The Camaro/Firebird T5 doesn't have any angles built into it. The bellhousing cants the transmission approximately 15* toward the driver. The only angle encountered is the rear mounting pad which a very simple wedge shim takes care of - no machining involved. The Camaro T5 was available in WC and NWC and a couple different ratios. Would've just been easier to start with this T5, that's all. This is why I almost always use a disk made to order by a clutch rebuilder. I understand the attraction of using off-t******lf parts, and I'm a big fan when I can, but how often do you change the clutch? The longer input shaft of the S10 version of the T5 often works w/o any lengthening of the splines, but just as often requires this. Your method works as well - by spacing the trans rearward with a spacer. The concentricity of input shaft to the crankshaft via the bellhousing, adapter, and spacer all adds up to some potential problems down the road. Glad you're not using the bolt holes to align anything...seen it done before and certainly couldn't tell by your pics that you weren't. I think what you're defending is simply taking the long way around something. You would've had a bolt-in solution had you chosen a Camaro/Firebird T5 with only an angled shim for the mounting pad. People get the "use what you have" mentality and as the post is almost a year old, it gives the appearance it has taken a while to get here. Good job problem solving. Relax - nobody is attacking you.
you just ***umed, the trans is as aligned as it would have been if there was no spacer....the adapter ring is exacltly the same size as retainer...and indexed from all sides....i don't undertsand where it can go , even if the bolts were loose? i missunderstood the info on the camaro bell being angled ...if it is just spun 15* degrees then yes it would have worked, but again i couldn't find one affordable and there is no need with 4cyl.i also have clearence issues that make the cable clutch a bonus.thanks
Nice job BCT. good use of the other bellhousing. Your always thinking outside the box. Gas savings will be a reality for us this coming season for sure. Damn prices!
I didn't ***ume - I was looking at your pics. It's not indexed, it was hose clamped and bolted. If the original bearing retainer went all the way through the spacer and into the bellhousing, we wouldn't even be discussing this. But it doesn't. You tried to solve this problem by machining a spacer to extend the "shoulder" of the bearing retainer to register all the way through the spacer to the bellhousing. There is inherently slop here - illustrated by your use of hose clamps to center the ring on the bearing retainer. You could dowel it in place and be fine, but the bolts themselves can't hold it. There won't be much slop, but bellhousings are indexed to the single thousandths of an inch. You could also have machined the bearing retainer to take the adapter ring as a slight press or interference fit and then machined them both the same diameter. Bear in mind that I am in no way saying that your solution will not work, it absolutely will. I'm merely pointing out the fact that you may incur some problems due to slight misalignment. Personally, I think it will be minimal and you will be fine. However, if you end up having problems shifting (particularly into 1st), or you have excessive wear on your pilot bushing/bearing or input bearing - you will know where to look to solve it.
you seem to be hung up on the hose clamps, i could have done the same thing with the spacer?.... the spacer aligns the homemade ring and retainer, the ring and retainer are the exact same size, the homemade ring aligns the bellhousing, trust me i can take the bolts out of the retainer and hit any part with a hammer...it will not move ....they all interlock! open your mind. again, the hose calmps were used to align the two just so the spacer would slide over(and index) the retainer and ring nicely , the same thing could have been done with the spacer ,and the bolts tightened, nothing more. listen, i appreciate all you have done for T5 stuff. i use your info regularly .i wouldn't have even attempted this if it wasn't for this place and info ,but if you dismiss my work without knowing what you are talking about, when i go out of my way to provide info and an alternative method , i'm gonna get defensive. i'm sure this method could be used to adapt t5trans to all kinds of old chev engines with 3 spd or even 4 spd without having to buy a camaro trans for minimal HP applications
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