i recently blew up my t-5, so i'm moving on to bigger and better things....

t-56?

I found one, but the guy wants 1800 (cdn) for the tranny alone, and hes not sure what it came outof, he dosnt seem to be too confident so i called a buddy of mine about it..
He works at a tranny shop here and he says that the t-56 isnt a bad tranny, but that the gears really chip away fast, so any wheel hop often blows the trannys away. "without SFC'S, and some sticky tires (which i've got) you're gonna get a lot of hop, and the t56's dont like, and wont last long"

He strongly suggested to stay away from the t56, and to go with a doug nash instead... I dont really know much about them, whats the diffrence?

does the t56 infact have weak gears?

 

Hey--the T56 is great but sort of a hassle to adapt to a 3rd gen--though well worth it, if you're ready to spend the money. This board has many people far more knowledgeable than me on this subject, people who really could write books on it, so if you decide to do it, do a search and read for a while.
The 3rd gen torque arm pretty much eliminates wheel hop; what you have to deal with is adapting the T56 to the older style motor--and there are a few good methods. My '82 runs a T5 and it's good for cruising duties--some guys run lots of power through them and shift maturely; but you can get it built to handle 450 hp/ft. lbs. for under $1,000 if you want to save money and don't want the swap hassle. I have a T56 in a street rod using the Weir bellhousing setup and it's simple, dependable and solid.
You need to decide if you want to spend the cash on a T56 swap or stick with the T5. When you know, the resources are here to guide you through.

 

I would really love to have a t56 in my car. They are strong transmissions. You have to love a built up automatic thought. May not be the as fun to drive but they will handle a lot of abuse.

Here is my theory about transmissions....2 years ago I wanted to get a TCI th350. I had the money..then I was like "Hey I'll get this low milage used 700r4!" and save money. Less than 2 years later I am thinking..."Damn I should have got that th350 in the first place" because I am shelling out cash again for a transmission.

Get what you want and get a good one. It may cost you but it will be nice not having to worry about my POS stock 700r4 ever again.

 

Here are some options:

Upgraded T5 with super alloy gears - $885 plus shipping assuming you can reuse all stock parts that are still needed. This trans is good to 400+ lbs/ft in a street car. I would stay away from this trans with slicks though.

G-Force T5 - $1,300 plus shipping built on your core trans. This trans is good to 500+lbs/ft and 600+ hp. Great for drag racing. Guys are running 10s and better with these things.

T56 - $2,500 (roughly) for all the swap components. Starting with a stick car you are already bucks ahead since you have the right pedals, console plate, etc. You'll still need a crossmember, bellhousing, clutch, flywheel, etc. Use the LT1 4th gen T56. It's by far the easiest swap. Ditch the stock shifter for a Pro 5.0 adn it should be fine for limited drag use. Plenty of guys run 12s with these without problems.

Tremec - $depends on the model. There's the 3550, TKO, TKOII, TKO 500, & TKO 600. These are tough as hell, and can handle up to 600 lbs/ft, but the swap is tricky and not as common as the T56. Also great for drag racing though. Bob Hanlon has gone 8.90s with a Tremec in his full weight Mustang.

Doug Nash 5-speed - $? rare, and not sure how this would be as a swap. If you get a used trans that has been sitting have it gone through by a competent shop. The bearings in these things rust up really quickly if they aren't submerged in oil.

In regards to the T56s strength I would have to say that you can break anything by driving it like an idiot. If you beat the snot out of it and just floor the gas every time you get in the car to make the biggest smokestorm you can any trans is going to have trouble living with you. I drag race my car with a T56 plenty, but wheel hop has never been an issue. Tire spin is definately a problem, but that isn't nearly as destructive. I have to baby the car out of the hole and through the 1-2 shift before I can put my foot to the floor. Keep in mind that the T56 is OEM in the Aston Martin Vanquish, the Dodge Viper, and the new Z06 Corvette. All of these cars are in the 450-500 hp range with just as much torque. Granted the T56 in those cars is different than the LT1 T56, but not that different. The gears are made from a very high grade alloy, and very tough. If anything the synchros in the T56 are its Achiles heel. They tend to wear out and early models don't provide great shift feel, though this has been improved with upgraded synchro linings and double or triple cone sychros. I would have no qualms about going to the T56 in terms of strength. More often than not the determining factor is cost.

 

you can get complete T-56 conversion deals for about $1500 that include everything except the crossmember you'll need. just look on some of the 4th gen message boards. and there are plenty of guys running much faster than 12's on stock LT1's.

 

FYI

Doug Nash 5-speed = Richmond 5 Speed

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...=egnsearch.asp

1900 Bux, and you still have to buy a shifter. Which is external. And no overdrive.


Tremec would be a much better choice than this IMO.

 

A T56 swap for $1,500 sounds great on paper, but the reality is rather different. I know because I've done this swap, and created an itemized list of every part required, along with part numbers and costs. If anyone needs that info just let me know.

You can find setups from one of the places that part out wrecked 4th gen F-cars, but you are talking about $2,000. This will include the trans, bellhousing, hydraulics, pedals, clutch assembly, flywheel (only good if you've got a 1-piece RMS engine), crossmember (useless), torque arm mount, trans mount, shifter (junk), shifter boot, wiring pigtails, and hardware.

