Buggy Disaster

iTrader: (1)

I plan on doing an ls1/T56 swap on my auto 91 Z next summer. As of now I can afford to buy a T56 and install it.

How big of a hassle is it to convert an lt1 trans to work with an ls1. I know the input shaft and clutch setup is different. But how much money in parts? How big of a headache to actually do the conversion?

If the trouble isn't too much should I buy the ls1 trans and convert it to work with my 305. Or buy an lt1 trans and convert it later down the road when I get the ls1 motor.


I guess I'm getting a little impatient on the swap and would atleast like to have some of the Ls1/t56 fun now.

Thanks.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

SUPER EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZY.

Use sofakingdom's GUARANTEED PATENTED 2-STEP METHOD.

Step 1: Sell thing you can't use.

Step 2: Buy thing you want.

Note that, AT WORST, this method is revenue-neutral, and POSSIBLY EVEN profit-making. I DARE any of the competition to beat THAT!!!!

How could it possibly get any eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezier?!?!?!?!?

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

Usually a few hundred $

You can shop around to find parts prices, you'll need:

LS1 midplate, this is the front plate to the transmission case
LS1 input shaft
LS1 bellhousing
Possibly shims to set preload properly

Of course you'll also need the LS1 clutch assembly and slave cylinder/bearing.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

If you have an 93 LT1 you can forget the swap. Sell the trans and buy a LS1 trans.

I looked into the cost of converting my 93 trans so I could make the Gen3 leap. In the end I decided to simply use the parts I had acquired for my LT1 build and say Gen 2 for a while longer.

If you have a 94-97 LT1 T56 then it can be done for a realistic cost.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Using r¡cer's method, here's the steps you go through:

1. Buy wrong transmission
2. Futz around a bit, realize, hey I'm hosed
3. Buy right transmission
4. Take both transmissions apart
5. Buy "kit" with all the soft parts (bearings etc.) so you can re-assemble one
6. Spread all parts out on floor; pick up case from one, this gear from the other, etc. and put together
7. Buy all this other "$$$pecial" $stuff about bell housings etc.
8. Put Frankenmission in car; doesn't work
9. Take Frankenmission back out; discover all the things you overlooked the first time
10. Take back apart, futz around a bit more, buy a little of this and a little of that, put back together
11. Put Frankenmission back in car
12. It works OK ... except for {fill in the list of blanks here}
13. Post on Internet about what a TERRIFIC idea this was and how smart you are for overcoming all the obstacles
14. Put all parts of the 2 transmissions not used in Frankenmission in trash
15. Realize you just spent 3 times what you would have if you had just bought the right transmission in the first place

Now:

Explain the "value" that steps 1, 2, and 4 - 15 "added" to the outcome of all this. Don't forget, if you already went through Steps 1 & 2, and you already have the LT1 T-56, you can SELL IT for enough money to buy the trans in Step 3, which would then be FREE; and you won't have to do all that w.... w... wo.... {bbbbaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrffffffffffffffff}work. (sorry mods, don't ban me for inappropriate 4-letter language, it puked me out to say it too just as bad as it did you to see it in print, but I just had to use that word to make the point) Then once you've come up with the explanation, please share it, because I'm sure ALOT of people would like to see what kind of knots you had to tie some brain cells up in, to come up with that one.

jmd

iTrader: (4)

Don't bother.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...84-post23.html

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

I suppose you could come up with all of that, if you're incompetent, and cannot perform simple tasks.

This is a rather common conversion to do, it is well documented, and doesnt involve 90% of the BS you fabricated in your mind that you decided to make some list out of.


Removing the front plate of the transmission does not require disassembly of the entire transmission, it doesnt require doing anything that would render a drivable transmission inoperable, and it certainly doesnt require buying a full rebuild kit or any bearings. I really dont know where you came up with all of that BS. It does indeed require shimming the input shaft bearing, as I already stated, it doesnt involve any other fabricated bologna made up by people who either havent worked on one, or somehow screwed up such a simple task.

