Motown 454

iTrader: (15)

Hi I 'm doing a 69 Camaro project FNQUIK on Lateral G.net. The engine I have ready to go in is a Bill Mitchell 454 sbc ,but I'm thinking putting it up forsale and going with an LS2 in stead. I searched old threads but didn't find what I need . I have a Keisler Viper T56 perfect fit kit for my car it has hydraulic clutch setup. I would like to keep the trans in the same place if at all possible. Does any one make engine mounts that keep the back of the engine the same place as a Gen 1 sbc ? If so which headers work with them?
Any help will be appreciated Thanks Wayne

deuce4935

iTrader: (2)

BRPhotrods.com is your source!

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

Did that T56 bolt to the SBC? If so you will need a new belhousing, new input shaft, and a different hydraulic setup. LS1 has a different bolt and clutch setup than a LT1/sbc setup.

As far as keeping it in the same location if you have already mounted it i could imagine it would stay fairly close (within an inch ir two) but not exactly the same location. I had to do some cutting and welding and prying and bending to my car to get things to work just right. I made my crossmember to work where i wanted it to, well really where it ended up with the engine mounts and such.

72_nova

iTrader: (1)

correct me if I am wrong but won't a sbc bolt pattern TH400 bolt up to the LS1? and if that does why does a T56 Need a special bell housing... why wouldn't the T56 SBC bell housing bolt up as well?

jfg455

iTrader: (5)

I think what he means is the the spacing from the trans to the pilot bushing is diferent than a SBC. The ls engines also use a 12 oclock bolt istead of the 2 oclock bolt on the bell housing. Yes a th400 will bolt to an LS1 motor but you have to space the flywheel back about 3/4 of an inch with a van spacer to get the converter to bolt up. G

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

Yes exactly what i meant

Motown 454

iTrader: (15)

Thanks guys I have a Mcleod modular bell housing. It will bolt to both LS and SBC as well as the Viper trans. I will have to change the hydraulic throw out bearing , fly wheel, clutch setup, input shaft. I talked to some one who said I would have to change the front plate , is that where the slave cylinder rides on? Sorry if these are dumb questions but I've been away from the hobby for quite a few years . Last time I had a performance car a set of aluminum heads was an exotic motor. lol
Thankyou for your time Wayne

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

Well you see i have a viper LS1 t56. Basically a Viper T56 is a 30 spline output shaft. It's a different output shaft/gears is all. The bellhousing from LT1/sbc/bbc is entirely different than an ls1. This would includ input shaft length although i believe they are both 26 spline input shafts. You see an ls1 has an internal clutch slave cylinder. That is that the slave cylinder IS the throw out bearing which pushes on the clutch. The hydraulic slave cylinder expands against the pressure plate to release the clutch. The LT1 is an external slave cylinder.

Motown 454

iTrader: (15)

Shawn I have the one that rides on the collar inside the bell housing with just 2 hydraulic line comming out one for feed and a bleeder line. its not a push style like the LT1 its from keisler automotive . My trans is probably the same as yours it has the 30 spline out put shaft and the 26 input but the input is customized to fit the Gen 1 sbc I think they shorten it . Wayne

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

Hmm so you do have an internal slave cylinder. I'm honestly not sure the way it works. but if you output shaft work with our bbc i would imagine it would need to be shortened (wouldnt matter about one less bolt hole at all), as when i was going ot run the TH400 on my car i was going to have to run a 1 inch or so spacer for the converter to make it work. I am running an ls1 bolt pattern.

I did have to cut my floor. When i installed my LS1 with ATS plats, prothane SBC mounts, 327 frame stands, and the modified LS1 t56 i had to cut a new hole for the shifter. This hole was about 4 inches center to center from the origional OHC 6/3 speed to the new LS1/T56 location. It wont let me post the pic for whatever reason.

Project GatTagO

iTrader: (7)

The Edelbrock adapter plates will keep your bellhousing in the same location as it was with the BBC. I went from a BBC to LSx and I didn't want to change anything from the trany back. The Edelbrock plates worked as promised and my shifter was in exactly the same location as it was with the BBC.

Andrew

Motown 454

iTrader: (15)

Shawn here are a few pictures of my transmission.

Motown 454

iTrader: (15)

Andrew do you remember how much the input shaft stuck out from the front of the bell housing?

Project GatTagO

iTrader: (7)

I am using a Richmond 6 spd with the Keisler bellshousing. The Richmond has an input shaft length of 6.66" from the transmission mounting face to the tip of the input shaft. I didn't measure the Keisler bellshousing, but most old school SBC and BBC bellshousings were about 6.20" deep, from the transmission mounting surface to the engine mounting surface. You also have a choice between using an LS1 style pilot bearing or an LS7 style bearing. The LS1 style mounts deeper in the crank while the LS7 style is further back towards the transmission. I used the LS7 style with my Richmond. If you look in my build thread there is a picture of how the input engages the LS7 pilot bearing.

Andrew

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

The easiest would probably be to have the Tranny converted to bolt onto a LS Engine(Front Plate and Input Shaft) and to use a LS Bellhousing, that would keep it in pretty much the same spot if you go to a LS Engine.

bczee

iTrader: (12)

I bought a Viper T56 that had the Input shaft converted.. but he didn't replace the adapter plate between the trans and bell housing. the bolt pattern on the trans is the same for ford, gm and the viper... only the adapter plate is of a different design for each of the three manufactures bell housing side. The GM bell housing will bolt up to the Viper adapter plate but the throw up bearing is of a different bolt pattern, throw and dia.

What I did was since the input shaft was of the GM spec, I modified a GM throw out bearing by redrilling the bolt hole to get it clocked correctly and just used the GM Bell housing and all bolt up ok after those mod's.

So you really only need to change the input shaft and modify the T/O bearing, but it would be easier to swap the adapter plate if you can get one and not have to mod the T/O bearing. You can find some pictures in my sig link of my project.

the reason I wanted a Viper T56, other than it is stronger. .is that the shifter location is more forward that a GM one and I needed it to clear the Bench seat.

Motown 454

iTrader: (15)

This one is modified by Keisler, to put the shifter in exact place as factory 4 spd console. I don't know which throw out bearing is on it. Do they use a stock front input shaft or do they make a stronger one? Wayne