I am planning on putting a ’74 350 Chevy small block (1 piece rear main seal) into my 1989 Firebird and at the same time I will also install a T56 from a ’96 Camaro. I noticed that because the later model transmissions hook up to 2 piece rear main flywheels, I cannot use the flywheel from the ’96 transmission. I have a couple of technical questions about this:

+Will the bellhousing from the ’96 T56 bolt up correctly to the ’74 SB?

+What Hays flywheel (or another inexpensive brand) should I use so that I can use the clutch package from the ’96 transmission and also so that it fits in the stock T56 bellhousing?

+Are there any problems that I am not seeing?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

 

I think you have your rear main seals mixed up...all small blocks up to'86 had a 2 pice rear main seal or a rope style seal, and all small blocks 86 and up had a 1 pice rear main seal, you can tell by looking at the crank and the back of the block and, the fylwheel, the 1 pice crank has a symetrical flange, a retainer on the back of the block, and a small weight on the flywheel, the 2 pice has a flange that is verry un-semetrical, has no retainer on the block and the flywheel has no weights on it (ex. on a 400...we wolnt get into that though), as to the flywheel, centerforce, hays and Mcloud, as well as some other companys make "adapter" or "retro-fit" flywheels, the ones from the main manufacturars ar all about the same quality, they sell them on E-bay every now and again, that's where I got mine, for $150, combaried to almost $400 new, just look for T-56, retrofit on the manufactrues website. hope I helped out
-Mark

 

D@MN! Wish I could stumble onto one of the external balance 2 piece RMS conversion flywheels for $150.....

 

it's a netral ballanced flywheel, it's just setup for a T-56's backwords accuating clutch and a 2 pice RMS bolt pattern.

 

Figures, I need an external balanced version of the same thing

 

400 crank?, not sure if they sell them for that

 

Yep. For my 383

 

you might want to look on the websites for centerforce, McClod and Hays...one might have the right flywheel

 

Yeah...I know it's hind-sight but if you are even remotely thinking of going to a T56 and you're building a 400 or 383, you will be sooo much happier if you start off with an internally balanced crank. What you've saved going external, will cost you double on the flywheel end...especially when internally balanced SCAT 9000 cranks are so reasonable.

This doesn't address the guys who already have externally balanced motors but it's a heads up to guys in the motor building stages.

 

ok i have a 383 ext ballence with a late modle block i was under the impression that i could use a stock fly wheel seems how all 1 piece blocks use ext bal flex plates/flywheels.

am i wrong?

thanx-
Asa

 

it depends how "out of ballance" the crank is, the stock lat model flywheel weight is small and only ment to make up for the flange(if you have ever seen an old crank you know what I mean...the flange is defenatly not symetrical), not for the massive out of ballance that the 400 crank has, if it's that out of ballance you'll need a specally made flywheel AND ballancer.

 

If you're using a "stock" type crank from a 400 to make up your 383, you won't be able to use a standard fly wheel. Now if you bought a balanced after market crank from someone like Scat, etc., then you may be alright with your current plans. I'm stuck in the same boat as you (mine uses a 400 crank). Not a pretty situation to be in, for sure! The conversion flywheels are EXPENSIVE.....

 

thats what i was afraid of what flywheel are you looking to buy?

thanx for the answers-
Asa

 

I'm looking at the Centerforce T56 to 2 piece rear main seal flywheel. Summit and Jegs get $360 plus shipping for them....

 

looks like i lucked out i called eagle today and the teck guy told me that i have to use a stock style 1 piece flywheel with my ext bal steel crank whoo hooo!

 

How's that true? I'm lost now.....

 

my guess is they weighted there cranks to work with oe stuff that way the didn't have to use a custom flywheel /flex (seems how gm never made a 400 with a 1 piece seal), you see I bought a balanced rotating assy form eagle it came with a flex plate and a balancer
hope this makes sence

 

well if your engine has vibrations from hell we know why

 

 

I also called centerforce and they said the same thing, not all aftermarket ext bal cranks are balanced the same, you don't think that eagle made this crank to work with oe stuff? it makes sense, I mean why wouldn't they?

you know how when you call a tech line you can tell when the rep is talking out his a** these guys weren’t like that, they seemed genuinely knowledgeable about there products

 

I hope they understood your question correctly, and knew what they were talking about, I really do! Good luck, and please let us know how it turns out.

 

i assure you i was very clear withmy questions and made sure they uderstood what i was getting at. i will keep you posted