolts
T56 Pressure Plate to Flywheel Bolts
Shifter Bolts (I reused the T5 shifter bolts)
Transmission Tunnel Heat Boot/Bellows (I reused the T5 boot)
Bellhousing to Engine Block Bolts (I reused the T5 bolts)




Instructions

For now, I will assume you can remove your transmission, clutch, and slave cylinder/master cylinder assembly. Go out and get the Helms Service Manual for $75. It will make everything much easier, and ha s directions for it. This web page is for swapping in a 6 speed, and not for those not mechanically inclined.

Once the old parts are removed, you have to make your factory shifter opening a bit larger since the T56 shifter sits about 2" further back. I used a cutoff disc in a die grinder to cut the opening larger. Some aviation shears might work as well, but the metal is pretty tough. Cut straight backwards on both sides to extend the opening another 2 inches.


Install the new T56 slave cylinder/master cylinder assembly. This should install just the same as a stock unit. There are two different units from GM, depending on which year T56 you have. Tr y to get this part from your donor car, so it matches.
Install a new pilot bearing. While the flywheel is off, you might as well…
Bolt on the new flywheel. You should be able to reuse the same bolts.
Insert the clutch disc, and lightly bolt on the pressure plate with the T56 pressure plate bolts. The T56 clutch is a pull type where the entire friction surface is pulled backward by the clutch fork. This style uses an aluminum cased Valeo Pressure P late that is much thicker than the standard push type steel cased unit. With a 26 spline (I'm pretty sure…) Clutch Alignment Arbor, align the clutch disc, and tighten the pressure plate to spec'd torque.
Bolt on the bellhousing to the engine block. You should be able to use your old bellhousing bolts.
Slide the clutch fork over the greased T-stud (should be on the T56 transmission), and bolt it down to spec.
Insert the transmission into the clutch assembly. This is definitely a two-man job since the T56 is about twice as heavy as the T5 it replaced. A transmission jack would have been nice… Be careful to get it in straight so the pilot bearing isn't damag ed. This took me at least two hours, but it was possible. I didn't need to bang anything out. The clearances are pretty close, but it did fit without modification.
Bolt the transmission to the bellhousing. It'll save time later if the torque arm mount is already on the transmission. Bolting the tranny to the bellhousing will definitely require the use of a u-joint and some extensions in your socket set. Torque i t to spec. and support the transmission with a jack.
Now comes the tough part. You need to get the torque arm mount assembled with the torque arm. I used a wood block to pry it closed as I threaded the top bolt closed from inside the car. Creativity helps here. This is another PITA step, but it will eventually bolt up. Swearing is optional. Note - do not try this at 2 am when you are exhausted. Nothing will get accomplished. Save it till the next morning when your head is clear.
You have to get creative here for the transmission crossmember. If you are a proficient fabricator, follow the directions below. If you would rather just bolt on a crossmember, we do sell them. The T56 transmission mount is about 3 inches behind the factory T5 location. GM could have made it simple for us, but didn't. The frame rails are each at different heights and angles.
At first, I welded tabs to the frame rails and made a crossmember with a 1/4" thick piece of steel. The crossmember bolted to the tabs with various length bolts and washers as spacers. This design was terrible, since it was very flexible. I could see t he shifter bounce up and down a few times after a bump…

The second design was made to fix the initial shortcomings. I wanted something that would bolt right up to the stock bolt locations, and didn't require welding for the end user. This crossmember is available through SPD for $149, and is powdercoated gloss black, ready to bolt in. The crossmember is fabricated using 1/8" thick steel plate and channels. The plates are drilled to accept the stock locations, and cut to size. A channel is centered on the transmission mount bolt, and joins the two sides. Since the frame rails aren't symmetrical and are angled as well, we needed to get creative in joining the three plates together. Using the square tubing, angle iron, and plates, we tack welded the individual pieces together underneath the car. There was a lot of trial and error involved in fitting the parts precisely together. Once the crossmember was tacked together, it was unbolted, and welded on the workbench. We initially used a MIG welder with an Ar/CO2 mix. This gave us a perfect weld, which looks clean, has good penetration, and didn't distort the pieces. The final test came when we bolted everything up. It fit perfectly.

The current crossmembers are now TIG welded, which makes stronger welds and a nicer appearance. This new design has been engineered to provide extra rigidity without unnecessary weight. We sandblast them, and have the crossmembers powdercoated gloss black. Slap on the SPD decals, and off they go to UPS!



