I'm thinking about converting to a T-5....i can get the tranny cheap.....what exactly do i need besides the tranny,clutch pedal,bell housing,and shifter? Is this conversion hard? is it be something that can be knocked out in a weekend? Thanks for any info. Also what year T-5 should i consider getting?

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89 GTA
Rice....it's whats for dinner

The left lane is for passing...if you aren't passing get the f*ck out of my way!
Proud memeber of the South Jersey Fbody Crew(all 2 of us!)
http://www.hometown.aol.com/clarkemustgonow

Tony

 

i think there is a tech artical on this. jester and pablo both have done it. my son did it the other way 5 speed to auto, lot easier.

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-=ICON MOTORSPORTS=-

 

There's a guy on the v6 message board that's doing this swap right now. His name is Graeme'sFirebird, if you want to bounce over and ask him.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

 

Its in the FAQ section, the very first question under Tranny.

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1991 Camaro Z28
5.7L 5-Speed (originally 305)
13.25 @ 107.18 MPH
Southern California
Member: SoCal 3rd Gen F-Bodies
Webmaster: SoCal F-Bodies
-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

thanks guys i'll check it out!

 

First you are going to want a WCT5 that came out of an 87+ Camro/Firebird, this is the year the I am pretty sure that the WCT5 will be in all Camaro/Firebirds and not a not a mix of T5 & WCT5 in 86.
The tech articles given in the Tech Article is not quite complete. You will need to change the starter (starter for an automatic is different from the one used for a manual tranny, the nose is different in the way it sits in the bellhousing)and you will need the right bolts from the flywheel to crank, they are different from the ones used to hold the flexplate on to the crank.
I would not attempt to do this in two days, give your self at least four full days to do this job, there will always be something unforseen, even on my part.

 

BTW,
After doing this swap 7 months ago and then swapping in a T56 1 month ago, I would not bother with the T5.
The reason I say this is because at first I wanted a manual with my Iroc and found a T5 for a decent price compared to the outrageous price of a used T56. So I went ahead with the T5, wouldn't you know that 2 months after the install of my T5 I would find a T56 for less than $800.
My point is this, the T5 install cost me around 1100 for everythin including the tranny and a new clutch pack, my cost for the T56 install was just below 1400, that includes the tranny and the Steve Spohn retrofit torgue arm/crossmember hydraulics and new clutch pack.
Save your money and do not go with the T5, wait and find the right T56 for the right price, the tranny can with stand a lot more torque than the T5 and it shifts likes a baby's *** .

 

Well i can get the the tranny bellhousing and everything else associated with it for around $150 does that help sway your opinion????

 

$150 for the tranny and everything is definately not bad. :-) Again this is just me, wait and put the money towrds a better tranny.
If you do decide to install the T5, let me know if you have any questions. I will be more than glad to help. Other than that, goodluck.

 

Horse**** about the starter. The starter for the t-56 is different or the stock one has to be modified. The auto and manual starters may not be the same but they will work. But give yourself time. It wook my 6 weekends because of needing crap and waiting for parts. Next time if I do the swap I will wait until I have EVERYTHING sitting on my garage floor.

James

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If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy

 

What's the difference between the starters? Different gear? Different size? Just curious!


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

 

Horse****?.....why don't you go back and read my post first. The starter IS different from a Camaro/Firebird that uses an AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION than that of a Camaro/Firebird that uses a MANUAL TRANSMISSION in THIRDGENS, I made no reference that the starters where different than those used in 4th gens compared the ones used in 3rd gens. The starter I had when I had the automatic had to be replace because the nose (end that houses the gear when kicked out)on the starter was larger than that used with a manual transmission. The hole for the starter to slide up to the bellhousing was also smaller on the manual than the atuomatic.

Now as far as the T56 is concerned. NO I DID NOT REPLACE THE STARTER WHEN I WAS SWAPPING FROM A T5 TO A T56.....

And the only modification I had to do to my car was cut the hole for the shifter and drill the three holes needed for the clutch master cylinder and the bracket that holds the master cylinder in place. Thats it.

 

umm...no its not! i went through it today...the starters are the same! Ive been doing it for the last 2 weeks...so YES give urself time..dont rush and screw it up... the hardest thing so far is the hydraulic clutch setup... the holes have to be cut perfect and stuff...its hard as ****.

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88 Firebird 2.8
MODS (either coming or on):
Flowmaster Cat Back, Random Technologies Cat, 3" intermediate pipe, Accel 8.8 wires, MSD Coil, MSD Ignition Module,MSD 6a,Cold Air Induction, Current Mod:
t5 swap

 

As far as the time it takes i'm gonna be doing it with someone that has done it twice.....and i won't even start until i know i have EVERY little part i need....i just don't know when i'm doing it

 

Fine whatever, all I know is that I've had both ****ing starters side by side on the counter at the parts store and they are different for the Camaros, maybe its a different case for the Firebirds, but why would that be? At this point I really don't give a Damm, I try to be helpful and I get jumped on by a bunch of ****ing know-it-alls, because they have done this more recently.

