I'm thinking of building an e30 track car with a 4.8L or maybe a 5.3 depending on price (aluminum would be nice...but $$).

I would like the t56, but too expensive. What other manuals can you think of that would have good gearing for autoX and road.

I would like to reach 65 at the top of second. I have rears from 2.79-4.11 available.

The car weighs about 2600, maybe a bit less eventually.

-Nick

 

World series T5 from a mustang? Or is that just waiting for boom?

Also, been thinking about the aluminum gen vi 5.3 blocks too. Maybe run the gen iii components and computer. Seen some good blocks on ebay.

 

I am going to run an R154 using the novak adapter. Good for at least 650hp.

 

The adapter looks to be about $300 new. I found a r154 locally that looks in decent shape too.

I did a bit of searching and didn't find anything on someone that actually went through with that swap.

Been thinking about an older tranny like a super T-10 or Muncie 21.....but only four gears would suck driving it to an event. And I have never driven one of these and don't know how they shift (feel).

Maybe just need to find a t56 to rebuild? I could get crazy and use a vette t56/torque tube/differential. These seem pretty cheap, but would require serious surgery.

 

I have had super t10's and muncie m21's in old cars , I prefer the super t10 between those

 

TKO's will bolt in with the same stuff needed to make a muncie work. If you buy an aftermarket GM unit it comes with both mechanical and electronic speedo drives.

IMO an overdrive gear is well worth paying extra for. It will probably pay for itself in gas with just a couple of long road trips, not to mention the noise reduction by turning around 2000 RPM on the highway.

A company called G-force makes internals that make a T-5 as strong as anything, but also noisy and expensive.

Unfortunately not a lot of cheap options for manual transmissions that you know will hold up to an LS motor. Automatics are probably your cheapest option without having to find a deal somewhere.

 

A t5 should survive behind a stock 4.8 or 5.3. A world class t5 out of a v8 thirdgen or 3.8 4th gen shouldn't be hard to find.

 

Someone brought up the GM MA5 (or Aisin AR5) that was in Colorados and Solsti(sp?). Able to handle decent power and hase great synchros for the first three gears.

Keisler looks to make a decent bellhousing too. This one is not SFI rated, but could be used for a while at autoX.




New Keisler Super Duty reproduction of famous "621" Chevy 11-inch bellhousing. Strong thick wall titanium-aluminum alloy; CNC precision machined. Mates Chevy late-model LS V8 engines to Muncie, T-10, Saginaw, Richmond, Tremec TKO, Tremec T56-011 and other specially-built transmissions by Keisler. Works with stock clutch linkage and hydraulic clutch actuator. Uses the 168-tooth flywheel and standard GM starter. 4.685" register hole.



EXCLUSIVE FEATURES
Strong thick wall titanium-aluminum alloy
Precision CNC machining including spot faced mounting holes, precision dowel pin holes and bores
Mates late model Chevy LS V8 engines to Muncie, T-10, Saginaw, Richmond, Tremec TKO, Tremec T56-011 and other specially-built transmissions by Keisler.
Works with stock clutch linkage and hydraulic clutch actuator
Uses the 168-tooth flywheel and standard GM starter
Accepts a 10.5" or 11" clutch

BENEFITS
We developed this clutch housing to meet the requirement for a readily available high quality clutch housing. In addition to the features above, it has the following benefits over the original cast steel, cast aluminum and pressed steel safety housings:

Maintains Transmission Life - high accuracy
(< 0.003 inch runout) maintains transmission life, shift quality, low noise.
Brand New - all threads, bores, faces are in new condition and clean
Accurate Starter Location - precision CNC machining of starter position prevents backlash & binding
Lightweight - Only 15 lbs.
Uses ALL Factory Linkage Parts - for clutch forks, z-bar, rubber dust boot
Quick Installation – precision clutch housing speeds accurate driveline installation

(from their page)

The truck MA5 moves the shifter 3-4" foward of a T56 (which lines up perfectly in an e30), so I have to figure out if the Soltice one might work better, or if there is a shifter relocator.

Just thinking out loud.

 

I'd save the coin to get the t-56 from the start. Maybe look into finding one to rebuild or if the LT-1 t-56's can be had for a good, much cheaper, price look at converting it to LS use.

I may be too young/soft to comment, but the feel of the old 4 speeds is ... "unnecessary".

 

Well I think 4 speeds are out. MA5 looks like the new contender.

 

The WC T5 is much stronger than people give it credit for. As long as the RPM's stay below 6000 or so due to 3rd gear hanging out there all by itself and the syncro having issues keeping up above that point. I would think it would work great behind a 4.8/5.3.

 

I would suspect a 2.95 1st gear T5 would be rated for more torque than an M5. And anyone know the bolt pattern? I dont think the MA5 was ever offered behind a V8.

 

That's why I would need the Novak adapter and the keisler bellhousing listed above.

Good point about the first gear height.

 

I'm putting a 3.42 1st gear T10 behind a 5.3 and using a 2.73 rear in my 72 Olds. The aluminum 3.42 T10s are rated at nearly 300ft/lbs. If you can find an iron case 81 f body 3.42 T10, it's rating is higher.
Mine wont be used for any racing, mostly hiway. I may even swap out the rear for a 2.56 for the hiway.
Clearly not a high tech build, but a reasonable daily driver. I'll only have $150 in the T10 (rebuild myself) and they just about give away A body 2.56 rears.

 

you can find WC T5's cheap! If you get a ford case, it doesnt install at an angle. Then you just get a SFI bellhousing to swap to the ford case. That's what I'm doing on my race car.

I too didn't want to buy another T56. I bought one for my RX7 project and that was enough!

 

Great info here on the MA5

http://www.supramania.com/forums/sho...s-4.2l-I6-Swap

The solstice tranny puts the shifter way back, probably further then the t56.

The keisler goes for $250. I found the same bell on ebay for $200 shipped.

I would have loved to use the MA5 but the shifter was either 5" forward or 4" back from where I needed it. I would like to find a way to use it because they are plentiful and have far less miles then any R154.

 

You will eventually look for a t56. So might as well just do it right the first time.
Spend now, so dont have to spend more and do the job twice.
I own 3 t56 equipped vehicles, but one has been converted to th350 for drags.
Still i dont think i would try and use anything else besides a t56

 

I can understand this if you are sticking it in a car that comes from the factory with a t56 but why not explore options on a complete swap? MA5's are cheap and plentiful and if they are anything near an R154 then they will handle the power of an N/A V8. Why drop the money for another gear and a tranny that might be only marginally stronger?

I am going to use the R154 and when all is said and done I will have ~$1000 including the trans, adapter, bell, clutch master and slave, PP, flywheel, and clutch. It should hold 400 ft/lbs without any trouble.

 

Considering GM offered 4.8/5.3s with 5 spds for a short period I would think that would be sufficient.

 

This thread is full of guys talking about how a T5 "should" hold up but all I know is the internet is full of posts about LS motors chewing those bad boys up.

Definitely cheaper the first time around, but how about the second?

BTW I am using that Keisler bell housing to mount a TKO 5 speed to an LS2. It is just a recreation of a BBC bell, there is really nothing special about it. Lakewood and a host of others make steel ones to the same dimensions.

If you get an early (pre 2001) T56 that hasn't been rebuilt yet, then you might want to add the price of a rebuild to the cost of buying one used. The shift forks on those early ones were improved through the years.