I have been searching for a bell housing kit that adapts the T56 to a T5 housing with little luck on finding a price, I would like to find a kit that would give me the cross member also, if someone could give me a link to a sight with prices I would greatly appreciate the help.

 

No one knows where to look?

 

I bought my T56 from D&D Performance Transmissions, do a net search and it'll come up. I bought the cross member from Skulte Performance Designs. If you ever pay attention to the business ads on this page you'll see one from Keisler, they have full kits.

 

Unless you already have a transmission...

You can get the aftermarket T56. Spohn sells it. Spohn also sells the torque arm, crossmember, and the driveshaft that you will need.

 

The stock T-56 BH is about 2½" thick.

The stock T-5 BH is about 4½" thick.

That means that any "adapter kit" that would do this, would have to somehow make the T-5 BH about 2" thinner that it starts out life, in order for the T-56 to stick through it and reach to the crankshaft.

Unless you know of some way to make an adapter that makes things thinner instead of thicker, you'll be searching for that piece for quite a while yet, I suspect. I, for one, certainly don't "know where to look" for such a "sight" as that, not even on an Internet "site".

 

Correction:
The T-56 BH is 6" thick

The T-5 BH is 8" thick

There is an adapter made to do this but you will need a special pilot bushing as the input will be too short to reach.

I have gotten them from McLeod Ind. but I'm not sure if they still offer them anymore since B&M took over.

This also pushes the trans back 2" so you have to deal with that (shorter driveshaft & tq. arm.


HTH

 

How does this help get the clutch gear's tip 2" closer to the crank, like a BH that's 2" too long would make it need?

Seems that with a T-5 BH that's already 2" too thick, PLUS a 2" thick adapter in there, you'd need a 4" long pilot bearing; and the shifter hole would have to be enlarged rearward by about 5½" - 6" instead of the customary 1½" or so, meaning the shifter handle would come up through the console storage box; and the drive shaft would need to be shortened by 4" (not that that's any big deal, but still); and the crossmember would need to be moved rearward by about 6" as opposed to the usual 2" or so that a T-56 install requires in these cars.

I'm not understanding how this would all work.

 

I guess I forgot to clarify this works with an LS1 T-56 trans as it has a longer input.
And the adapter is only 1/2" thick and has the throwout bearing retainer on it that guides(or centers it) it in the bellhousing.

The aftermarket T-56 also uses this adapter.

 

Right...

An altogether different setup. I was referring to the LT1 style. The LS1 T-56 is MUCH more similar to the T-5 than the LT1 one is.

 

Allright, I am going to use the hedman long tubes, what will be the best way to use a t56, use the stock bellhousing? I am a budget builder and will be purchasing a used 6 speed fron a friend, i was under the impression that it is easier to use the adapter kit, but if it is easier to use the stock lt1 bellhousing somone needs to let me know the easiest way, i am not sure how long the t5 in my car will last and am dieing to use the slicks at the track, if anyone knows the easiest way to do this i would verry much appreciate the help.

 

Ifyou use the LT1 T-56, use its stock bell housing. Makes that part super easy. On the other hand, you're then stuck with the funky $$$LT1 clutch$$$.

If you use the LS1 T-56, use the adapter setup. Some people get it to work just fine, others .... don't. On the other hand, it uses a normal clutch.

There's no one "perfect" "right" answer. There's risk and/or expense either way. Either way works. Although I've never done the LS1 method, only the LT1, just looking at the parts cost, the expense doesn't look too much different between the 2.

 

Can i use the stock pilot bearing?What is so bad about the clutch on the lt1 trans and why can i not use the t5 clutch, can i reuse my old flywheel?Am i going to need a new crossmember, the trans i have access to is the lt1 trans, will i need to shorten the driveshaft if i use the stock lt1 bellhousing?

 

You can use the stock T-5 pilot bearing with the LT1 T-56; but not the LS1 version.

There's nothing "bad" about the LT1 clutch, except its price. The reason that's different is because it PULLS to release, rather than PUSHING, like every other clutch. It's a one-off beast.

No you can't use a T-5 clutch with a LT1 T-56. The LT1 T-56 only works with its own bell housing; and that bell housing only works with the "special" LT1 clutch.

No you cannot re-use your T-5 flywheel with the LT1 T-56. The thickness is different. However the stock LT1 flywheel will work on your 305 or 350 if it's the 1-pc rear main seal version. If yours is the 2-pc RMS (85 & earlier), then you need the $$$special conversion flywheel$$$ such as the Centerforce 700107.

Yes you will need a new crossmember; the mount is several inches rearward on the T-56 from where it is on the T-5. No you do not have to do anything to your drive shaft if you use the LT1 trnasmission.

Look at all the pics in this thread for further info. This thread is about 2 days old, and just reading through it would help keep these repetitive questions from needing to be asked.

{edit} Hrmmmm..... never seen the board do this....

You may need to copy and paste the link into your browser, the board is adding some stupid stuff to URLs that prevent them from working. Or, just go back to the Trans/Drivetrain page, and look down the posts for one about "T-56 clutch problems".

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tran...oblem-t56.html

{edit again} Well, looks like somebody has fornicated the board's URL parsing routine, and I can't defeat it; so links are just broken I guess.

 

When i install my long tube hedman hedders, i am goung to have to cut and re weld the collectors from what i understand, to clear the t5 slave cylender, when i install the t56 will i have to re cut and weld again?

 

I guess, that all depends on exactly what whoever does whatever cutting and welding, cuts and welds, to fit whatever headers they are...

If those are the right headers for one of these cars, no cutting and welding on ANYTHING should be required. If they're NOT the right headers for one of these cars, but rather are some kind of "universal fit" or whatever, then all bets are off as to what will or won't fit, or what you'll have to cut and re-weld.

I'd recommend not trying to use any headers that don't fit, ESPECIALLY if this is going to be a street car. That opens an EMORMOUS can of worms, and will turn a car quickly into a useless pile of junk. Whatever benefit you think you're getting by saving a couple of coins on the price, or whatever little tiny boost to engine output you think you're going to get by using LT headers based on a magazine article or something, will seem pretty silly when you discover that it's impossible to maintain a functional exhaust system on your car.

 

Well, the shortys and hedman y-pipe that i bought for it work and fit well, but the bend that routs where the factory bend is seems to be restrictive as my exhaust shop can only do so much with the pipe bender without kinking the pipe, i have seen posts on these boards saying they have interference issues with LTs and T5 slave cylinders, i know i have read this somewhere, another reason for the LTs is to have dual cut outs for maximum power on the track, and maybe on the street if i feel lucky , i think they did not consider the manual transmissions when hedder manufacturers designed them for these cars.