Brandenhs

iTrader: (2)

So in my area a good t56 is very hard to come by and if you find one a used unit is around $2200. I found a guy on facebook who had a t56 from a 96 lt1 Camaro with 50k on it. He also had almost all the parts to convert it to a LS style and for $1000 so i went and got it.



Then I found this. (damn it)



So i tore it down because he has not responded so I get to take one. This is what I found.





Now the bad. All the synchro assemblies are too rusty to save, the main shaft is worn on the 5/6 so it slips off and even has wiggle room to play seeing as it had water in it everything with paper or carbon needs replaced because im not doing a half *** job to blow it up on the freeway. The gears and other shafts and the forks are all good with little to to wear. Im now needing advice on what way to go. Let me say that I will not ship this off to be built this is the kind of stuff i love to do. My question is should I part it out and find another unicorn or rebuild this unit because I think I have everything tracked down to do a stage 2 rebuild with a repaired mainshaft from TDP and parts from tick for $1500-2000. So Ill have 2500-3k and still need the hydraulics and clutch, flywheel and that good stuff. This will someday go behind a almost stock 6.0 from an exress van. I just have not figured out what the next project it. Just what I want to put in it.

BALLSS

For $1k given you also have the mid plate & input shaft for a LS install not a horrible purchase. Looks like the donor car was a flood car to get that kind of water in the trans.

It has a Hurst Pro Billet shifter (good)

When you go LS....the LT1 fork is worth its weight in gold to sell...reports of $300+ for that.....maybe $50 for the slave spacer you won't need on the LS version

Get the parts you need from supplier of choice and rebuild it. You will know what you have then

A 94-97 T56 of unknown mileage and use (and NOT likely your Grandmother drove the car) is around $1500 minimum and higher $ that you likely need to put $1000-$2000 into repairing. So you didn't do bad IMHO. Especially when getting the adapter plate and input shaft for LS

4EyedTurd1

iTrader: (1)

I feel your almost exact pain. I picked up a partially pulled apart Lt t56 to convert to ls. I didn't want to buy it because I had seen the cost of the conversion parts on top of the price of the tranny already. Seller kept throwing in parts and do I ended up with a pro5.0 shifter, used diamond stage 2 clutch and a driveshaft and trans for $1000. Took trans to TDP and found 1st-4th needed new gears, main shaft had wear and it was missing a few pieces.

But it's been gone thru now and ready to go behind a stock 6.0. It's just money....can't take it with you when you die.

Brandenhs

iTrader: (2)

Well this is how she sits... in a lot of pieces. I'm just going to rebuild it. I just got the LS1 bell housing today for $150 and TDP will have my main shaft by the end of the week. I thought it over and this will be a fun learning experience and if it cost a little more than a new tranny at least I know how it works and wont be afraid of it when and if it breaks on me. So that puts me at $1150 for a Ls style T56 and misc LT1 T56 parts I will sell ASAP to help fund the rebuild.

Senna

iTrader: (1)

I got burned for $1200 on a Craigslist special. when I took it to get rebuilt, the only useable part was the case.

I bought a new Magnum T56 to put be hind a nicely built LS3.

onebadbowtie86

iTrader: (13)

Could be worse, I bought a t56 from a member on here that was supposed to be in good working condition, was Junk. Needed 1-2,3-4,5-6 and reverse synchro assemblys, a new second gear and the synchro blocker ring I have $3k into it.

BALLSS

sadly 20+ year old T56 which likely were not driven by your Mother are in rough shape used with 1 or 2 hundred + thousand miles on them

Fortunately they can be rebuilt and like the Op who is doing the work himself he will have a solid T56 for about $2k when the dust settles, maybe less on his given some LT1 parts can sell

Since you can't buy a "new" 94-97 T56 now $2k for one that work good is not a bad price

I bought a new T56 in 2005 for my 96 from D&D with steel 3-4, billet keys, bronze pads for $22xx shipped to my door in Calif. Long gone is that $ and new tranny is no longer available.

Magnum is a newer, better T56 if you have the $

Brandenhs

iTrader: (2)

Well this thing is trash. Just got a call from TDP the main shaft is too far gone. So now we have all gears, syncros, cones, seals and cluster gears are pitted from rust. I can save the Mid plate, case, shifting rods and misc small pieces. So Im on the hunt for a C5 or C6 to gut. I just bought a brand new GTO main shaft for the same as a used LS1 mainshaft but may upgrade it to the SSR one. And I can get a low mile C5 tranny local for under $1000. Now to build a mut.

codyvette

iTrader: (24)

It is hard to tell when a T56 is good or not as far as a full build. I just sent the T56 out of my Z28 to Jason at TDP and it has $800 worth of extra **** that needs replaced. It drove just fine before I sent it in. I just wanted a stage two. The car did have a slight vibration at 55-65 and I am hoping get it was in the transmission. Good luck on your venture.