So here's my plan. I have a 1983 TA with a 305 that currently has a th350 trans. And suspected 3.73 gears. My plan is to do a 5 speed swap. Now unfortunately I am unable to get a t5 out of a third gen . So I was doing some research and have discovered that I can use a 5 speed out of a newer Chevy blazer/GMC Jimmy. First and foremost though its a hydraulic clutch setup. First question. Can I swap it to a cable clutch setup. Second question exactly what do I need part wise to do this swap Other then the typical stuff like transmission/components, bell housing, and all clutch components? And if the transmission is possible to be converted back to the cable setup what steps do I need to take to do this.

 

As for the hydraulics use the 84 and up style pedals and hydraulic setup. For the transmission I think you need to check into whether the shifter will be in the proper location for the center console. Also check into whether they will clear the tunnel properly as GM put a tilted trans with a special tailshaft housing in the Fbody cars. The truck tranny will not have a provision for the torque arm mount. It is my understanding that the truck bellhousing may not clear the trans tunnel, thus the reason for the tilted tranny and lower clutch fork location on the bellhousing.
Please post exactly what tranny you are planning on using. Yr, Vehicle, Engine, and bell housing so we can help further.

 

just make sure its a v8 trans, the v6 ones are not practice for use with a v8 and will require some oddball parts. They also tend to have a very low first gear

 

how are you going to hook up the torque arm to the transmission and what about the location of the tranny mount?

 

Are you prohibited from receiving packages or mail?

Yep. You can use anything. Are you going to address the longer input shaft by spacing the bellhousing from the block or the trans. from the bell? Then, will you shorten the driveshaft to compensate for that? What about clutch fork angle so the clutch release properly works?

The shifter position is significantly forward, so plan on changing your floor shifter hole opening and don't count on the shifter coming out anywhere near logical for the console.

Now, that's all assuming you're talking about T5s and not the heinous ratios of the trans. they used after the T5 in the 4x2 S-series and T-series trucks.

Back to your discovery.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tran...questions.html

If it came in an 84-92 5 speed V8 F-body and isn't installed in your TH350 equipped car, you need it. (what I'm saying is going to a junkyard with a complete car is the way to get a *complete* setup so you're asking fewer questions and getting the car back together and *complete* sooner.)

See the last link I posted.

You can swap whatever you want into whatever car you want. But putting a transmission in that would require a custom clutch at a minimum, re-design of the input shaft / clutch release system to compensate for the parts that don't match your car etc. etc. is a LOT more work and money than pretending you're allergic to buying the parts that fit right in.

I'd be happy to develop you custom build pedals and clutch release system that's cable based but it will cost you triple what just going and getting an F-body V8 T5 swap setup.

 

No I am not prohibited from receiving packages by mail. And I know it would be easier to just get a T5 transmission. But people up in B.C. Want either way to much for the darn things or just won't part with the transmissions. Not to mention scrap yards. Of the dozen or so of them that are here in the Fraser valley I have only come across a few all either automatic v8 350's or v6's. So I am really not in luck with any of those options. So I started researching and some people said that they could use other 5 speed transmissions in their swap with relatively minimal customization. So this post is telling me one of two things. That what it takes to do the swap seems minimal on the customization to them because they have done this forever. And 2 that I am opening a can of worms that my knowledge will not be able to carry out.

As for year and model it was coming out of a Chevy full size. '98 I think.

 

Or a 96 jimmy. As I was told the v6 5 speeds would work.

 

I myself looked into all these options before I realized that I only had two good options. For me I believe both would have been just as good. The f body V8 t5 or a t56. I actually found one t5 but its condition was completely unknown. The swaps I found on the classifieds here at the time were T56 or 4 sp. I then started an all out search for a T56 and found one 3 hours away.
For me moving a shifter hole was minor but that would have meant a serious remodel of the shifter plate by losing the ashtray and more cutting. All work I did not want to do.
Then also, I understand that with you being in B.C. that though you can get items from the US that the shipping and taxes can get outrageous and very ugly.