Its such a simple and common swap that apparently gmhtp did an article on it, just to document it for people, and as stated in their article, the cost of a good LS1 transmission is often well above what it should be, and while sometimes you can find them for a reasonable price, it is much faster to find a good deal on an LT1 version, and get the correct parts.


http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...n/viewall.html

Info on how to do it, apparently now theres a parts kit available from one of the vendors as well, $398.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Still waiting to see how this (a) costs less money, (b) takes less work, (c) produces a better product, (d) is quicker, (e) is more likely to succeed, or (f) in ANY OTHER WAY is "A Better Idea", as compared to the Patented Easy 2-Step Method.

In point of fact, it seems MUCH easier to find good deals on LS1 T-56s these days. There were FAR more of them made in the first place. They're coming into that point in their history nowadays where they're hitting the junkyards in large numbers (as that demographic "bulge" sort of works its way through the system) while LT1 ones have pretty much tapered off as the cars they come from have declined in number due to age and attrition. In fact there's lots of posts on here and elsewhere about "I can't find a LT1 T-56 all I can find is LS1 ones can I use that". And when you DO find a LT1 one, its about 5 yrs older and has 50 - 70,000 more miles on it than a LS1 one, on average.

And of course, then there's the matter of COST:

Buying the right transmission, for THE SAME PRICE basically as buying the wrong one, doesn't require ANY of this:

In short, we haven't seen yet how buying the wrong transmission and then spending extra time money and effort, taking extra risk, and all of the rest of that, is "A Good Idea", compared to DOING IT THE CHEEEEEEEEEEEP AND EEEEEEEZY WAY.

UnstableAviator

If you can use a dial indicator, you can change the input shaft and mid plate.

I'm own 2 T56's, and the one that came with my LS1 was a clapped out POS and the shift keys caused it to get stuck in 4th. Its going for a rebuild before summer.

In the meantime, since I no longer own any Gen 1 SBC stuff, I decided to call D&D and get a new midplate and input shaft. Stood the LT1 T56 up in a 5 gallon bucket, swapped the shaft, set the endplay with the included shim kit, and used RTV to reseal everything. Its leak free and has worked great for 5,000 miles.

That being said, if you are not in my situation then you are better off to just get an LS1 T56 and wait for the engine swap. The bellhousing and hydraulic slave really add to the already significant cost ($500) of the input and midplate.

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

(a) because you can find them for 500-700$ very often, the parts are $400, if I have to explain beyond this, you're just a lost cause, usually most people now want to pretend their LS1 T56 is golden.

(b) nobody ever said it takes "less work" again you're fabricating BS, and reaching for the stars here, though it can be "easier to obtain, especially at the right price"


(c) Its not about producing a "better product" although its already apparent the cost/availability thing already went over your head, soo...

(d) see (a) and (b)

(e) please see the simple fact that this is an easy and common thing to do, again, if you are unable to accomplish this yourself, please feel free to provide your contradictory arguement that lacks knowledge, experience, and merit.

How do you come up with the idea that there were FAR more of them made ?

Just out of curiousity, I figured you're probably going on the 1 extra production year, and for someone with such a lack of real information, that makes sense, however if you look at actual production numbers, (I checked real quick out of curiousity) because f body sales had been declining back then, there were approximately 15,000 more V8 Camaros produced in the 94-97 range, than 98-02, so unless something changed drastically with people ordering more manuals as the years went on ( I doubt it) or that firebirds had a lot more production in the LS1 years (again I doubt it), its highly unlikely that there were more of them produced, go figure.



And again on the COST, buying the right transmission at the right price gets you the end result cheaper, whether you can grasp this or not, it still works.

monkey-leader

LOL. gravedig but w/e. Cant you just buy a truck flywheel and pilot bearing to get this to work, I KNOW you can for an older muncie/super-t10...

jmd

iTrader: (4)

Yes. But it's not the flywheel and pilot bearing.