I found a t56 out of a 96 firebird. He said he would sell it for 1100. The aftermarket version is 2300. Sure the 1100 looks good compared to the 2300 but how much of a headache is it to put the production t56 in. One big question I have is cutting up the floor. Do I have to cut just the floor back 2 inches or do I also have to cut the plastic consol. I dont want it to look like I just pieced it together. Also the cyberdyne box Ive heard good and bad about it? Also I have my stock 3.08 gears (way to shallow for the 2.66 first) what would it cost to swap some deeper gears in. See what Im saying the 1100 looks good but is it in the long run

 

I'd go for it. The average t56 is around 1500. I think it's actually easier to do the production swap. The only fabricating is in the floor and crossmember. With the aftermarket you need to shorten the drive shaft and torque arm. I could write up an article right here for you, but it's easier for me to get you to search the board . I swapped from a 700r4 and didn't have ANY problems with the console. I just cut out the gear select with a hacksaw, sanded it down and everyone who sees it thinks it was original. The shifter has plenty of room and it looks stock. If you are switching from a t5 I'm not sure whether the console has the same spacing.

Also - The 3.08's will get you on the road. I used my 2.73's with the t56 for a couple of months before I finally swapped in a new rear in.

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88 firebird formula
350 Vortec TBI
214int/224exh, .471int/.491exh
Edelbrock headers
SIX-speed
open 3.73's
2 1/4 stock catback
I love pissing those LS1's off
My Formula

[This message has been edited by Birmass (edited January 29, 2001).]

 

I think Im going to go for it. I went to the tech articles and did some searching on the site From what Everyone is saying I will need
T56
Bellhousing
Shifter
Flywheel
Clutch Disk and pressure Plate
Master and Slave Cylinder
Tranny to bellhousing Bolts
Pressure plate to flywheel Bolts
Shifter bolts
Bellhousing to engine bolts

Is there anything I am missing. Do I need the master Cylinder If I already had a t5?
Do I need the hydralic line between the master and slave cylinder or can I use my t5 line. What about all of the electrical hookups Should I get the harness to anything on the tranny like the Speedo? What wires do I need to get?

 

Yes, you'll need the master and slave setup. If you buy it from the dealer it'll be around 125 and it comes with both the master and slave connected with the steel braided hydraulic line, pre-bled. You'll also need to get connectors for the reverse and speedo. You can go without the reverse lockout and skip shift if you want. There are two calibration boxes that I know of for your speedo. recently there was a thread about one taht looked well built to me. It looked better than the cyberdyne unit atleast.

 

I think I came across that post to birmass was it the dakota digital box? There is one thing i am not understanding. Besides the recalibration box what else do I need to get my speedo working? Do i have to get a speedometer from a 4 gen?

 

Better check the prices on all them parts my friend...I ended up spending around 2500 bucks after it was all said and done. Granted, I opted for ALL performance parts (including a badass MacLeod clutch) but I wouldn't plan on spending anywhere under 2200 for a swap if you pay 1100 for the tranny without a bellhousing. I paid 800 bucks shipped for my tranny with a bellhousing. And my friend fabricated my shifter so I wouldn't hafta cut my console. I even got a HELL of a deal on a flywheel...50 bucks plus a resurface job (20 dollars).

And concerning the gears....I used my 2.77s with no problem for a while until I cratered my rear end. I now have 3.73's and it's squirrely as ****. But my car is built a bit. And the stock chip will work fine...don't worry about what any other moron sez. Dunno about the cyberdyne boxes and junk, my speedo is cable driven, so I'm using a Cable-X........oh yeah, for that, go ahead and tack $350 on that $2500 I quoted on my swap

Have fun, lord knows I did in that wonderful 116 degree heat we had in August.

Kelly

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If you've gotta fix it, fix it better than stock.

 

The 1100 is for a tranny out of a 96 firebird, flywheel, bellhousing, master and slave cylinder, shifter, all the bolts, And a new clutch and pressure plate. He dosent know what brand clutch it is beacause it was a wrecked car he just bought it for the motor. Yeah Ive heard good and bad things about the cyberdyne. Just one thing I still dont understand. Do you have to replace the speedometer in the dash if I go with one of these recalibration boxes?

 

If your speedometer is an electric one, no you will not have to replace the speedomter.

Pontiacs started in 87 with the electric speedometer, and chevrolet in 90. If your car is cable driven, I believe the VSS is on the back of the instrument cluster and you will still need a calibration box so that the ECM will get the correct signal pulse per mile.

HTH