i know that they never made a 3rd gen 350 with a t-56 5 -speed. if i were to get a 305 car with a 5-speed in it, could i drop a 350 right in and mount it right up to the t-56?. also, if i were to get a motor with about 300 or so hp, will the stock rear and trans auto or manual be able to handle the power. it will probably have about 310 hp and 400 torque give or take. Im kinda new at this stuff. also, is the t-56 the only stock manual trans that 3rd gens had?

 

- T56 is a 6-speed, available in 4th gen Fbodies and retrofit often into 3rdgens'
- Stock T5/305 (5-speed) cars will take a 350 swap easily, but will be more likely to break, depending on driving habits.

 

Yeah, You're a bit confused on the names of your transmissions. The 5 speed that came in a thirdgen is called a T-5. It's not known for it's strength, which is why GM did not put it with the 350 engine. If you put a 350 into your T-5 car, you should baby it so you don't break it. 400 ft*lb TQ is plenty enough to break a T-5 if driven hard.

A T-56 is a 6-speed that was used in the 4th-gen Camaro (As well as Mustang, Corvette, Viper, GTO, etc...) and is very strong. The only T56 that will bolt up to a traditional small block chevy are the ones that came stock with a 93-97 LT1 Camaro or Trans Am. And it's not a 100% bolt in job from what I understand.

 

yea t-5 is what i meant. so it will mount easily. i knew i would have to send the trans in to get it upgraded a little to hold 325 hp and 400 tq or so. how much do you think it will cost for them to get the trans to hold 325 hp easily. als what kind of rear work would need to get done. posi rear.

 

Go up to the top of the page and click the search button (do an advanced search to get better results). You will find tons of information regarding the strength of the T-5, this has been discussed many times.

I can tell you right now that all you're going to find when you search is people saying the T-5 is a lost cause and there is nothing you can do to beef it up to hold abuse with modified engines. The weakness is the case, not the internals. By the time you spend the money upgrading the T-5, you'd have probably been better off finding a stock T-56 off craigslist and swapping it in.

But yes, other than the strength issues, you can bolt your 350 to the T-5.

By the way, what year is your 350 from?

 

well to tell you the truth im just doing some research right now. im planning on buying a 3rd gen soon, and am trying just to get some info that will help me out. i just want a 350 with a small amount of kick probly around 325 like i said. i'd preferably like to have a manual trans cause theu're more enjoyable and cheaper, but if the 704 is the way to go then i guess i should just do that. if anybody has any advice that would be great. i may just end up buying a shortblock from ebay or something

 

im just looking for a great street performance car really.