guys....need help with what is required to mount a t56 6 sp tranny to a 64 283? Anybody got a parts list of what they found to make this work? Plan to run the hyd clutch from the t56. Plan to run with the 4:11 posi in a 38 chev 2dr sedan that was my H.S. car. Ideas will be greatly appreciated!!!
The first T56s in the 93-97 LT1 Camaros employed a reverse pull clutch. Stay away from them unless its a give away price. 98 and newer require either a factory aluminum thing that I'll call a bellhousing and they will bolt directly to a 283. Be sure you get one with any trans you buy or it'll cost about $200. The thing is that the factory installed T-56 presents problems with shifter location and speedometer drive. If you have the money, buying a new T-56 Magnum is the best way to go ($3500 by the time you ship it). Go here to read about them and see what and why https://americanpowertrain.com/shop/transmissions/tremec-t56-magnum-for-gm/ With a 283, the T-56 is overkill but it can be moved to future projects. Probably a better choice would be a Tremec TKO which is a lot lighter and bolts to a stock Chevy V8 bellhousing. Get the TKO 500 for a low first gear and still have overdrive. Still not cheap, but probably a better choice for what you want.
I bought an early F body T56 for a project 8 or 9 years ago. I swapped in an input shaft from an LS powered F body trans and bought an adapter to go between the trans itself and a SBC bell housing. Still money ahead only because I bought the T56 dirt cheap. It’s standing by waiting for a car to go into.
What I was getting at is what @ekimneirbo mentioned. Cost mainly. I/e an older T56 - unless you can drive it- can be costly to have it gone through. Well, I guess if you can do it yourself not as bad, but with to cost of those 20 year old or so transmissions are around a grand + , then parts to make it work, then possible rebuild, etc That said I bought an OT car with a T56. I’d given my kid a similar OT car. So am swapping the T56 with all the parts to make it work into her car and have use for the engine in another project. So for me I know the drivetrain is good, and it’s just moving parts around. If I were to start from scratch I’d spend a few more bucks up front and go with something new
With the exception of the very first year F-body T56, the input shaft can be swapped from LT to LS. You will need a bellhousing adapter to put it on a "regular" SBC bell, and and extended pilot bushing. Once yo have all of that in, regular SBC stuff inside the bell (clutch disc, pressure plate, throwout bearing, fork, etc.) will all work, as long as you get a clutch disc with the correct spline count and diameter (common). I would not try to adapt the factory hydraulic clutch components on an LS setup. I would not even think about trying that with an LT setup. Either F-body transmission puts the shifter all the way back at the end of the tail housing. Measure where that would be. If that is a no-go, let me know. I have a Keisler front shift conversion gathering dust on a shelf, that a customer stuck me with. I have a LT-to-LS T56 in my Falcon, and I think it is awesome.
A 283 isn't likely to hurt any of those transmissions. The problem is that most of them have been abused to death before you ever get them and the cost to recondition one will quickly make it an expensive choice. It might be worth picking one up that you know needs some work and then rebuild it yourself.........but they often need some expensive special tools. Probably the best cost effective choice is a T5 but they are getting more expensive as people have started using them in semi-nostalgic cars. Might look at some of the transmissions used behind GM (or others) V6s and what it would take to adapt them. They are fairly strong and reasonably cheap........Uknow.....adapt like in the old days. Maybe one of the S-10 V6s with a smallblock bolt pattern. That should bolt diretly to a 283.
I believe that all S10s with the 4.3l V6 had an NV3500 series transmission, with an integral bell. This transmission would work, but is not a T5. That also may be of some advantage here, as everyone seems to be looking for a T5. I think that the only 4.3l to T5 matchup was the Astro/Safari van, and those are rare enough that I have never actually seen one in-person. Interestingly enough, the Astro/Safari T5 application was in the years when the T5 only had the Ford front pattern, so the bellhousing is SBC to FORD!
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