Im finishing up the drivetrain on my 91 bird already have a vortec carbed 355 in it and i was looking at pulling the 700r4 and putting in a manual since i just scored a 3.73 posi rear end. i would love to do a t56 swap but the best i could find so far is a whole setup for 1500 wich i just dont have. i found a t5 setup for 400 just needs a new clutch. thier are tons of posts about how much t5's suck and then thier are more about how they are great. i dont plan on going to the track that much will a t5 hold up just under regular street use with the occational trip to the track?

 

yup. i just did the t5 swap and im loving it. just make sure you get the v8 t5 (26 teeth input spine)

 

Don't know about the strip, but mine has held up fine under strictly street use.

JamesC

 

I believe they are only rated for 295 ft/lb of torque and this was for the 1988 and up V8 models. 1987 and earlier were a little less.

 

chevy high performance did an article on them and said they hold up well over the advertized rating as long as you dont beat them constantly so im not too worried about power ratings. the unit i found is from a 91 305 so it is a wc t5 i was just wondering about personal experience with them. i drove a manual all through highschool and i just like it better than auto. keeps you more aware of whats going on on the road.