4L60E OR T56 YOUR CHOICE AND WHY FOR THE LS1Z

[LS1 Z]

I want your opinions!!! As most of you know, I built my Z with the 4L60E. The trans went out today. I will do an update with details later. I'm thinking about switching to a 6 speed. I liked the auto till it broke. Then all these thoughts are going through my head...... The Z being a sports car should be a 6-speed? I think the 1/4 mile times will be better with the auto. But... The car is not gonna be a 1/4 mile track car. I wanna be part of the 11 second club. Possible with a manual? My plans for the car are to drive it the way she wants to be driven!! Mountain roads, Freeway and around town. Please let me know your personal opinions!

THANK YOU- YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!

JOEY

[LS1240Z]

That sucks about your tranny......I heard you and Mike roastin the hell out of those wheels last night.You guys were like 3 miles away......That probaly didnt help the tranny none. I feel the same way about the 1/4 track.I dont care to much for the auto if it's in a sports car.Unless i realy set it up for the 1/4 track.I race on the street more then anything.Racing from start to finish is cool....but I like it when your just crusin along and someone tryes to front on you.I just tap that throttle and smooooke that Mother!@#$

I want your opinions!!! As most of you know' date=' I built my Z with the 4L60E. The trans went out today. I will do an update with details later. I'm thinking about switching to a 6 speed. I liked the auto till it broke. Then all these thoughts are going through my head...... The Z being a sports car should be a 6-speed? I think the 1/4 mile times will be better with the auto. But... The car is not gonna be a 1/4 mile track car. I wanna be part of the 11 second club. Possible with a manual? My plans for the car are to drive it the way she wants to be driven!! Mountain roads, Freeway and around town. Please let me know your personal opinions!

THANK YOU- YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!

JOEY [/quote']

[GB300Z]

Hey, sorry about you’re tranny…

My LS1-Z32 has the manual T56 in it, she’s not up and running yet, but all I can think about is power shifting through those gears. It puts one hell of a smile on my face . I don’t know how you and KraZeeZX done the conversion, but all my measurements, fabrications, and placement of engine and tranny, went by the shifter being in the right position for me. Since the T56 is a lot shorter then the Z’s 5 speed (which I had) the firewall hat to be moved back quit a bit. Since the shifter on an auto is not directly mounted on the tranny, I don’t know how far back you went on the install. So you might have problems getting a T56 in the right position for the shifter. If you need pics or measurements, I will be glad to crawl under my Z and get them for you.

[KraZeeZX]

Sucks about the trans

 

GB300Z - I don't think he ever mentioned that it was a Z32, and aside from you... Aldashwa (i think thats the name) and me are the only other 2 runnin around in Z32 LS1's here. Just to make that clear.

 

I bought my combo with a 4l60e and specifically sold it so I could get the T-56. My Z was a manual originally, and I couldn't change that now could I?

 

I've only driven stick-shift and I intend on keeping it that way. It's just more fun. The automatic is ONLY good if you intend on having an 8 second, straight-line car... point and shoot. I am really anti-automatic, it takes all the sport and skill out of driving... when all you have to do to go is hit the pedal... that's no fun at all, probably boring really. :

 

I like to be able to drop it down a few gears.. get that nice high engine note and then

 

11's are EASILY attainable with a manual.

 

Go with the 6-spd, you won't regret it!

 

-Vann

[LS1 Z]

Right on John! I agree with you! Mike (MAS280) Said wait till monday and drive his RX7-LS1(t-56) and make my decision then. Then there is always the auction ending before that...

Well, I still want opinions please! The T-56 is at a decent deal. I also wonder about my cross member and drive shaft. John at John's cars owes me a favor from a mix up from my 4L60E drive shaft. You, Mas, Mike Knell, Iflyfast, Phantom, and all of you can help me with the rest, With like the hydralics and stuff! Can you tell where I'm leading?

As for the Auto.. From G.M. My cost is 1,400. Then you have around 700.00 or so for a torque converter, plus a shift kit. Or my rebuilder to go through my trans and.... I'm not sure

Thanks

Joey

[iflyfast1]

Joey,

For me it was pretty much a no brainer. I've had many sports cars over the years, and I wouldn't dream of owning a sports car with an automatic. You just don't have the same control in the corners.

 

My 260Z car had an automatic when I started. Installing a clutch pedal is no big deal. It bolts in. I believe your trans cross member is different though, so you'll probably need to swap. T56 is also lighter and smaller.

The only issue I see is the T56 clutch longevity. After inspecting mine, I decided to replace because it looked like there was some serious chatter going on, although it still had about 50% wear left. I replaced with LS6 clutch/flywheel (about $300 complete as I remember).

