Hi All!! I was just cruizing through E-Bay looking at 6 speed manuals t-56?. I have noticed they came in Ford, Mopar(Viper and SRT Truck) Camaro's/firebirds and Corvettes. I also noticed that the Corvette t-56 have a longer input shaft. This could be useful when machining a adapter to bolt on to my 4-speed bellhousing? Just a thought? What do all the electronic DOO-DADS on the side of the t-56 do? I'm assuming they are for a electronic speedo and a safety switch for gear selector? Does anyone know for sure? What tranny would one pick for the swap? I'm thinking the viper one because it had the most tourque in front of it? I'm using a healthy 455. I can figure out that the crossmember, driveshaft and some electronic engineering will be needed. What do all the t-56 use to work the clutch? A hyd. throwout bearing? I wonder if I would just need to change the clutch disc? or the pressure plate as well? They seem to be not all that expencive!!! $1700 for a new one or a rebuilt one! Cheaper than a richmond 6-speed! I've got a t-10 with 3:90 gears in the rear end now, but the car is like a bitbull with aids to drive!!! I love the way it starts off!! Hang on!!! but it would be great to have the RPM'S down to cruize on the hwy. with!! When I totally let off the gas it almost throws you through the windsheild!!!LOL!!! Anyone done this yet? Thanks Brad
I know that in the camaro/firebirds the T-56 from 93-97 had a regular throw-out bearing with a fork coming out of the side of the transmission that was actuated by the external hydraulic slave cylinder. In 98 and through '02 that changed to a throw-out bearing that has a slave cylinder built into it and is internal to the bellhousing. There should only be three electrical connections that I know of. The electronic speedo sender, the reverse lights switch, and the "skip-shift" solenoid. This was a solenoid that if you were below a certain RPM and throttle position when starting off in 1st then it would lock out 2nd and 3rd forcing you to have to shift into 4th. This was their attempt and trying to get better mileage at least on paper I think. It's also one of the first things owners disable. Here's a thread on people wondering about the same thing: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=78037
Thanks for the reply and the link!!! From reading the link it sounds like a viper 6 speed is the way to go as far as strenght is concerned! I wonder how hard it would be to hook up all the electronic stuff!!! Speedo etc...Welding and fabricating and custom machining I'm good at, but electronics....? Not so much!!! LOL! I'm in the process of pulling my 455 and 4 speed out now for repairs to the block. Hmmm.....????Tranny tunnel is expendable!!! I'll have to research this further!
As far as the electronics the back-up lights switch should be pretty simple. If you can get the mating connector for the switch on the T-56 you can just wire the two wires to it instead of the current switch. I found this for the speedometer: http://www.atrol.com/cablex.htm You should be able to just connect the wires from this box to the electronic sender on the T-56 and then the mechanical speedometer cable to the box. It's adjustable to get the speedo to read right. Some T-56's have a fully electronic magnetic sender, but some I think have a regular plastic gear on the transmission output shaft and you might be able to mount a standard mechanical sender to mesh with that gear. As far as the skip-shift solenoid, I think if you just leave it dissconnected it shouldn't pose any problems. I would think some of the harder parts would be getting the clutch linkage worked out and getting the spacing for the input shaft correct. But that bellhousing from that forum link looks like a good head start.
