How tuff are the new T56 trans?

[Michael C Henry]

I have a large input toploader trans. With gasoline pricess going up, an overdrive seems appropriate. Are the new T56s up to the challenge of an FE?What all is required to transform a car equiped with a FE with a toploader to an Fe with a T56?

[AMF]

Originally Posted by Michael C Henry

I have a large input toploader trans. With gasoline pricess going up, an overdrive seems appropriate. Are the new T56s up to the challenge of an FE?What all is required to transform a car equiped with a FE with a toploader to an Fe with a T56?

Obviously you'd need a custom tranny support/cross member, which you could do yourself easily enough.

The other portions you'd need are a bellhousing and all the bells/whistles of the tranny itself....clutch, shifter, etc. You'd probably have to either get your drive shaft adjusted or get a new one.

As far as strength goes, it should be able to handle anything you throw at it with a naturally aspirated engine. It's the same tranny they use with the GT500, the Viper and all the newer STOCK muscle cars. Those cars come with factory type radials.

You dump 700 pounds of torque and sticky tires and you're getting to the edge of the T56's capabilities.

There are companies out there that can beef it up, but it's pricey. Usually the upgrade kits alone are above $3k.

[Rwillia4]

Mike- I have a T56 in my setup, I'm pushing 600+ HP and torque at the engine. The tranny is NOT the same as what is used in the new stock Vipers (those have been beefed up), there are two version available. I went with the base model thay says it can handle 550 HP (or torque I cant remember) but I figure the 1000 pounds I was saving in weight would offset the load capability of the tranny. There is just not enough weight in the rear to keep traction and load up the tranny to a breaking point. It comes with a bellhousing setup for a small block. The bellhousing is the front plate of the tranny so be careful when you swap it out. Other things you will need to figure out is if your tranny tunnel is big enough to fit it. It is longer than than TKO's and the rear cross member is about 3" rearward of a TKO. The rear mount is a GM mount. I made a new one from 2" wide, 1/4" thick L angle steel so I could get the mount holes in the right spots. You will probably need to take a few inches off the driveshaft. The shifter hole lines up with standard holes. There is a electronic reverse switch release (so you dont stuff it into reverse when you what 5th), I purchased the connector to hook it up but ended up not needing it, you can push hard and override the lockout. I have not had any problems with it in any way!! It is smooth and very easy to shift. It is not klunky, course, loose, vague,...

Do I like it? YES and I would do it again. In 6th is cruises 80@2000rpm

I got mine from AMP- (800) 454-8387, for $2100 a few years back.

Rob

[Aussie Mike]

I've put quite a few of these together now and it doesn't take much to beef them up. I built one for a Supercharged LS1 Powered Superformance down here that makes a dyno proven 550HP at the rear wheels with a whole bunch of torque. It's seen track day and street abuse and is still alive and well.

I'm a big fan of the T56.

Cheers

[nevermind65]

Hello,

I don't know if this site will help or not. It does list the torque specs of most of the common T56 trannies.

http://www.ttcautomotive.com/English/products/T-56.asp

[RICK LAKE]

Michael C Henry Mike have you looked at the new Richmond super street 5 spds? They are good for 600HP and torque. 5th gear is an overdrive of .78. Get the low gear first of 2.87. T-56 trans has a tork rating of 550hp and torque in the viper. GTO, F-body cars, are less. There are a couple of companies that blueprint and update there trans missions with better main shafts, gears, and end play specs. These trans will support 700hp+. G-Force also sells a 5 speed with a 900+ HP and torque rating. This tans is bullet proof. The gears are straight cut and may make a little noise, but no anything over the side pipes. If you have a lakewood bell housing the Richmond will bolt right in, will need to change pilot bushing in the crank, clutch assembly. Measure the length of the new input shaft. On some applications you need to remove .300" of the tip. If you don't you could wear out the thrust bearing in the motor. Trans mount should be the same location as the Toploader. Either way you are looking at about $4,000.00 for the whole thing. Labor is on you. Rick L. Ps the T56 has soft forks for shifting and plastic covers. Hard shift will wear them out. This trans doesn't like to powershift either.

[Aussie Mike]

The Viper T56 has a Steel 3-4 shift fork to help with hard shifts. 1-2 and 5-6 are still aluminium but 3-4 is where all the hard work is done. I usually fit on of these when I build a box.

There are now aftermarket bronze fork pads available for all the T56 shift forks to take care of any wear from hard shifts. The plastic/nylon pads can distort over time from shifting and I have seen this.

3-4 synchro is probably the weak link. Corvette boxes got tripple cone synchros for 1-2 and 3-4 but the regular boxes only got the tripple cone setup in 1-2. There are aftermarket kits to convert them.

Cheers

[PANAVIA]

There is a Tremec TKO you can buy that is expressly made to bolt in where a Toploader left from ,--atleast from a belhousing perspective.


in this way, you need to modify the crossmember, spedo cable (4" longer) driveshaft and shifter and you are set. -- this may be an easier swap.

--Steve

SPF#2734