700R4 about to die, need to shop around for a WC T5 and other stuff for conversion
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
From: Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
Car: 1994 Trans Am
Engine: 5.7L LT1
Transmission: 6-speed
700R4 about to die, need to shop around for a WC T5 and other stuff for conversion
Looks like my tranny's finally about to puke. The 1-2 shift is pretty soft even at WOT (tires don't even chirp) and the 2-3 is pretty slow and slushy. It gives the motor time to slightly rev up, and thats just in normal driving. I'm afraid of over revving it at WOT or during manual shifting. 3rd gear just comes on real slow, and even then it feels like it's slipping. I know my TV cable is properly adjusted because all my shift points occur at the right rpms during part throttle and WOT driving. I think the cause of this rapid deterioration is my dumbass friend did a neutral drop from like 3500 rpm. I felt like castrating the bastard, but he got lucky because there were no apparent problem then. It's all happening now when my school's already out to financially *** rape me.
Now because i just generally hate autos I want to use this opportunity to get a T5. No T56 for me... too expensive. Could anyone please tell me where I can shop around for a a good WC T5 and all the requisite parts for the conversion on the net, or if anybody has the phone number of a good junkyard which has all these parts cheap and can ship them to me?
Please folks help me out here. If my car goes out of commission w/o warning, I'm FUBARed.
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'88 IROC 305 TPI
Crappy 700R4 slushbox
Gutted airboxes
180 degree T-stat
Advanced base TPS voltage
Relocated IAT sensor
Momo steering wheel (gotta luv it)
Ram-air setup coming soon
Flowmaster muffler (puke)
Taylor SpiroPro wires
Accel cap and rotor
Ported plenum
Kills: '94 Z28, Olds Aurora V8, bunch of Mustangs, T-birds, ricers, and others who assumed a 12 year-old car would be too slow.
Now because i just generally hate autos I want to use this opportunity to get a T5. No T56 for me... too expensive. Could anyone please tell me where I can shop around for a a good WC T5 and all the requisite parts for the conversion on the net, or if anybody has the phone number of a good junkyard which has all these parts cheap and can ship them to me?
Please folks help me out here. If my car goes out of commission w/o warning, I'm FUBARed.
------------------
'88 IROC 305 TPI
Crappy 700R4 slushbox
Gutted airboxes
180 degree T-stat
Advanced base TPS voltage
Relocated IAT sensor
Momo steering wheel (gotta luv it)
Ram-air setup coming soon
Flowmaster muffler (puke)
Taylor SpiroPro wires
Accel cap and rotor
Ported plenum
Kills: '94 Z28, Olds Aurora V8, bunch of Mustangs, T-birds, ricers, and others who assumed a 12 year-old car would be too slow.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
From: Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
Car: 1994 Trans Am
Engine: 5.7L LT1
Transmission: 6-speed
Hey come on people, help me here!
------------------
'88 IROC 305 TPI
Crappy 700R4 slushbox
Gutted airboxes
180 degree T-stat
Advanced base TPS voltage
Relocated IAT sensor
Momo steering wheel (gotta luv it)
Ram-air setup coming soon
Flowmaster muffler (puke)
Taylor SpiroPro wires
Accel cap and rotor
Ported plenum
Kills: '94 Z28, Olds Aurora V8, bunch of Mustangs, T-birds, ricers, and others who assumed a 12 year-old car would be too slow.
------------------
'88 IROC 305 TPI
Crappy 700R4 slushbox
Gutted airboxes
180 degree T-stat
Advanced base TPS voltage
Relocated IAT sensor
Momo steering wheel (gotta luv it)
Ram-air setup coming soon
Flowmaster muffler (puke)
Taylor SpiroPro wires
Accel cap and rotor
Ported plenum
Kills: '94 Z28, Olds Aurora V8, bunch of Mustangs, T-birds, ricers, and others who assumed a 12 year-old car would be too slow.
You raced a 94 Z28 and killed it in your stock 305 auto. The driver either didnt now you were racing or fell asleep at the wheel. LOL
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92 Z28 L98 350
---------------
Ported stock heads, XR270HR-10 cam, TES headers, Crane AFPR, Flowmaster catback, MSD ignition components.