A third option is to take the factory crossmember and cut it into three sections. Bolt the two outer sections to the frame and the middle section to the transmission. Connect all three pieces with the angle iron. It should be s trong enough to work, and is better than my first design (which never broke, and still let me chirp gears…)

Slide the clutch fork onto the T-stud (it was bolted on earlier, but was hanging loose)
Bolt the slave cylinder to the bellhousing
Bolt the driveshaft back in
Fill the transmission with transmission fluid
Bolt in your shifter
Put the transmission tunnel boot on to keep the exhaust out of the car
Assemble your interior - Don't worry, the console fit is just fine. Many people have been asking if the leather boot on the console will still fit, or if the shifter hits anything. There is enough clearance in all directions.
Take your f-body out for a drive, and enjoy that sixth gear!
Notice that first gear isn’t as powerful (you have to get at least 3.43's to enjoy this transmission). Also notice that you are now cruising at 80 mph and 1600 rpms. Have fun knowing you now have a third gen with a 6 speed transmission.


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SPD's T56 crossmember comes complete and ready to bolt in. It is constructed with .125" thick steel, and TIG welded together. After sandblasting, the crossmember is powdercoated gloss black.

Clarification - For those using the T56 from a '93-'97 LT1 Camaro/Firebird, choose "OEM T56xmem". For those using the special GM retrofit T56, with mechanical speedo and old-style clutch and adapter plate, please choose "Retrofit T56xmem". Please contact us if you have any questions. Thanks!


Application
Part Number
Price
Shipping

82-92 Camaro/Firebird OEM T56xmem $149.00 $10.25
82-92 Camaro/Firebird Retrofit T56xmem $149.00 $10.25
67-70 1st Gen Camaro/Firebird Under Development
67-70 1st Gen Camaro/Firebird Under Development

Order It!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andris Skulte

Skulte Performance Designs



This was taken from Skulte Performance site
Old 10-15-2003, 12:27 PM
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Car: 89 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 350 stock (big mods coming up)
Transmission: automatic for now (T56 coming)
wow, that was a long reply, but thanks.
So the 93-97 T56 would be the only tranny that would fit me without any mods as far as lenght, or axle replacement, right??
Old 10-15-2003, 12:54 PM
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Jed
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Car: 89 Formula 350
Engine: 360 / HSR
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.27
I have the aftermarket T56. Just wanted to add:

Cost to have my driveshaft shortened/balanced - $40

Cost to have my torque arm shortened - free (cutoff tool)

Don't fear these two requirements.
Old 10-15-2003, 07:12 PM
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Car: 1982 Trans Am
Engine: LG4
Transmission: 200C
Axle/Gears: 3:73
The LS1 T-56 will not bolt up to any stock 3rd gen engine. You will need to buy an aftermarket crossmember, or modify a 4th gen one. Driveshaft + torque arm will work.
Old 10-15-2003, 07:23 PM
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Car: 89 FORMULA 350, 91 Z28 Convertible
Engine: ls1, LB9
Transmission: t56, Auto
Axle/Gears: S60/ 3.73
yes, it will work they make a adapter plate now. there have been pictures here and on e-bay of it. besides the bolt pattern being differant the throw out bearing is part of a hyd. cyl. (biggest differance) but, none the less they do make it. I would bet though you will spend far more getting this adapter plate and bellhousing stuff that will work than just getting the 93-97 f-body t56 with bellhousing to begin with
Old 03-08-2011, 05:34 PM
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Re: Will T56 fit my car no problem??

hi, i have a 84 camaro, 350 automatic, its going out, can any body give me ideas of the cost for a t56 manual? and how hard is it to convert, any special modifications needed, im just a home mechanic wanting to restore my camaro i just bought, it needs alot, but this is my starting point forward, thanks
Old 03-20-2011, 08:40 PM
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Car: Bone stock 1989 Iroc T-Top,1991 Z28
Engine: 5.7, Carbed 383
Transmission: 700r4, T-56
Re: Will T56 fit my car no problem??

No special mods needed. However you have an auto, gonna need third pedal, open the floor up to get the shifter inside, shifter plate, some wiring for neutral safety and reverse lights. As long as you have some ability, it can be done. By the time you're done, plan on about 2-3 grand.
Old 05-13-2011, 07:27 AM
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Car: 1991 z28 Camaro
Engine: 5.0 H.O. TPI
Transmission: Borger Warner T5
Axle/Gears: 3.07 gear ratio
Re: Will T56 fit my car no problem??

Does all this information hold true for the 305? I have a 305 TPI with a tired T5. I am looking at an 94' corvette T56. Any thoughts?
Old 05-13-2011, 10:28 AM
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jmd
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Car: `86 SS / `87 SS
Engine: L69 w/ TPI on top / 305 4bbl
Transmission: `95 T56 \ `88 200-4R
Re: Will T56 fit my car no problem??

Originally Posted by 1991z285speed
Does all this information hold true for the 305? I have a 305 TPI with a tired T5. I am looking at an 94' corvette T56. Any thoughts?
89-96 Corvettes have a ZF S6-40. Might want to start your own thread if this doesn't answer your questions:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tran...-one-done.html
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