Graeme'sFirebird, maybe your starter is the same because you have a V6, ever think about that?....Have you even read the tech article I sent you, sure as hell doesn't sound like it, I told you that for the V8, the starters are diffrent but supposedly the starters are the same for the V6. I mentioned in the tech article that I assume the Firebird was the same for the Camaro in this swap, but could not be verified.
All I am going to say is have fun and goodluck with the swap.

 

I don't think I am a "know it all" but I do know that when I changed my 700R4 to a T-5, and then on to a T-56, and then BACK to a T-5, I used the same starter throughout. I still have that same starter.

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'83 Trans Am. 400 CID, 224/234 crane cam, Summit aluminum roller rockers, hand ported intake, home bored 2.09" (53mm) throttle bodies, MSD 454 injectors(75 lb/hr), Holley 255LPH fuel pump, custum modded FPR w/Vacuum port added, Edelbrock TES headers, empty cat, SLP 3" stainless steel cat back, stock ECM & chip. Borg/Warner T-5 World Class, 12" Corvette rotors and clipers, GTA 16" wheels, South Side Machine subframe connectors, 1LE sway bars, 3.45 ring and pinion, Alpine sound.

[This message has been edited by Tom 400 CFI (edited November 02, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Tom 400 CFI (edited November 02, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Tom 400 CFI (edited November 02, 2000).]

 

i never got the article..u said u were busy and u would send it later but i never got it..?

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88 Firebird 2.8
MODS (either coming or on):
Flowmaster Cat Back, Random Technologies Cat, 3" intermediate pipe, Accel 8.8 wires, MSD Coil, MSD Ignition Module,MSD 6a
Currently Working On:
t5 swap
Next to buy:
Slp dual cold air intake!

 

I just completed the swap this last summer and here's what I ran into:
First of all the starter's ARE different. There's no way that my auto starter would fit.
Second: the bracket for the torque arm attached to the tranny was different and it was a pain trying to find the right one from GM
Third: if you've got the mech speedo then finding the right driven gear (the little gear that goes inside the speedo housing in the tranny) is tough - it depends on your rear end (mine is a 2.73 and I need 17 teeth but all I can find is 20). Without the correct gear your speed will not be correct.
Fourth: buy the master/slave cylinder assem from GM - it's only $140 or so but it makes a difference. If you get one from the bone yard - like I did - the line running from the master to the slave may not be formed correctly. The first time I pushed in the clutch the line flexed - right on to my #7 hearder tube - poof!!!!

I think I'm leaving something else out....if I think of it I'll let you know.

All in all it was really worth it....my IROC was fun when it was an auto....now it's better than a ride at Disneyland!!!


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1988 IROC-Z
5-speed (was 7R4)
Edelbrock TES

 

Same here, I did the conversion 3 months ago and I had to change my starter.

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89 GTA 350 5-speed
(Jet hot coated) SLP headers,flowmaster force 2,no cat's,SLP cold air,MSD 6al,jet chip stage 2,march pulleys,ported plenum,air foil,B&M ripper shifter,180 stat,alston SFC,spohn LCA relocation brackets,MAT relocation kit,free mods.

G-Tech times
0-60 5.3s
E.T. 13.91@104.8MPH (2300ft)

 

THANKS GUYS...i appreciate everyone's input...if anyone else has anything to add i'd appreciate it!

 

Good timing on this post. I've been planning on a T56, but I got a great deal on a T5 with everything I need, so I'm going to do it, and to to a T56 after I grenade the T5

BTW, does anybody know how much a bare T5 weighs? How about the flywheel? I'm getting all of this stuff shipped and I'm hoping that each individual part can be shipped UPS instead of freight. Otherwise my good deal goes away. Thanks.

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The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

Bare without bellhousing, the T5, I think it wieghs about 70-75lbs....Flywheel is 30lbs for stock, yea, I'm pretty sure, but then again what do I know. :-) I'm sure someone will come on here and say otherwise..
HTH

 

There ARE a few different starters. I swapped from a V6/T=5 combo to a V8/T-56 combo and DID NOT have to change the starter. The starter in my 700R-4 Camaro was brand new, and I was going to use it on the T-56, but guess what IT DID NOT fit. The original, broken, starter from the Camaro would have worked though. I guess it all depends on the model starter on the car.

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1992 Pontiac Firebird 350/Six Speed
1987 Toyota Pickup 383/500+ HP