Best ET 13.3@107 mph
"Take that auto, drop it in first, hold the brakes, stomp the gas and grin from ear to ear! :-)
Click here to see my car at Truspeed.org
Check out TruSpeed at http://www.truspeed.org
Check out the Bin Archive at http://www.truspeed.org/bins.html
------------------
92 Z28 L98 350
---------------
Ported stock heads, XR270HR-10 cam, TES headers, Crane AFPR, Flowmaster catback, MSD ignition components.
Best ET 13.3@107 mph
"Take that auto, drop it in first, hold the brakes, stomp the gas and grin from ear to ear! :-)
Click here to see my car at Truspeed.org
Check out TruSpeed at http://www.truspeed.org
Check out the Bin Archive at http://www.truspeed.org/bins.html
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 762
Likes: 0
From: Littleton, CO
Car: 1986 Iroc Camaro
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: Th700R4 Jr. Raptor
Hey! i know what you are talking about.
I called a transmission place to ask them the cost of the conversion, and they quoted me around 3-4 grand for all the work +parts.
if you are going to do it yourself, i would go to a junkyard, to pick up all of the things you will need. besdes the petals, i would make sure that the stock th700R4 driveshaft is the same length as the T5 manuel one is. also i recall someone saying you need the bellhousing from a T5 camaro too?
Ill see if i can help you find some information!
I called a transmission place to ask them the cost of the conversion, and they quoted me around 3-4 grand for all the work +parts.
if you are going to do it yourself, i would go to a junkyard, to pick up all of the things you will need. besdes the petals, i would make sure that the stock th700R4 driveshaft is the same length as the T5 manuel one is. also i recall someone saying you need the bellhousing from a T5 camaro too?
Ill see if i can help you find some information!
Supreme Member
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 18,457
Likes: 16
From: Loveland, OH, US
Car: 4
Engine: 6
Transmission: 5
Basically you just need to find a V8 88-92 F car to strip everything out of. If you stick to those years of cars, you'll get the right flywheel for your crank, and a WC T-5. It would be best to get it from a TPI car, not a TBI; the gear ratios in the trans are better since it will be a performance steup not a grocery cart one. Your existing driveshaft and crossmember will work. You need to get:
Bell housing
Clutch pressure plate & disc
Flywheel
Master & slave cylinder (remove from donor car as a unit)
Entire pedal assembly: clutch & brake pedals, and bracket they mount in
Maybe some speedo gears depending on what you have and what you get
You'll have to get a new pilot bearing to go in the crank. It wouldn't hurt to get a new clutch assembly including throwout bearing while you're at it; that sure beats having to take it allapart again in a couple of weeks because the clutch is used up.
------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
Bell housing
Clutch pressure plate & disc
Flywheel
Master & slave cylinder (remove from donor car as a unit)
Entire pedal assembly: clutch & brake pedals, and bracket they mount in
Maybe some speedo gears depending on what you have and what you get
You'll have to get a new pilot bearing to go in the crank. It wouldn't hurt to get a new clutch assembly including throwout bearing while you're at it; that sure beats having to take it allapart again in a couple of weeks because the clutch is used up.
------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 10,950
Likes: 26
From: Orange, SoCal
Car: 1990 Pontiac Trans Am
Engine: 355 TPI siamesed runners
Transmission: Tremec T56
Axle/Gears: 12-Bolt 3.73
I dunno, I kinda like the 2.95 first gear and .63 overdrive in my spare T5. My stock one has a 2.75 first gear and a .72 overdrive. My gas mileage on the highway has gone up a point or two. 
The driveshafts are the same for 700R4 and T5. You will need a T5 bellhousing. Did you check the FAQ on here? There is a section on how to convert an automatic to a T5.
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West Coast GM Shootout 2001!
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=-

The driveshafts are the same for 700R4 and T5. You will need a T5 bellhousing. Did you check the FAQ on here? There is a section on how to convert an automatic to a T5.
