Need Muncie to T-5 help

I have a m-21 muncie in my car at the moment with a 12 bolt with 4:56 gears so my top-end cruising speed ****s! My buddy is parting out a late model s10 extreme with a 4.3l v-6 (engine over heated...) How hard would it be and will the t5 bolt to my bellhousing? If not what do i need to do the complete swap? Thanks

 

Check the gear ratio in 5th if it is a .86 it is not really worth the time to swap it out. Find a higher ratio .72 or close to it.

 

Do the search on here. Lots of info.

 

With the 4:56 gear it ain't going to help much anyway.

 

Alright thanks ill check around

 

Im not wanting any land speed records...just around 65mph cruising speed, just to drop the rpms enough.

 

5th is easy to change.

Late model S10 T5s have the taller Ford bolt pattern to the bellhousing. So, adpater plate: http://www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61327&d=1340907314

 

It is unlikely that it is the 0.86:1 overdrive (4.03 ge****t) if it is off a 4.3. Those were mostly on smaller, earlier engines.

Find the tag and look it up here: http://www.flatheadv8.org/ernie/ernie-t5.htm

The input shaft on the S10 units is longer than the "regular" V8 transmissions (Muncie, Saginaw, etc.). You will either need to shorten it, or run a spacer.

Spacer is easier: http://hamiltonintakes.com/products/s10-t-5-swap-adapter

1993 and later S10 T5's have the Ford pattern, necessitating an adapter spacer combo, or get the bellhousing from the S10. The 4.3 and the SBC have the same bell pattern.

 

The first gear in that trans is going to be WAAAY too steep, first gear will be useless, and you will be stuck with a BIG drop between 3rd and 4th. Look for a 2.95 first gear box out of a V-8 Camaro. WAY better for your set-up.

 

The Camaro gears would be better, but you might want to grab the S10 unit anyway, so you can transplant the top cover and tail housing to the Camaro unit, so you shifter boot does not have to get screwed into the middle of your seat cover.

How you do that is here: http://www.inliners.org/Jack/T5tech.html

 

Uh oh. According to Wikipedia, the Xtreme S10 debuted in 1999, which makes that transmission a NV3500, not a T5, with an integrated bellhousing. You could use the whole thing, but the ratios are unknown to me.

 

They might be: M50 NV3500 3.490 2.160 1.400 1.000 0.780

That would make your 4.56:1 rear gear in 5th. "feel" like a 3.55:1 with a 4-speed (non OD transmission).

 

Take a look at t-56 6 speed with o.d. 5th & 6th. Early Chevrolet unit (LT1 style) can be adapted to fit a normal bell housing or a Lakewood for instance and thus use a common flywheel, p/p, clutch and throw out arm.

Charlie

 

That's right. The T5 was never put behind the 4.3 V6.

Bob

 

Why don't you do the simple thing, and ditch the 4:56 gears? 40 some years ago the biggest mistake I ever made was swapping out my 4:10 gears for 4:56 in a street driven Chevelle.

 

The input shaft is too short. You need the LS input shaft to make that work, along with an extended pilot bushing. I run that setup in my A.

 

Would be a lot easier to just switch the rear end to a more highway friendly ratio.. The S10 5 speed behind a V8 and 4.56 gears may not hold up to much abuse anyway....

 

if your m-21 is close ratio and you go lower than 3.73 rear you will have a hard time takeing off in first gear bogging cause first gear is too tall

 

That NV3500 is MFG rated at 300lb.ft. of torque. It is NOT a NWC T5.

 

Very good point. The S-10 top cover and tail housing on the camaro box would be just the thing.

 

Then again, maybe not.

 

You're right - I just didn't go into the details - part of "adapted". I'm doing the same swap behind a 406" to get away from a unique flywheel and all the hyd. t.o. bearing, etc.

Your answer is better.

Charlie

 

Alright thanks guys. So would any 12 bolt gears work or? it has a detroit locker in it. Could somebody chime in what my 4th gear crusing speed would be with 3:73s? thanks guys.

 

It might be easier to figure out where you want to be after a swap. What RPM at what speed are you looking for in high gear? The 3.7's are still fairly low, with a the low gear in a T-5 transmission. High gear might be fine.

 

Maybe not in a pick up, but I took one out of a Astro van that had a 4.3. I understand it was pretty rare, never seen another one. It lives quite well behind my flattie now...

 

Whats the tire height?

 

Yes, I was talking about pickups. They are indeed rare in Astro Vans. Offered for a year or two only, I think. Strange offset remote shifter that can be swapped out for a conventional set up.

Bob

 

Youre right about the shifter, the perfect swap...

 

There is a company out there that makes overdrive gears that fit in a Muncie case..in other words 4th gear becomes overdrive..I dont know if the other gears are split to smoothen the rpm drop from one gear to the other but I would consider that option. You can use everything you have..just have these gears swapped into your existing transmission. It might be Autogear? Someone can chime in with the name...or change the gears in your rearend it might be cheaper...and much simpler

 

Lots of variables here and even more opinions. Judging by the op's avatar and the info given, the car is a maybe an early nova. We had one with several engines and gear sets over the years. The best all around combo for the street and a little playing around was a M21 behind a mild 355 with 331 posi. 245/60-15s. sounds like the same car as this with a diff gear change to me.