So someday soon (I hope) I am going to do a lsx swap but I am wondering what I should start with. I was thinking a t56 swap first would this work?? My t5 is starting to grind in third and I know the syncros are on their way out . I was quoted 700 dollars to put new syncros and instaed of doing that could I just go t56. My car has a 5.7l vortec in it now could I make this work so in the future I could just swap the lsx in without removing the trans again?

 

If not where would the best place to begin be?

 

To run a T56 on your stock 5.7 you will need a LT1 T56, so if going LS it will be more BS than its worth. IIRC. Pretty sure you will need a conversion bell housing or Bell housing spacer if using a LS T56 on a SBC.

Good luck!

Jay

 

well what would be a good first step or would I need to do it all at once?

 

I'd deal with the grind and do the t56 swap with the LSx swap. Lt1 and ls1 t56's are different, but can be converted for around $600

Mid plate, input shaft and bell are about $200 each, plus hydraulics

 

Unfortunately this swap is not easy to do in segments. Look at it as a platform and make the switch fully, or dont. Mixing and matching different components compounds the difficulty so its best left for those who have swap experience under their belt.

Good news is the costs have come down on the engine side of things. Bad news is t56 costs have stayed every bit as high if not higher than they used to be. Supply and demand issues mostly as almost everyone wants one.

But if your crafty, you can pre prep 90% of the swap before you start tearing things out of your car which can make the install go down quite quickly. Have fun

 

Take pocket and cams advice. Save up, take your time buying parts when you find them for good prices.

My 305 with t5 has some minor issues. I get vapour lock when stuck in gridlock on the hottest days, valve seals leak and my clutch slips a tad.
I have an ls1 now, taking my time cleaning it up while it's oh of the car. Found an lt1 t56, $1400 that isn't high mile or from a car that burnt (dude wanted $1800 for that one, another guy wanted $1800 for one with over 190,000 miles) just pay attention to the market. Found a bell housing for $200 with a slave. Online they are $250, plus I have to ship, cross border, pay duties, taxes and a bad exchange rate.
Junkyards are good, you can find swap parts in there for cheap.

Be patient, find decent prices (this is NOT a cheap swap... Ill be lucky to be under $5500) and drive the **** out of your current set up. It will make it worth it. Figure out everything you can, do all the work you can before you start the actual swap. My wiring will be 99% done before I start. I will have all of my fueling parts ready to go, I'll have any special tools I might need, etc so when it comes time to do the swap, I'll only have a few minor set backs (always happens) but it won't stop the project.

Every time you do a change, there is time spent after tweaking things. I would rather drive the car, do the swap and then tinker instead of do a part of a swap, spend more money than you need and waste time and money messing around with something that isn't permanent.

 

Thanks for all the great advice guys!!!! I will just drive the hell out of what I have now until something major quits then I will do the swap

 

Where are you located in Tennessee?

 

One thing definitely worthy of doing while your driving the %#$@ out of the current config is to find your donor engine/trans set up. If you shop hard you can get some good savings but it typically takes a lot of persistence to find the right deals. Good luck

 

Im in chattanooga just two hours from nashville

 

2 birds with one stone:

http://paceperformance.com/i-1590875...m-t-combo.html

Problem solved...

 

^
I like this package. Thats actually not a bad deal for all you get. Plus think of the time saved alone chasing down all those parts/deals.... and then no assurance that everything will work as you hope... Used parts get a 30 feet or 30 second warranty. Sometimes its best to stroke cheque for something like this instead and then get straight to work on the install!! Verrrrrrry quickly you can build a worry free LS swapped badass


But chasing parts is so fun, and half of us love the process as much as the end result so its not for everyone.

Maybe throw that in the sticky somewhere? Update it with engine packages/deals currently available?

 

would finding a good disc brake posi rear end from a fourth gen camaro or firebird work on my t5 then later be reused on the t56?

 

4th gen diffs are 4" wider but the suspension mounts are exactly the same, some brake differences though, nothing major, very common swap

 

would you reccommend me doing the swap or just wait though?

 

You will have a lot more fun with your current setup if you get some lower rear gears (like 3.23-3.73s).
Weather you get a whole 4th gen rear end or just re-gear your current one.
4th gens have a nicer torsen limited slip unit, that most would say is better than a 3rd gen auburn unit. Keep in mind if your running stock 3rd gen wheels the rear ones will stick out 2" on either side if you install a 4th gen rear end. If you run 4th gen wheels they work without adapters though, which is nice.
Bottom line is yes, upgrade the rear end before swapping to LS is totally worth it.

 

Alright Thanks man and I do plan on running 4th rims. Could I do the swap or should I go to a Shop?

 

The average joe can usually swap a whole rear end but its a bit of a learning curve to properly set up new gears.

But remember when swapping a whole rear end, you need to worry about hooking up brake lines and cables, and if you have drums now, youd be swapping to disc with a 4th gen posi rear end.
I have a 3rd gen posi rear from an 85 TA so I havent actually swapped a 4th gen rear into a 3rd gen, but I think its a "bolt-in" swap for the most part.

 

Ok thanks man