If you've got an older engine that uses a 2-piece RMS you will need to do one of two things. The simplest is to buy a conversion flywheel from McLeod or Centerforce, which will allow you to use an LT1 clutch on a 2-piece RMS engine. The conversion flywheel is about $400 depending on which one you choose. The other option is to use a retrofit T56 and a T5 bellhousing, clutch, and flywheel. This option is quite pricey, as the driveshaft and torque arm have to be shortened. You've also got to buy a brand new T56 retrofit trans, which is over $2,000 alone.

To run an electronic speedometer and/or VSS signal to your 3rd gen computer (required for EFI, even if you've got a mechanical speedo) you need a Dakota Digital SGI-5, which costs around $80. You also need a VSS signal to run the cruise control if your car is so equipped and you want to keep it functional.

The other option is an Abbot box or a JTR tailshaft conversion to allow you to run the mechanical speedo, which costs about $350.

Or, you could just install an Autometer 5" speedo, which you can calibrate for about $225. If you've got EFI or cruise you still need the Dakota Digital SGI-5 though.

A custom crossmember is a given. SPD has them for $150.

A better shifter is a given. Pro 5.0 is my shifter of choice and runs about $190. Hurst and B&M sell for a little less.

You'll need 4 quarts of ATF, some wiring stuff to make splices and rework everything, some miscellaneous hardware, etc. All that stuff adds up. If you can get away from the swap for $2,000 you did very, very well. I'll bet that most swaps are closer to $2,500-$3,000 depending on the situation. Most people don't add everything up the way I did, so they don't really have a handle on what they spent. I've got every cent down to the nuts and bolts, and trust me trying to do that swap for $1,500 just isn't going to happen unless you manage to score the deal of the century on the major swap components.

 

I am swapping in a TKO 600 in my previously automatic equipped 86 IROC and it is not that tricky. I chose this tranny because it will still work with my stock rear gears (3.23). with my stock gears i wouldnt be able to pull 6th gear below about 70mph. i can also keep my stock cable driven speedo without some silly conversion box. basically all i had to add was pedals, clutch, flywheel, and bellhousing, all of which came from the donor car. no other changes needed to be made to the car. the cross memeber had to be slightly modified but it can be used, gears i can leave as they are, and no playing with the speedo. This swap made most sense to me in my situation. But everyone has a different scenario.

 

How are you handling the torque arm with the Tremec swap? Will the stock length driveshaft work? I'm just wondering because I just don't see this swap all that often and consequently don't know too much about it.

3.23s would be too tall for the 6th gear below 70. Actually probably more like below 90. My 3.73s have me turning less than 2,000 at 80.

 

TKOPerformance--What do you think of the Weir bellhousing? What are its drawbacks?

 

Truth be told I don't know anything about it. Can someone post a link?

 

TKOPerformance--I have the Weir setup in my Austin Healey with a 327; and I've got some good, clear fotos of it--but I've never been able to attach fotos here. I still have your e-mail around here--I'll send you a foto.
Basically, it's a cast aluminum bellhousing that adapts the T56 (LT1, in my case) to the traditional small block--very simple: T56 on one side, Chevy small block on the other. Bob Weir tried everything possible to avoid designing a proprietary hydraulic throwout bearing but ended up having to do it. He makes them on his own CNC machinery in his shop in Vallejo, Calif., and he says that out of over a thousand he's made and sold he's never had one come back or have the seal blow.
I generally don't like hydraulic throwout bearings because when they go, they blow fluid all over the inside of the bellhousing, ruining clutch, pressure plate and everything--and it's almost impossible to tell if one's leaking ahead of time.
I've know him a long time--this is the car he used as his test mule to develop the bell housing.

 

I will be getting photos this weekend so i can post pics. I ordered the trans from Ray Brock at 5speedtransmissions.com, basicaly he is a dealer for Mike Forte. The trans came with the proper input shaft, tail shaft housing and torque arm mount. It also comes with a new driveshaft yoke that goes into the transmission. The stock driveshaft fits like a dream and so does the stock torque arm.

In my opinion this swap was ideal because all i really had to do was bolt suff in. the only wiring was to wire up the clutch pedal to start the car. there are no other wiring or mechanical mods to the car. the stock gears, speedo and everything can be used. all you have to do is bolt in pedals, bellhousing, clutch, and trans and you are ready to go.

Ray Brock and Mike Forte are also great guys to deal with. I would buy from them again in a heart beat and I recommend anyone here to do business with them.

 

Another option w/an LT1 T-56 onto a 2 pc RMS SBC:
Get a used LT1 flywheel, bring it to a machine shop and have it...
*Neutral balanced
*Resurfaced
*Hub bored and drilled to fit the 2 pc crank.

All that including buying the flywheel should be lett than $200 IMO. The machine work should be under $100.

 

On a stock engined car I'd say that would be an okay way to go, but for serious performance use I wouldn't recommend that. The extra $150 for an aftermarket steel flywheel could save your life. The problem is that now you have to worry about stress cracks forming betwen the two sets of holes. This could cause the flywheel to fail. I just feel a lot better with an SFI approved flywheel in my car. It cost a little more up front, but I feel it's a much safer alternative.

 

I agree.

I've done it the way I described, but the motor I had was only ~300 hp and never went past 5k RPM. I just wanted to throw the idea out there since it is viable for some folks.