ok. i am abot to jump into the t-5 to t-56 swap. i just want to make sure that i don't run into any unexpected suprises. first thing i need to do is make sure i have everything that i need. ok here is what i have or what i am getting.

t-56 (have)

cltch & bellhousing (have)

master/slave cylinder (getting...any suggestions on best price?)

spohn adjustable torque arm. (getting)

poly tranny mounts (getting...suggestions on where?)

that is my list so far. is there anything that i need to fabricate?i am puuting it behind an LG4 for now, but i want the best parts possible because turbo-ed lt1 is getting ready. i have pedals from the 97z28 that they came out of, but i have pedals already installed. should i install the 4th gen pedals? any last advice before i start? thanks for your help

 

Get an ES tranny mount and use the spacer plate. There's a clearance issue I talked with Steve about last week... don't know if he's made a change yet or will.

If you got a single cat, you can make the T-5 version of the cat hanger work with some hacking and grinding.

Don't know what to say about your speedo interface because I don't know what your car has. Won't speculate right now.

Clutch/master slave: Well, get the whole assembly and hire a monkey to install it because it's a pain.... I didn't have to install pedals cause I had them so I got no opinion on that. Swapping them was bad enuf.
You'd want to do that while the tranny is out so you got some room to work.

You need to get the electrical plugs for the speed sensor, reverse lockout. Backup light plug might work (mine did) but I had to add some wire to lengthen it to fit.

Auto>T-56: well you get to cut your own shifter hole so I won't bother with that. good luck!

If you can get the T-56 yoke then use it... it's about l.5" longer than your yoke.

Hope you got at least 3.42 gears otherwise you won't be using 6th too much unless you're on the freeway.

Good luck... I'm sure you've read as many of these swap articles as you can...

PS. Try not to drop the T-56 on your foot... it hurts and your big toe will turn purple.



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'89 Formula - Thunderchicken - 355 Vette L98/T-56/3.45 9-bolt/black/t-tops - the fun car!
'90 GTA - The GTA - 5.0 LB9/TH700/3.27 9-bolt/black/t-tops/tan leather - the cruiser.

 

Don't forget the pilot bearing. Get a roller pilot bearing. It will last longer and cut down on vibration.

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1991 Z28 - 350 TPI, T56, McLeod street clutch, LT4 pressure plate, Pro 5.0 shifter, ported plenum & runners, AFPR, Hooker shorty headers w/o AIR, Flowmaster muffler, homeade ram-air, SSM subframe connectors, Kenny Brown STB, Global West steering box brace, Steve Spohn adjustable torque arm and T56 crossmember

 

i'm pretty sure that i already have the plugs, except i don't know which ones are which. can you help me with where they are located.

i don't know what the deal with my speedo is. i have an 87 z28 with carb. lg4 and t-5.

what is es, energy suspensions? thanks

 

you will need some sort of conversion for your speedo. Dakota Digital makes one. Your speedo is cable driven and the T-56 has a electric speedo hook-up

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I WOULD RATHER PUSH A CAMARO THAN DRIVE AN IMPORT

1983Z28 350w/ edelbrock performer RPM power package , dynomax shorty headers, 700R-4 with shift kit, 750cfm carb, edelbrock 3" exhaust system, 16" IROC rims and ASCD SS hood.

future mods:
SLP headers, completely done over suspension, black paint with flames, NEW PLAN IN THE MAKING:
BUILD A WILD CHEVY 302 JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL Z28 HAD

 

ES = energy suspension.

plugs =
12101857 1 Shifter connector
12101899 1 Speedo Connector
12085485 1 Back up lamp connector.

This list came from here: http://www.salleechevrolet.com/Chevy...ons/gmt56.html

However, with cable speedo... I'm not sure since I had electronic speedo. The dakota digital unit will NOT work for you... you can get a kit or a whole rear casing for the tranny for cable speedo from: http://www.jagsthatrun.com/

but you might want to give Forte's a call first and see what he can come up with...
http://www.fortesparts.com/tremec/speedo.html


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'89 Formula - Thunderchicken - 355 Vette L98/T-56/3.45 9-bolt/black/t-tops - the fun car!
'90 GTA - The GTA - 5.0 LB9/TH700/3.27 9-bolt/black/t-tops/tan leather - the cruiser.

 

You didn't mention the flywheel. If you're using an '86+ block with the 1-piece rear main seal, you can re-use the stock LT1 flywheel and should get that w/ the trans. Have it machined for ~$30 so you're starting out with a good surface.

I like ARP flywheel bolts, but you can re-use the stockers if you need to save $ and they're in good condition.

You also didn't mention the pressure plate bolts, trans tunnel boot & screws, console plate & boot, shifter, bellhousing bolts, trans-to-bellhousing bolts, clutch reservoir mounting bracket, or crossmember. Gotta have these. Y

I'm told you can use 3rd gen brake/clutch pedals. The 4th gen pieces will fit, but the upper bolt hole will not line up with the stock hole and will need to be ovalled. You'll see what I mean if you put it on the four brake booster studs and look at the top mount.

-Kevin



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1982 Z-28

See http://www.mycar.net/mafb/registry/detail.cfm?id=276 for details

 

i have a 87 lg4. i have all of those that you mentioned kevin. i bought a lt1 and t-56 stil ogether and i got allot of the accesories. even a 4th gen console. so do i need a 4th gen breake booster, or is that the same as the master cylinder? . i'm not sure about the clutch resevoir. can you describe it and give it a location? i'm getting the steve spohn adjustable torque arm which has a crossmember attatched to that. i also want an aluminum driveshaft to cut down on vibration.

how much would vibration be a factor. i know that now with my t-5 and 3.73 posi it vibrates bad at about 75. at least that is what my speedo says which i know is wrong because it had 3.23 gears and i got 275 tires. would a t-56 with a steve spohn and an aluminium driveshaft help greatly on vibration. thanks guys

[This message has been edited by Electromaro (edited July 30, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Electromaro (edited July 30, 2001).]

