Ok, I'm sure this in on here somewhere but I can't find it.
Why is it exactally that you need a standard tranny and bellhousing from a Camaro to do an auto to standard swap? I guess I've never seen a Camaro tranny up next to a regular GM tranny outside of a car to tell the differences. What would be so different if the tranny and bellhousing both came from something else?
thanks

 

The stock Camaro 5-speed manual trannies are mounted at an angle instead of straight up, so they use a specific bellhousing with the slanted mounting pattern. They also switched to hydraulic clutch components around 83 or 84, so the bellhousing also has the provisions to mount a hydraulic slave cylinder. The other thing that's specific to a Camaro manual trans is that it has a provision on the tailshaft housing to mount the torque arm to. You can put an old school Muncie 4-speed in, but you'd have to round up the mechanical clutch linkage that only came on 1982 cars. You'd also need the driveshaft for that particular application since it's a different length. And lastly, you'd have to figure out a way to mount your torque arm to it.

 

an auto trans has a made on bellhousing as part of the trans case, and a manual trans has a seprate bellhousing, two completely different animals.

If you want to run a manual trans in a "normal" up-right position, you have to either run the 83 clutch linkage or build your own as I did. If you then chose to run a camaro T5 or other internal rail type trans, you'll have to modify the shifter, or find a "custom" one(I used a mustang t5 shifter with an adapter plate). Basically it's either run the camaro specific stuff, or fabrication.....

 

That helps, thanks for all that information. I'm hoping to do the swap after I paint the car. A long time from now sadly...