I have a 94 base model v6 Camaro five speed. I'm doing a engine swap to a LS1 swap and I'm keeping it as a manual transmission I'm looking at a t56 six speed am I going to have to change my rear end and if so what what gear ratio do I need to go with? To get the most power I have a z28 rear end but it came out of a automatic. I'm open to any suggestions to get the most power on a budget.

 

Well, depends on what you mean by most power. Our automatic WS6 had a 3.73:1, and it was a very nice torquey grab compared to stock. In a manual, I'd go with 4.10:1.

 

You say budget, how tight is this budget? You could use the Z28 rear end as is for now. Do you know what's currently in there?

If it's a series 3 carrier, you could take the (likely) 3.42s from the V6 rear and swap them onto the carrier in the Z28 rear end.

 

Would the 5 speed and rear end handle the increased h-p and torque of a period correct lt1 swap?

 

Jesse, the way I figure these things out is by looking at what cruise RPM I want to have at a certain mph. Or for a drag car I figure out my trap speed and what rpm I want to be at crossing the line.

For example, if you want to be running 2300 rpms, say, with a 27" tire at 70 mph, then a 4.10 rear gear and the .63 overdrive ratio of the T56 would put you right there, at 2264 rpms at 70. Some T56's have a .57 overdrive. That's just from a quick google search I just did on T56 gear ratios, so check the transmission you have to find out for sure.

It's basically free torque through having a lower rear gear, and that's the beauty of an overdrive transmission.

In terms of how long it will last. That all depends on traction and how you intend to use/abuse the car. If you are planning on slapping slicks on it and dropping the clutch at 5000 rpms, the transmission will last about as long as it takes to blink if you dead hook. Make sure that you have no wheel hop on the street, that will kill all sorts of stuff. But for a basic build, like 350-400 flywheel horsepower and a street car, should be fun.

Personally, I'd go 4.10s for sure and take advantage of that 6 speed.

Here is the rpm/tire size/gear calculator I like to use: calculator

 

Also to go above a certain rear and gear ratio you need a different carrier for a 12 bolt or a special ring and pinion gear to put the lower gear in the series 3 carrier. You can use a spacer setup in order to run a 4.10 in a series 3 carrier. iirc the series 3 carrier goes up to 3.73, and the series 4 is 3.90 and higher but you can get a 4.10 gear that has a thicker ring gear and will work in series 3. Do not use a spacer setup, however. I had a setup like that years ago, and all of the ring gear bolts fell out, lol. I then used the thicker ring gear and never had a problem with it, and this was on a 69 Chevelle 427 with about 450 hp that I raced quite a bit.

 

Wow, just noticed that this post is 5 years old!

 

Those T5's are glass so probably not.