 

the reservior attaches with a brake master cyl bolt to the booster. It should have a little bracket with it, youll see where it has two bolt holes for the reservior side and one hole for the booster side. You dont need a 4th gen booster, you can use the 3rd gen pedals, buy the reservior, clutch slave cylinder/master cylinder from GM (comes all together). New one cost me only 125 and it comes pre-bled. Not many people know this, but you can buy a (ech) ford motorsport 3.5 inch alum driveshaft for 159 and put your yoke and universal on it to make it work. It saves about 200...

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1987 GTA 355, carbureted, TFS heads(non G2), 6-speed, McLeod clutch, 11.3:1, dual 3" flowmaster 2-chamber exhaust with NO tailpipes, 98 z-28 wheels, soon to be replacing weak 10 bolt with 12-bolt...gettin tired of breakin axles....

...Whatever turns your tires.....

 

yeah i have that. what's this about a cheaper aluminium driveshaft? where can i purchase it? what is the difference? thanks man.

another things is my Y pipe. dosn't the exhaust have to be bent? i've got a single cat

 

No, you don't have to worry about that until you get your other engine...
For now you'll be fine. Just get a T-5 exhaust hanger for the Cat. You gotta hack and grind some up by the front bolt but it'll fit.
You might be able to hack/grind/drill up the 700R4 cat hanger but I didn't try that.

If you're gonna go turbo LT-1 I'd suggest NOT getting the aluminum shaft... I already put a hurting on my aluminum shaft. I paid $150 for it and now it's useless unless I can find a way to market it as an attachment for Jenna Jameson's vibrator...

For now, get the T-56 yoke (it has a small harmonic balancer on it) and attach it to your steel shaft and get it all balanced... that's my suggestion unless you can get a SPOHN shaft too.




------------------
'89 Formula - Thunderchicken - 355 Vette L98/T-56/3.45 9-bolt/black/t-tops - the fun car!
'90 GTA - The GTA - 5.0 LB9/TH700/3.27 9-bolt/black/t-tops/tan leather - the cruiser.

 

i just want to get rid of the vibration. aluminium wouldn't be able to handle that kind of power huh? maybe my driveshaft is warped now. i guess i'll just try every combo. the lt1 won't be going in for a while becausei don't have the money o time to do that right now. it's probably going to be an eventual project. i have the driveshaft out of the 97 the engine and tranny are from. is i heard there was a recall or something on those for bad vibration. should i try that one?

 

Well, check out these pictures on these threads. Obviously you may not be shooting for twin turbo's and stuff but why waste money on an aluminum shaft that may not hold up... An Aluminum shaft may hold up better behind auto's but if you're getting a stick, you increase the chances of driveline shock that kill things...
It's just as well that you don't put good money toward bad... heck, I'm not sure but all I can recommend is by my own experience... I've broken my entire drivetrain so far this year... tranny, rear end and driveshaft and I don't have a turbo or nothing yet. Some folks have good luck, I don't. If it can be broken, I can do it!!!
Take your shaft to a good shop and have them check it, if it's straight, great, maybe it needs some weights or sumthing... try the shaft from the LT1 too... I just know that my hunk of aluminum ain't good for nothing now... hopefully Mr. Spohn will have my new shaft ready soon... but I gotta finish putting my 3.70's in too... I'm just happy (kinda ironic) that I got the pig to hook up enough now to where I'm breaking stuff!!!

https://www.thirdgen.org/messgboard/...ML/000865.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/messgboard/...ML/000818.html

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'89 Formula - Thunderchicken - 355 Vette L98/T-56/3.45 9-bolt/black/t-tops - the fun car!
'90 GTA - The GTA - 5.0 LB9/TH700/3.27 9-bolt/black/t-tops/tan leather - the cruiser.

 

what exactly is the yoke? should i get new u joints?

 

take a look at http://www.sethirdgen.org/t56.htm



[This message has been edited by Curse Z28 (edited July 31, 2001).]

 

Here's some pic's that I found quick off ebay for ya. The Yoke is the part on the driveshaft that actually goes into the transmission. Should you get new u-joints? I dunno... are they bad?

Here's an aluminum 4th gen shaft from an auction here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cg...item=593895737

Here's a regular 3rd gen aluminum shaft:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cg...item=593760809

If you look at the yoke, you'll notice the 4th gen/T-56 yoke is slightly longer (for more spline engagement) and also has the small harmonic balancer on it.

Would either work for your car... yeah. Will you bend it or break it when you go to the turbo LT1... quite possibly. Should you buy them... well, I'm not but that's up to you - I've already put in my 2 cents. You said you have the steel shaft from the LT1 so why not use it. If you bend that then upgrade later.




------------------
'89 Formula - Thunderchicken - 355 Vette L98/T-56/3.45 9-bolt/black/t-tops - the fun car!
'90 GTA - The GTA - 5.0 LB9/TH700/3.27 9-bolt/black/t-tops/tan leather - the cruiser.

 

ok. i see what you are talking about. thanks man, you've been a big help. the only reason i want an aluminium is because the lt1 won't be going in for a few months and i want vibration to stay low. plus i don't know if i can afford to build a turbo motor, but we'll see when that happens.