Domestic Demon

iTrader: (1)

My buddy has a 74 Nova with a 350 HO engine swap coupled to the original TH350 auto trans. Just recently the starter gear shroud broke off (wtf) and ruined both the starter and flywheel, therefore we had to drop the trans to address the issue.

Now that its all taken apart, he's thingking of trying to swap in a T5 or Saginaw 4 speed manual trans. There's a bunch on eBay, but we're not sure how everything would bolt up with a T5.

The bellhousing would bolt up fine, but would the shifter be too far back?? And the crossmember wouldn't bolt up either I assume. Most of the T5's we've found for sale are out of 80's F-Bodys, do they have to use a hydraulic clutch, or can a mechanical style clutch setup be installed?? Also, what kind of linkage/pedal setup would work??

I'm thinking the 4 speed Saginaw would be much easier, since the car was available with that originally, and the clutch is a mechanical style. We found an online vendor who sells the complete clutch pedal linkage kit for a 68-74 Nova, which would make that part much simpler. Plus, I believe the crossmber design is very similar for the TH350/Saginaw.

The T5's can be had for cheaper, but do you think its worth the extra difficulty of trying to get it installed properly?? Or is it near impossible to get the clutch setup to work in the Nova?? Also, would the 3rd gen Camaro/Firebird T5 hold up to 330HP and 380ft/lbs of torque??

Sorry for all the questions, I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

00454sscamaro

well the t5 is pretty strong in the forward gears. i had over 400 hp going through my m5, but for some reason one day i tried to to a reverse burnout. reverse in the t5 is weak but the other gear can be slammed with 400+ hp with no glitces. after i rebuilt the t5 (from rear gear going) it held up great. and they use hydralic to push an actuator i think it could be made to be machanical not sure why youd want to skip the hydralic though, the master and slave are easiy enough to mount on most cars.. my dad actuall just put one in a 36 chevy.. and make sure its a v8 t5 the v6 is a different spline. idk much about the nova and the shifter location. hope this info is useful.

Villain281H

iTrader: (5)

4-speed will be much easier versus the 5-speed. Almost guarantee shifter won't be in the correct spot, crossmember will have to be fabbed or bought, clutch will likely go to hydraulic set-up, etc etc.

Company called Kiesler (hope the spelling is right) makes kits to swap 5-speed and 6-speeds into classic cars. Everything is done so the shifter will come out in a factory location, and it includes detailed instructions, crossmember, etc to make the job a hell of a lot easier.

Good luck whatever route you take!

Derek

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

If you had a nova with a T10 fourspeed with factory linkage and wanted to put a V8 chevy T5 in it's place all you would need to do is take the four bolts out that hold the trans to the bellhousing and swap the transmissions. From the trans back is another story but the T5 and T10 have the same input size.

If you had a nova with a saginaw installed you'd need to swap the clutch disc only.

In fact with the saginaw you could bolt the driveshaft right back in place after a T5 swap. All you'd have to deal with is the shifter and cross member. The T5's bolt in at an angle also.

I've had all three transmissions I just mentioned, never had them sitting side by side but the shifters on all are close to the end of the tail housing, main difference is the T5 shifter is centered and the T10, and saginaw are bolted to the side of the trans closer to the driver.

Domestic Demon

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for all the input/help guys.

He actually just bought a 4 speed saginaw off eBay, since he found a good deal on one. Its been recently rebuild, very clean, and its got a 3.50 1st gear ratio, which is really nice. We figured it would be much easier than trying to set up a 5 speed, considering the hydraulic clutch setup, size differences, shifter placement, ect. So basically we just need to find a 4 speed bellhousing, a shifter, and order the clutch pedal linkage/kit from Nostalgic Nova.

Anyone know if the crossmember and driveshaft length are the same for the Th350/Saginaw 4 speed?? That would be a big plus if they are...

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

They are.

Domestic Demon

iTrader: (1)

Cool, thanks for the info.

Anyone know what shifter assemblies will work with the Saginaw 4-speed??
We've found a couple for Muncies, T10, Borg Warner (all 4 speeds) but I'm not sure if the linkages/ect. will work on a saginaw 4 speed.

I'll keep the thread updated on the progress of the swap.

Domestic Demon

iTrader: (1)

Well the trans arrived safely and in good condition. Looks like its brand new, not bad for $500.

Here's the link:

Saginaw 4 Speed

We just ordered the bellhousing as well. Its out of a 71 Camaro, 10" flywheel size (thats what he said anyway) for a saginaw trans and Chevy 350. Anyone know if 10" (I think its 10.4" technically) will be an issue??

Also, we still gotta order the shifter. We found this one on ebay, not sure if it will work on a Saginaw 4 speed though, since it says Borg-Warner T10 on the listing:

4 Speed T10 Shifter

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

8a8mfh

iTrader: (3)

Well there is no such thing as a 10" flywheel for a small block, it must be a 14" and he's talking about a 10" clutch disc. You can go all the way up to I believe 12" on the disc depending on the pressure plate.
I don't remember much about my shifter linkages. I had a saginaw with a hurst comp plus shifter in my nova at one time, then I got a T10 with the same shifter already on it so I never tried to change them.

Domestic Demon

iTrader: (1)

Hmmm...interesting. I suppose thats what he was talking about then when we ordered it. We're probably going to get a brand new clutch set from an auto parts store, since they are reasonably priced and we can order one specifically for that transmission and year.

Thanks for the tips - anyone else know if the shift linkages between a Saginaw 4-speed and Borg Warner T10 or Muncie are interchangeable??