curtis75

Well Im going to put the t56 and LT1 into my car and am hoping to use the camaro pedals it looks like it will fit but you never know it might cause some problems but I'll let you know by the summer hopefully so if your not in a hurry I can help otherwise, have fun

enkeivette

I used the manual pedal setup from a C3 and the hydraulic clutch master from an LT1 camaro. Just made a bracket to correct the angle of the firewall.

It's easier to swap the T56 into an auto C3, the standard trans C3s have a welded in x-member which makes install impossible without cutting the x-member or pulling the engine.

curtis75

Has anyone used an auxiliary shifter in their car. I am using the LT1 that came with the camaro and am considering moving the engine further back (about 3in) in the car to get the more of weight over the rear. this will make using a plate to move the shifter pretty hard. I have heard of a few guys using them in fox bodies but never in a vette. any ideas? excuse my terrible drawings

techsol

Torq.... breaks my heart , exactly what I'm doin!


Curtis.... I 've seen something where the shifter has been moved to the center shift cover but haven't seen it in person or drawn.


Torq.... any details on the mounting plate for the correct angle on the clutch cylinder?

Thanks

78Vette-SA

Yes... I used a stock Clutch and Brake Pedal I got from Keisler. I used the Camaro Clutch M/C and fabricated my own firewall mounting bracket and with reinforcement plate on the inside. The rod pinned right to the Clutch Pedal with no modifications.

72LS1Vette

One person has used a clutch cylinder from a 85 1-ton truck on a T56 and he says it works OK. The truck cylinder doesn't require an adapter to correct the angle like the late model F-body ones do. I have a McLeod clutch cylinder that came with my T56 but I'll probably try out a truck cylinder first. You can get them at Autozone for $50-something.



Rick B.

jeffro1234

The easiest swap I believe was using 98-02 transmission from camaro or firebird. This has a longer input shaft, almost the same length as the original 4 speed that was in my 74. Then I bolted an adapter plate to my original stock bellhousing along with a new extended pilot bushing and bolt the t56 to the adapter plate. There is no change to the original stock mechanical linkage clutch. I did add a new clutchplate & throwout bearingwhile it was all apart. The shifter is back a bit further but I made an adapter to move it forward to the stock location. Or you can buy a custom offset shifter as others have done. For the speedo you need to use a conversion from the electric output back to your mechanical or switch to a electric 5" speedo. I havent done anything yet with my speedo. I had the driveshaft shortened and used a turbo 350 yoke. I found it to be a fairly easy swap and spent around 1200 for everything but I know prices have gone up on everything in the last 2-3 years since I made this change. I made my own rear mount out of scrap I had laying around but Ive read that the bolt in type used for automatic cars can be made to work if its relocated.

rj8806

Actually you can use a T56 out of a 1990 something Camaro. We have an adapter plate that mounts the front of it and allow you to run a standard GM bell housing and mechanical linkage.



Richard
Tech Support

thejuggernaut

Who makes the offset shifter? From what I understand McLeod stopped making them. I am thinking of doing a T56 Swap in my 1980 auto. I plan on using the Wier adaptor but was just wondering what everyone was using to put the shifter back in the stock hole.

Vince'82

you can find them here :
http://www.hotrodlane.cc/Shifter/shifter.htm

Graemeinvette

Here is my Viper spec T56 with the bowtie crossmember


And this is how we modified the shifter to put it in the stock location

I bought mine new from D&D Performance http://www.ddperformance.com/ it came complete with adaptor plate etc.

thejuggernaut

Thanks,
I will give them a call when I jump off into this project.

FRSTR90

[QUOTE=Street Shaker;1564118136][QUOTE=techsol;1564062687]Do you have a part number on that shifter??

WESCH

Hi

Same here, GM Viper T56 with mechanical speedo connection from D&D.
And I also had to install the shifter the way you did, a bit further to the pax side again to make it centered into the original position.

The offset shifter is a bit too far fwd and to the left.

Rgds. Günther

63mako

I went with the D&D GM viper unit too. What crossmember is that? Is it a bolt in? Do I need to cut my stock crossmember out? Still trying to figure out the best way to mount it. Where is the mount located as compared to the stock mount. I know it is farther back. How far. Is it also lower? If so how much?

66grandsport

Did the bowtie crossmember need to modified?

Mike Culpepper

Okay, can anyone tell me if the trans tunnel is the same for C2's and C3's? I've heard the T-56 is too big to fit in a C2 without butchery of the tunnel, something I am not willing to do. You C3 guys seem to get a T-56 to fit right in. I am about ready for a new trans but I am not convinced of the TKO conversion (seems to me to be only about a 50/50 success rate and it's expensive), the mythical 5-speed Muncie is still nowhere to be seen, and I don't think a T-5 will live very long behind a stout 383 or 427 smallblock.

FRSTR90

Honestly, I'd try a richmond 5 or 6 speed with the overdrive. It should be a direct bolt it, but do your research. I have a T56 for right now (not in the car yet) because I got such a good deal on it, but the richmond tranny would have been my first preference. A new one will cost you in the neighborhood of $3200 - $3300 and is supposedly the same design tranny that they use in nascar. Not to mention, it is built in the good ol' US of A!

Frank_833

I did a TKO-600 on my own (no kit). It was very straight forward. Standard flywheel/bellhousing/etc. Did need a different spline on the clutch but that is off the shelf. Bought the trans from standard transmissions in Fort Worth. They put in their own offset shifter for me (cheaper than the McLeod style) and I bought the correct ($200+) yoke from them.

Made my own bracket (rather than butchering the crossmember). You can buy a similar bracket from the conversion folks if you don't want to weld up your own.

While not cheap, I expect it's less than a T56 with new components. Of course if you get a T56 used for cheap, then it's no comparison. But then when that used/abused trans built for 300hp frags behind your 500hp motor....

I am more than happy with the TKO and would do it again.

Ehco1

I have been getting ready to do the swap and have been trying to research what I will need. I found this and it explains alot. Alot of the vendors have helped also. Check out this article. I hope it helps. http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=98387