Hey guys i have been on the site for awhile but i never really chime in on things. I am looking for some advise, i have a 87 bird 383 stroker full roller, full forged 12.5:1 comp. .600 lift voodoo cam,afr heads,quick fuel 780cfm hot rod carb, rpm air gap intake, 6:1 rockers etc.... just so you have some idea on what type of motor i have. No dyno #s yet but we built it for 500hp/500trq.
I am unable to get traction at any time, i have a Borg Warner 9 bolt with posi and 3.27 gears and a stock t5 trans, the trans is holding for now because i have no traction there for its not under that much stress. I also only went with a stage 2 clutch rated for 450 h/p so my weak spot would be my clutch, and i wouldn't harm drive line. Now the advise i need is what changes are there from the t5 to the t56 i have a t56 ready to go in but will the t56 hold to 500+h/p, and is it direct bolt up? I know the bell housing is correct for the engine. But otherwise i was just wondering how much mods are typically required in this swap. Thanks for your time in advance. ( by the way my car was auto 700r4 prior to making into manual i just like to drive manual instead)

If you've got that much into the rest of the drive-train, why risk a tranny
being the weak point? I'm not sure what the torgue ratings on the t56
are, but that info should be available somewhere around here. Go check
in at the drivetrain/trans forum. If it were me, I'd go for a serious Tremec
unit, built for high torque applications. Probably more expensive, but
assurance that you'll only pay that once. (Pay twice as much, but buy
half as many. )

Good luck, & keep us posted.

93 T56 is rated at 400 lb-ft.
94-97 is rated 450 lb-ft.
Google the aftermarket Magnum T-56 @ 700 lb-ft.

Tremec
Summit
American Powertrain
Modern Driveline
Chevy even resells it, with a 50% markup!?!

the t56 will hold that power without issue. it it does have issues or is worn out, a rebuild is about $800 with all the parts needed to make it hold more than your power level reliably.

swapping from a t5, you will need a new/modified transmission cross member for the rear transmission mount, and depending on your tq arm set-up you will need to modify that as well to mount to the transmission cross member unless you are just leaving it on the transmission tail housing (i would not at your power level).

you will also need to install the clutch hydraulics for the t56, Im not sure how the pedals from the t5 work with them...

I've done the T56 swap

T5 pedals work with the T56 hydraulics

If you are not going to do any highway driving (necessitating the double OD), skip the T56 and go the tremec route

The clutches are a lot cheaper, no hydraulics to swap out and no special crossmember to buy.

I would suggest getting the torque arm off the tail shaft though

Does the clutch setup from the t5 work or are you bound to ls stuff? How about the bellhousing?

T5 clutch only works with the T5

LT1 T56 needs the bellhousing and clutch from an LT1

LS1 T56 needs the bellhousing and clutch from an LS1 (and only works with the ls series motors)

Now, you can buy a T56 from Tremec that will bolt to the T5 bellhousing and uses the T5 clutch. Then you need a special crossmember and a shorter driveshshaft IIRC

The simplest, cheapest and strongest for the OP's goals is to buy a new Tremec 5 spd

this is all just my humble opinion and not meant to be gospel

I like my T56, but I do a lot of interstate travel to get to my 'local' tracks.

I'm in the middle of a similar swap. 86 TA Gen 1 383 with stock T-5. I got a McLeod flywheel 460300 for now but not sure if it is the right one. The car is very hard to put in gear when at a stop. What flywheel did you use? Thanks

Im running a t56 with about 450 hp at the fly wheel, RAM clutch, Billet Aluminum RAM Flywheel, cavalier slave cylinder, stock master, stock 1985 clutch pedal and my set up is solid. I beat on it too ;D