Alright, I do know this will sound like a dumb idea, but my parents are getting me a new engine (my 305 finally took a **** on me, the cylinder heads cracked, and we dont wanna fix it, we want to get rid of all the TBI and go straight carb, so we dont have to mess with wires and sensors)

the engine we're looking at, we just want to put in a crate engine, and this one we want to put in.
http://www.jegs.com/p/GM+Performance...10002/-1/10763

I know it will fit the stock tranny I got in it now, but Im worried about all that 380 ft/lbs torque will break my tranny.

how much torque can the origanal tranny hold up? what can I do to keep the tranny from breaking, until I have the money to get a T56 or a richmond T5?

btw Im working full time at a job and getting payed well, my parents are making me pay them back for how much this engine will cost us, the reason why thier doing this for me is because I've been working on getting a new engine for months and havent got the money, (because I spend it on other parts that I needed) and I really wanted to take this car to prom, so they wanted to do something nice for me

SO any advise?

I really need to know this, And I have other things to ask about this engine, but Im in class and have to go.

Thanks!
Tim

 

Drive it gently.

No big smoky clutch dumps, and no speed-shifting. It'll last long enough to do something else, if you start saving your pennies NOW and baby it as much as possible.

It's all in how you drive it.

 

Ok,
Im very happy to hear that atleast.
even though it would be fun, but I learned to cool the speeding and burn outs.
My friend would speed like a crazy f*ckin teenager, and he's older then me, and he had a 290 hp engine with a stock 5 speed manual like mine, but his is ready to take a ****.

 

I just drove my 5-speed conversion from auto today for the first time. I have the TPI L98. Just like me, you'll have to baby it. But you'll like the extra power.

 

Ok,

I have another question,
Say im going down the highway and if I ever wanted to speed or something (which I dont know why I would, other then getting killed or get pulled over and get a big ticket) or if I wanted to pass some one, would it be safe to do so and dont have to worry, or do I have to keep it under a certain speed?

 

You should be fine. Just make sure your shifting well with the clutch. I have seen people double clutch. I think that's an extreme, but it is up to you.Greg
----------
Oh, by the way, my L98 TPI has 330 horses as well.

 

Ok, that shouldnt be a problem,
But....
I've heard "double clutch"
and I keep thinking I know what that means, but I dont really know for sure, what does it mean?
(that sounds like a really stupid question to ask)

 

I think once youre in gear you could hammer down pretty well, you just dont want to bang gears. Also I think third gear is the weakest one. Maybe its second...

 

also in line with slamming gears, try to preload first gear before launching. it takes the backlash out and reduces gear slap and reduces alot of EXTRA strain on the gears

 

No. My favorite experience is dropping into fourth at 60 or 70 and letting'er rip. I love the sound of that baby wrapping up (when I can hear it over the vociferous protestations of wife)!

JamesC

 

Well, 4th is THE ONE gear that's most likely to be able to withstand abuse... since it's not a "gear" at all, but rather, just the 2 shafts coupled together. That's the ONLY one you get to abuse in a T-5!!!

 

I'll mention to my wife that you recommend dropping into fourth on a regular basis. If you receive a call from a Kansas area code, don't pick up .

JamesC

 

hahaha,

Thanks for the info guys

Say JamesC, how do you like that 350 HO engine?

I still have my thoughts on getting that engine,
but I guess we found out what happenened to my car,
my electrical fan motor went out (it always runs... I dont know why, but it does, or the car will over heat if its not)

As I found out that went out, my engine was acting really weird and me and my dad are about fed up with the TBI computer engines, and go straight carb, but since we figure out it was just the fan, I might stay with my engine till we get all the money (like, all the extra things we need for the engine, fuel pump, water pump, distributor, vortech intake, edlebrock carb, harmonic balancer, flywheel, all that...)

And would the water pump work on the 350 HO engine? and a friend told me that the stock TBI intake would match and fit with the vortech heads, but is that also true?

