Hey guys, hoping the history buffs here might know a thing or two that could help me out.

My buddy's doing a 2.8 to a 350 swap on his 83 firebird. It came from factory with a t5 and a mechanically linked clutch. He's already bought the transmission, had it built, and wants to stick with it.

I've found a few guys on your forums selling bellhousings, but from what I understand, only 1982 and 1983 had mechanical clutch linkages on their v8 t5s?

My question is, can I install the shift fork from a mechanical clutch v8 t5 into a bellhousing that was meant for a hydraulic one? And will the factory clutch actuator rods fit?

 

82 was only 4 speeds. 83 was the only year you could get a mechanical clutch with a t5. 84 and up were hydraulic. If you were to install that fork into hydraulic bellhousing the release bearing and pivot location will probably change and causing a quick release on the clutch.

 

How much of a process is it to switch a mechanical setup to hydraulic? Should just need a master, slave and hydraulic line right? Or does the clutch pedal need to be changed so it can bolt up to the master?

 

You will need the pedal assembly

 

The V8 T5 is a better choice for ratios and strength, but that's understandable.

The fork wouldn't reach the throwout bearing if you did that.

He could try an 84-88 Vette bellhousing or Lakewood 15015 if he intends to keep mechanical linkage.

 

AFAIK, 1982 used a 4 speed manual trans, the 5 speed was introduced in 1983.

If I was a guessing person, and you indeed have a 5 speed manual transmission that uses a cable as a clutch, then I would guess 1983 only, maybe 1984.

But that is a guess. I do know by 1987, they were hydraulic actuated probably for simplicity...

John

 

Yes '84 is the first year for hydraulic.

 

These cars never came with a cable. That's a bunch of weenie FWD or Frod crap.

They had something far less weenie, but even more Stone Age, in 83... a Z-bar linkage. Same Neanderthal garbage that came in all GM RWD cars back as far as I have ever worked on em.

In fact that was the 2nd mod my 83 got. 1st was a Hurst Comp Plus shifter, after about the 40th time I busted my knuckles on the dash shifting into 3rd. I got the hyd goodies out of I think it was a 84 L69 car in the boneyard, in about 86 or so. What an AMAZING improvement. The day I threw that Z-bar s%&@ in the trash was the happiest I ever was with that car, up until I put a 400 in it.

I believe jmd is right, the location of the pivot ball, and therefore the layout of the fork, was different for the hyd setup vs the mech one. But I'm too lazy to get up and go out and look at the ones I still have laying around.