------------------
West Coast GM Shootout 2001!
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=-
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
From: Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
Car: 1994 Trans Am
Engine: 5.7L LT1
Transmission: 6-speed
I basically know how to do the conversion. Obtaining the parts for it is what really bothers me. I have no idea where to get them from. I was hoping to find them on the net. That would be a lot easier since the junkards around here only have a few early v6 camaros.
The other thing is how on earth do I figure out where to cut the hole for the clutch cylinder.
I'm keeping the demise of my transmission at bay for little while at least. I tightened up the TV cable a little bit to make the shifts a tad firmer. Although there is a slight delay in shifts, it feels a whole lot better now. It pulls longer in 2nd and I get quicker crisper downshifts to 2nd without mashing the gas.
Blade, about the 94 Z28 - it was an auto, we were racing and he lost, but only by a nose. I have repeated this story many times before because everybody understandably finds it hard to believe. I had just bought my car then and I was filling up at a gas station when these four country boys rolled in in their 94 Z. I got a few compliments on my car, then the driver bet a $100 he could beat me. I declined the offer, saying that I was fully aware that my 305 would lose to his LT1. I finally agreed to race for no money 'cuz I thought I was gonna lose anyway. So I rolled out with a full tank of gas and we lined up on a straight stretch of road. It was about a 5mph rolling start. We were head to head all the way to 3rd gear when I pulled ahead by about half a car length. At this point the Z cut off. The extra weight of his passengers probably slowed him down because he would lag behind a little bit at the top of every gear but then literally jump back into place on every gear change. That thing sure had a lot of power, and it was definitely no V6 with Z badges - I can tell the rumble of a V8 right away from the flat drone of a six.
I was as surprised to beat him as you are. The guy didn't seem like a bad driver at all. He didn't get much wheelspin and his shifts were properly timed too (No duh, it was an auto). But then I have no idea what internal mods have been made to my car's engine by previous owners. I've never been a to a drag strip to verify what times this thing will run. Could be running a different cam for all you know. BTW, my car was also badly out of tune in those days, consuming a tank of gas in about 50-60 in-town miles. It was also considerably faster then than it is now probably because of all the extra fuel and air. The timing was overly advanced (nothing but 93 octane would keep the engine happy) and a busted IAC valve meant the throttle blades had to be open quite a bit to allow the engine to idle when cold. The SES light stayed lit all the time (code 33 and a few others too). It could have been the Z's extra weight or my car's out of tune condition or something else but the point is that I did beat him.
------------------
'88 IROC 305 TPI
Crappy 700R4 slushbox
Gutted airboxes
180 degree T-stat
Advanced base TPS voltage
Relocated IAT sensor
Momo steering wheel (gotta luv it)
Ram-air setup coming soon
Flowmaster muffler (puke)
Taylor SpiroPro wires
Accel cap and rotor
Ported plenum
Kills: '94 Z28, Olds Aurora V8, bunch of Mustangs, T-birds, ricers, and others who assumed a 12 year-old car would be too slow.
The other thing is how on earth do I figure out where to cut the hole for the clutch cylinder.
I'm keeping the demise of my transmission at bay for little while at least. I tightened up the TV cable a little bit to make the shifts a tad firmer. Although there is a slight delay in shifts, it feels a whole lot better now. It pulls longer in 2nd and I get quicker crisper downshifts to 2nd without mashing the gas.
Blade, about the 94 Z28 - it was an auto, we were racing and he lost, but only by a nose. I have repeated this story many times before because everybody understandably finds it hard to believe. I had just bought my car then and I was filling up at a gas station when these four country boys rolled in in their 94 Z. I got a few compliments on my car, then the driver bet a $100 he could beat me. I declined the offer, saying that I was fully aware that my 305 would lose to his LT1. I finally agreed to race for no money 'cuz I thought I was gonna lose anyway. So I rolled out with a full tank of gas and we lined up on a straight stretch of road. It was about a 5mph rolling start. We were head to head all the way to 3rd gear when I pulled ahead by about half a car length. At this point the Z cut off. The extra weight of his passengers probably slowed him down because he would lag behind a little bit at the top of every gear but then literally jump back into place on every gear change. That thing sure had a lot of power, and it was definitely no V6 with Z badges - I can tell the rumble of a V8 right away from the flat drone of a six.