 

Water pump will swap over, intake will not. Might as well go carb then....

Change that cam while you've got that stuff off!!!!!!

 

Demon_Eater -

My TBI spec T5 has lasted behind my 350 for several years without fail. It began it's rebirth as carbed, then stand alone TPI, and it's now turbocharged - all on the same long block. The car stock went 15's at 90 in the quarter, then 14.4 at 97 with the NA 350, and last fall 13.0 at 115 (no traction) under boost. The car has been auto crossed, street raced, road raced, and drag raced. I'm not gentile on it by all means, but you do need to be "considerate" to it. It has survived many a speed shift and second gear dump, but be cautious and choosey. To many others point, try to avoid shocking the system or you will surely find the weak spot.

 

Thats really cool man. Guess that goes to show just how deadly the slack in the driveline is. Im sure you dont sidestep the clutch either...

That thing's handling about 425hp, sure isnt a magic transmission, thats good driving.

I always cringe when my buddy in his 325hp mustang (or his trucks)(yep hes one of THOSE guys) lets off the gas to the point of decel, and smashes the gas to put you in the seat. Hes gone through a few T5s and u-joints, oh and a ford 9". The 8.8 rear has taken it well though, except for the upper control arm mounts.

 

That's great to know! (the water pump) because we just got a new one for my POS engine and I didnt wanna go buy another one :-\
would the flywheel swap over too?
The flexplate does, apparently as I read on a thread on this message board, but Im not too sure of it.

And those comp cam Xtreme cams are pretty nice I would totally love the lopey sound, but as for paying for all the new stuff to complete the engine, its over our loan we are taking out for this engine

That's also good to know that the tranny can last that long as for me of a ragular teenager, I will have the urge of wanting to gear dump it or tare around town with it, but knowing that I could easly breaking a tranny or screw something up in the rear axle, I dont think I wanna take the chances of doing it, because actually this car I got for my 16th b-day, and that was all my parents were gonna pay for and now thier looking at getting me a new engine also, but after that, they wont pay for my tranny, I dont blame them, this car is costing them alot of money, even though Im working as much as I can and paying back or off the things I owe.

 

alright... I got a question that is bothering me,

Is the flywheel and flexplate the same thing, or two different things? Im hoping thier the same, but I dont wanna assume they are and find out its not.

 

You should have a flywheel, clutch disc, pressure plate, then throw bearing. In that order.

 

They are VERY different.

A flywheel is thick and solid. The clutch bolts to it, and the disc goes between the clutch and the flywheel, and the clutch clamps the disc to the flywheel to make the car move. It weighs something around 20 lbs.

A flex plate is a piece of sheet metal. As its name might suggest, it is designed to be able to flex. It is used with an auto trans. The center bolts to the crank like a flywheel does, and the torque converter bolts to it around its outside edge. It weighs about 3 lbs, MAYBE.

 

Yeah my friend told me about that, I figure they were two different things, but I wasnt sure, I decided Im not going with that engine, one, Im sure its hard on gas (me and my family are picky about huge gas eating vehichles right now) and has alot of horserpower and torque that I cant even use because I will be too afraid to screw up my tranny.
I found a pretty good engine at a store here in town, 290 hp engine, for a good price, and my friend already got a intake, carb, and distributor that I can buy instead of getting a brand new one (right about now, I dont car if its used or not, I just need it to atleast get started) and we're gonna do a cam swap also.

So right now Im writing down the amount its costing me, isnt all too bad as much as it was with that 330 hp vortech engine, I added it up to be around $4000... I dont wanna spend that much for an engine, because I got the car for $4500, hahaha

 

I think what you're lookin for is an LS1. You can get the engine and a t56 for sometimes as low as $2k. Might cost you another 1500-2000 to swap it in.

It sounds a little daunting at first, but all you really need is a trans crossmember, engine mounts, and headers.

Around 380hp, 25mpg.

OR go to your local engine builder and have him build you a vortec engine. It can be done cheap!!!! Do some talkin and get a quote.