t5 swap questions
07-28-2011, 10:43 PM
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Car: 1987 pontiac firebird
Engine: 6.5 turbo diesel
Transmission: t56
Axle/Gears: Ws6 axle
t5 swap questions
i am finally getting stuff back together to rebuild my tired out old bird i have been doing temporary half a$$ed repairs to her for a long time now just to keep her going and well she is now mostly jb weld duct tape and bailing twine 
and i dont think she will take much more honestly i am surprised she still runs at all like this. lol 
and i finally have gotten a v8 for her again only a base 350 but thats better the dead v6 and i got t5 from a early 90's 4.3 v6 s10. so its time to finally tear the car apart and replace or rebuild everything. starting with motor and trans then suspension steering brakes and then interior and body. up to this point i have researched how to drop in a 455 and t56 but those got sold to pay bills which is why the project has been put off for so long and i have done so much crazy farmer brown bull **** repairs to her. but now i have a motor and trans again and she is getting tore down but i have no clue what all i need to make this 93ish? s10 t5 bolt to my 94 suburban 350 and have it fit into the bird and all work together right and can i reuse the stock drive shaft and torque arm? i read on this sights tech article that 3d gen bell housings tilt the tranny 15 degrees is that true? or will the s10 bell housing work? i have the bell housing flywheel pressure plate everything off the s10's 4.3 v6 how much of that can i reuse on the 350? any help is greatly appreciated thank you
and i dont think she will take much more honestly i am surprised she still runs at all like this. lol and i finally have gotten a v8 for her again only a base 350 but thats better the dead v6 and i got t5 from a early 90's 4.3 v6 s10. so its time to finally tear the car apart and replace or rebuild everything. starting with motor and trans then suspension steering brakes and then interior and body. up to this point i have researched how to drop in a 455 and t56 but those got sold to pay bills which is why the project has been put off for so long and i have done so much crazy farmer brown bull **** repairs to her. but now i have a motor and trans again and she is getting tore down but i have no clue what all i need to make this 93ish? s10 t5 bolt to my 94 suburban 350 and have it fit into the bird and all work together right and can i reuse the stock drive shaft and torque arm? i read on this sights tech article that 3d gen bell housings tilt the tranny 15 degrees is that true? or will the s10 bell housing work? i have the bell housing flywheel pressure plate everything off the s10's 4.3 v6 how much of that can i reuse on the 350? any help is greatly appreciated thank you 
07-29-2011, 07:32 AM
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Re: t5 swap questions
The S-10 trans won't fit. It isn't "rotated", and the shifter is about 6" too far forward, and it has no provision for the torque arm.
THe only pieces out of all that 6-cyl crap that even MIGHT work are the flywheel and the pressure plate. All the rest, .... no.
Get rid of all that and get some F-body stuff instead. Easier, cheeeeper, and more likely to be successful, to do that, than trying to half-a$$ some pile of random garbage into a working package. Best way to do that is to find a wrecked car and get the rest of the stuff you still need. For example, the pedal assy, the hydraulics, the torque arm bracket; all of which have to come from a F car anyway. Save yourself A WHOLE BUNCH of grief and just do it right.
THe only pieces out of all that 6-cyl crap that even MIGHT work are the flywheel and the pressure plate. All the rest, .... no.
Get rid of all that and get some F-body stuff instead. Easier, cheeeeper, and more likely to be successful, to do that, than trying to half-a$$ some pile of random garbage into a working package. Best way to do that is to find a wrecked car and get the rest of the stuff you still need. For example, the pedal assy, the hydraulics, the torque arm bracket; all of which have to come from a F car anyway. Save yourself A WHOLE BUNCH of grief and just do it right.
07-29-2011, 08:14 AM
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Car: 1985 pontiac trans am
Engine: Procharged 5.7l
Transmission: t-56
Axle/Gears: stock 9 bolt 3.71
Re: t5 swap questions
+1 ^^^^^^
Its not as easy as jst swaping just any t5. Besides that there are a whole lot of diff model t5's all being able to handle various power ratings. Do as sugested and buy a donor car. Orrrrrrrr..... I remember a web site that was selling used trans swap kits. Came with Tranny, pedals, clutch, flywheel, bell housing, and crossmember. Was in North carolina I think. Im sure with some research you can find them.
Its not as easy as jst swaping just any t5. Besides that there are a whole lot of diff model t5's all being able to handle various power ratings. Do as sugested and buy a donor car. Orrrrrrrr..... I remember a web site that was selling used trans swap kits. Came with Tranny, pedals, clutch, flywheel, bell housing, and crossmember. Was in North carolina I think. Im sure with some research you can find them.
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