hello,maybe someone can help me please. this is the deal. i have a 1970 camaro with a 350 engine and automatic tranny. i want to swap my auto tranny for a 4 or 5 speed. i here a lot of guys talking about putting a t56. this the deal, i dont know anything about the engine and tranny, because i bought the car with them in there. i have a good deal on a t5 tranny from a guy over here. can i install it in my camaro? will it bolt up or is the t56 the best way to go. i did some research and i see there are different t5's. please tell me what you know or point me the right direction please. thank you

 

Do you have a estimate of the HP or Torque of your 350? The T5 is a much lighter trans then the T56. GM used the T5 is low torque V8s and V6s. I think you can find kits for the install. They can be pricey.

I think most T5 are setup for Hydralic clutchs and second gen camaros are mechanical. Drive shaft will need to be custom, the crossmember will need to be custom. I am not sure about the shifter and where is comes thru the floor. The T5 and T56 have a fixed position cause the shifter goes into trans. The old school sticks where mounted out the side of the tranny and could be moved by making brakets and shorten/extending rods. When buying the t5 keep in mind the ones from Camaros sit at 15% tilt. Since you need a V8 bell housing I think the T5 needs to be from a Camaro. If you hook up a non-Camaro T5 to a 15 deg Camaro bell housing I think you will have a tuff time getting the fluid level right and the shifter will be tilting.

Buying a complete 4 speed setup could be a bolt in project with the exception of the floor boards. It will also be cheaper. THe mechanical linkage has a pivot rod that runs between the frame and the motor. There is a threaded hole on the side of the motor that needs to be there. Hopfully it there with a plug in it. If not you would have to pull the motor to tap it out.

I think the reason every one is telling you to go for the T56 is because its pretty much the same amount of work as the T5. You have all the same problems. In the end a T56 convertion will add value to your car while a t5,,,, not so much

One of our board members is putting a T56 in a 74 as a project now. Hopfully he will chime in.

 

thanks so much, i will do some more research and look for a t56 tranny.

 

I did a T56 install in a 72. Go to www.t56kit.com. They have a kit that provides the hydraulic clutch components and an adjustable billet crossmember. You will have to get pedals, but I got some on eBay for about $80. You'll also have to change your flywheel as the t56 has a different pressure plate depth than the older 3 and 4 speeds. McLeod makes one. You'll have to buy an LT1 pull type clutch(up to '97 trannys) or an LS1 type clutch. Mine was out of a 95. Then you'll need to shorten the driveshaft. I did all the work except the driveshaft cutting and my total cost was about $2300.00. I heard a lot of talk about having to modify trans tunnel but I didn't have to. Well worth the time and money.