The T-56 also has a reverse lock out that keeps it out of reverse when the car is moving. I would make sure you wire that into the system. You would not want to go from 4th to reverse instesad of 5th while wide open. Cheryl
Thanks for adding that. :TU: I'm talking about the T-56 vicariously...I think I've only seen one in person in passing at the salvage yard. :spank: I guess owning a 4th gen camaro, even if it is a V6 makes me think I should know about them. uzzled:
I have some experience with a T-56 in a Cobra. They were in the Vette, Viper and Cobra a few years back. McLoed Industries makes a modular bell housing that will fit the BOP bolt pattern. The two ton Cobra in my experience has about 650 HP/TQ at the flywheel, and has not broken the T-56 yet (even on MT ET drag radials at the track). There are some upgrades needed to handle this kind of power. D&D rebuilds these transmissions well, and has a lot of information on the page listed. Liberty gear rebuilt the trans in my experience with better forks, syncros and dogs. It also had an upgraded TOB tube and 26 spline input shaft added after the rebuild. The rebuild was about $800. The TOB tube and input shaft were $350 in parts, but are easily installed at home (as long as a local shop will press the old tube out and new one in). I think the bell housing is around $400. There are several gearing ratios available for the OD and first four gears. Changing the OD ratios requires a change in output shaft, and will cost over $500. Make sure you pick the base trans that has the right lower gears (close or wide ratio) and the right OD gears (.6 or .5) to start. You will avoid additional costs that way. I like the Ford trans with the close ratio 2.66 first gear and .6 final OD, but that is what works well with the 3.55 rear gear in that car. There are some companies that specialize in parts for installing this transmission in the A&G-body, but I don’t have one in my favorites currently. Spend some time searching the net, and I am sure you will find them. I know there was some cutting of the trans tunnel and denting here and there to make it work. The shifter location is further back then a stock BOP trans as well. That's all I have for now - Cheryl
I e-mailed Tremec and got this back Brad, Thank you for your interest in the TREMEC brand product. You need to contact Rockland Standard Gear, 1-877-774-4327, www.rsgear.com or D & D Performance at 1-248-735-6220, or www.ddperformance.com. Both of these are elite distributors of mine that takes a factory produced GM T56 and modify the transmission to take higher horse power and torque applications. Rockland produces a Tranzilla that he rates at 1200 horse. If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me. Both of these company's built t-56 for fitting Olded Gm applications. I like Rockland They have been great at e-mailing. (D&D work mainly on Fords.)They quoted me just under$3200 for a totally new t-56 that will take all the power my 455 could throw at it!! It will bolt in in place of my t-10. I will need to shorten the driveshaft. Possibly rework the tranny tunnel and move the crossmember back 2 inches Compleatly do able!!! 3 grand is alot of money but if you had to fix a tranny in your late model vehicle you could easily spend that!!! Now that I've convinced myself I just gotta work on the wife!!! Here is a e-mail from Rockland Hello Brad, We have a unit that will work for you with the least amount of engineering on your part. The unit is a 1386-000-011V. It starts life as a brand new unit so there is NO core charge as it is sold outright. We modify the unit to make it race ready (stronger and more durable). We install a 30 spline Viper output shaft to handle your torque load and vehicle weight. We install a steel 3-4 shift fork, carbon fiber synchro rings, solid billet shift keys, blue print and match fit all components, and performance shim. We will provide a yoke for your drive shaft, cost $136.72. The 011 units are manufactured to replace a T5, T10, or Muncie transmission. This means that it will bolt up directly to your present bell housing and use your present clutch components with no change as long as you have a 26 spline clutch disc. There are no electronics to hook up. IT comes with a standard GM reverse light switch, and a mechanical speedometer gear so that you can use your present speedometer driven gear setup. There is no skip shift which you do not need, as it is a useless computer controlled function to try and make the EPA happy. You will need to relocate the cross member approximately 2 inches to the rear, but you will reuse your present trans mount. The drive shaft may have to be shortened by the same 2 inches. The floor and console is a question. Do you have bench or bucket seats? The shifter location will be 21.5 inches from the rear mounting flange for the trans on the bell housing. We have the possibility of changing the stub shifter on transmission to make it offset 2.5 inches toward the driver and one inch forward. We try never to have to cut the floor or alter a console. Please measure from the rear of the bell housing to the centerline of the shifter location. The 011V will cost you $2895.00US with no exchange or core charge. It is impossible to bolt up a T56 from a Viper, F Body or Corvette to your block without very complex engineering. The ratios for the 011V are 2.97-1 1st, 2.07-2nd, 1.43-3rd, 1-1 4th, 0.80-5th,, 0.62-6th.. You will get your money back on fuel savings in one year and the double over drive (5th and 6th) will allow you to run a more aggressive cam without the valves coming through the hood while on the highway, plus you will not believe how good these trannies shift compared to ancient technology. By the way this transmission is geared with the Corvette Z06 ratios. Let me know if this works for you. If you give me a ship to/bill to address I will get you a shipping quote. Best regards, Mike I e-mailed Mike back about there "midshift "application (puts the shifter closer to the stock T-10 location) and a few other Questions. like they have different gear ratio's to choose from. I wanted the 2:29 first gear ratio. On the D&D site thet give some dimentions or the T-56 that are usefull!! If I get this tranny I can't think of anything else I would want for this car! Maybe the Holley PRO-INJECTION kit!! Roll cage? LOL!!! I'm totally pumped about coming up to some dude driving a new vette or mustang and smoking him in my old crate!!! I love that!!! Using your brains instead of your wallet!!!!
I have one with a 400 SB Chevy. Mine is a 95 T56 from a camaro and using the GM hydraulics with a custom pedal made by John Bzdel on the MontecarloSS board. Everything fits perfect but my car is not running yet so I can't give a driving report. This is in a 1980 Regal with a Icemember Crossmember