I was as surprised to beat him as you are. The guy didn't seem like a bad driver at all. He didn't get much wheelspin and his shifts were properly timed too (No duh, it was an auto). But then I have no idea what internal mods have been made to my car's engine by previous owners. I've never been a to a drag strip to verify what times this thing will run. Could be running a different cam for all you know. BTW, my car was also badly out of tune in those days, consuming a tank of gas in about 50-60 in-town miles. It was also considerably faster then than it is now probably because of all the extra fuel and air. The timing was overly advanced (nothing but 93 octane would keep the engine happy) and a busted IAC valve meant the throttle blades had to be open quite a bit to allow the engine to idle when cold. The SES light stayed lit all the time (code 33 and a few others too). It could have been the Z's extra weight or my car's out of tune condition or something else but the point is that I did beat him.
------------------
'88 IROC 305 TPI
Crappy 700R4 slushbox
Gutted airboxes
180 degree T-stat
Advanced base TPS voltage
Relocated IAT sensor
Momo steering wheel (gotta luv it)
Ram-air setup coming soon
Flowmaster muffler (puke)
Taylor SpiroPro wires
Accel cap and rotor
Ported plenum
Kills: '94 Z28, Olds Aurora V8, bunch of Mustangs, T-birds, ricers, and others who assumed a 12 year-old car would be too slow.
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Supreme Member
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 18,457
Likes: 16
From: Loveland, OH, US
Car: 4
Engine: 6
Transmission: 5
I believe you'll find some kind of clue as to the hole... seems like some part of it is marked, maybe the bolt holes or something. Study it carefully. The hole you'll need is soer of oval shaped, about 2" tall by 1½" wide, with 2 bolt holes. There's a gasket that comes with the master cylinder to seal it to the body that you can use as a template.
------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports
------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports
I am currently doing the same conversion. I have already installed the hydraulic clutch mechanism and the brake/clutch pedal assembly. When you temporarily install the brake/clutch pedal assembly against the firewall (brake booster bolts) and tighten the main bolt, which holds the brake/clutch pedal in place (1-bolt), the location of the two brackets, which holds the clutch cylinder in place against the firewall, will give you a better idea of where to start drilling the clutch cylinder hole. Purchase the clutch cylinder assembly first to get measurements and dimensions. I would have been done with my conversion, but I could not get the 6 transmission housing bolts loose (pita). I've tried tilting the transmission down and using a real long extension, but the bolts are on too tight. I then tried to access from the top by removing the distributor, but no luck. Worst case scenario is to pull the engine/tranny out. If you have any suggestions - please advise. I'll try to help you out as much as I can with your conversion. I also have measurements from a donor car for the clutch cylinder hole location if you need. Anyway, good luck!
Member
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 437
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA/ Clemson, SC
Car: 1991 Camaro Z28
Transmission: T56
Hey IROCZteady, when I did my T56 swap I had the same problem with the six bellhousing bolts on the 700R4. There is no way that I could get them off with standard tools, even with a 3 foot long breaker bar. I ended up using my friends electric impact with alot of PB Blaster and they came right off without much trouble. Hope this helps.
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1991 Z28 - 350 TPI, T56, McLeod street clutch, ported plenum & runners, AFPR, Holley Annihilator ignition box and wires, Hooker shorty headers w/o AIR, no cats, Flowmaster muffler, homeade ram-air, SSM subframe connectors, Steve Spohn adjustable torque arm and T56 crossmember
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1991 Z28 - 350 TPI, T56, McLeod street clutch, ported plenum & runners, AFPR, Holley Annihilator ignition box and wires, Hooker shorty headers w/o AIR, no cats, Flowmaster muffler, homeade ram-air, SSM subframe connectors, Steve Spohn adjustable torque arm and T56 crossmember
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