 

Tom

[Tim240z]

After driving with Mike in his Auto LS1 Z, I decided that the auto is nicer than the manual. Depeding on how and where you plan to drive the car, auto may be more practical. My T56 is nice and all, but my next buildup (whatever that may be) will be auto. My daily driver is a Z28 (LT1-T56), and it is a PITA in traffic (a fact of life in SoCal)

 

Tim

[GAZRNR]

If money is not the issue then it comes down to personal preferance. I have a 330 hp carberated V8 and went with the T56 and a 3.90 rear gear. I was concerened that the 3.90 would make 1st useless but after 200 miles of dirving I found that the car is like a 5 speed with an overdrive. 70 MPH in 6th is 1800 RPM. I like my setup and enjoy driving a stick shift car but if I would do the build over I would use a built TH200R4 so I could keep 2 hands on the wheel!

 

Rusty

[COZY Z COLE]

Here's my personal opinion........ I've owned a manual TR-3,RX-7, and a 280 ZX and loved driving them. I've added a 72 240, 74 260. and a 75 280 Z to the 80 280 ZX I currently own. The 75 280 V8 with a blower is the only one with an auto tranny and for my use- 80% street- it is the best way to go for that set-up.

 

Stop and go traffic is not fun to me anymore with a manual tranny. That's part of the CALIF. package you sign when you enter our state.

 

My better half drives a KIA SPECTRA GSX, she's on her second KIA, and love's that car. I hate to say it, on a long trip, I'll take it too.

 

 

 

LARRY

[maichor]

Rowing through the gears is a blast. The control is nice. But, if you want to be in the 11 second club, you will have a harder time with the T56. I have ridden with Phantom and Lonestar1. The auto is quite a bit quicker. Sorry Bill!

 

Case in point- one of my friends has a manual C5 Vette FRC with 400RWHP. His dad liked the car so much, he bought an auto C5 and put the same mods on the car.

 

Results:

Manual C5: low 12's.

AutoC5: High 10's

 

You can be in the 11 second club with the T-56, but you can do it much easier with the auto. That said, I went with the 6-speed!

[240Z-DET]

I'd prefer the T56 although you have to learn what rpm you need to shift in each gear to reach the lowest ET. Yes, it's a greater challenge and has a steeper learning curve, but it should be faster in the 1/4 mile. Look at most sports car today and compare the manual and auto versions. The manual is consistently faster in the 1/4 mile. An automatic is more beneficial (more consistent) when someone is bracket racing. There are some instances where an auto can be faster, but overall a manual makes you feel more intuned with the car.

 

Let me step off the soapbox now.

[Phantom]

Guess I need to weigh in here as a LS1/T56 driver. If I had it to do over again I'm not sure what I would do. I've driven standard transmission cars all my life and I just plain enjoy rowing the gears. I like the ability to chose when I shift. For heavy stop 'n go trafic the T56 sucks. Clutch isn't heavy or anything like that - it just wears you out over time. In a stright line the automatic is also the superior choice. On a crooked track I think it depends on the driver and how the car is set up. I don't think either transmission has an overwhelming advantage. My choice was based of preference and desire - not practicality.

[1 tuff z]

there's no question in my mind-go with the stick. i agree that a co-ed or auto tranny [sorry, i couldn't resist a little ribbing there] will be better for stop-n-go traffic or for most drivers in the 1/4, but my car lives in neither of those. in fact, we have 4 cars and none have the co-ed trans-all are sticks. my 2 centz-fwiw

[qwik240z]

I am going with the auto in my LS1 swap. I also enjoy shifting gears and I originally wanted the 6 speed but the motor I bought came with the auto and that helped my decision. After sitting in lots of bumper to bumper traffic in the DC area, I think the auto will be a better choice. Also, my wife doesn't drive stick too well.

 

Once I get it one the road, I may change my mind. If that happens, I will end up swapping it for the 6 speed. The change over shouldn't be too hard.

 

I will let you all know soon, I hope.

[LS1 Z]

Thank you very much for all of your opinions!! I ended up picking up a T56 off E-bay, out of a 99 firebird for 1275.00, complete. It is being shipped out of Maryland. Now the waiting part. I will switch it out as soon as it arrives. I'm sure not as quick as MAS280 style! But then again I don't see taking more than a day. Question?? Do any of you happen to know if John's cross member is the same for auto and stick?

JOEY

[BrandonsZ]

I am still having a dilemma, I should know after this long list of posts, but I still can't get past the choice between 700R4 and 6-speed. I ALWAYS thought a sports car deservs a stick, but I've driven a stick for 10 of the last 14 years and to be honest, I am really getting tired of the stick in traffic. When I was a kid, there was no dang traffic, or at least I didn't see any, and when I got my job 25 miles away, it was fun to cruze up the freeway with the control of a stick, but slowly the clouds of change have rolled in and the car isn't fun anymore on the jammed roads. It's still fun for the times when I'm smoking some Mustang (I have a prelude SI with 11.9:1 compression pistons, mod cams, and about 210 BHP 7000redline 120kmi on this config, have to get rid of it, won't pass smog anymore, and endless electrical problems.)

 

But I'm going to get a 240 and do the switch with a zz383 carburated (425BHP). It'll have gobs of power and torque, I can't imagine driving that much power with a stick, I would hate driving in traffic with that much power going 5 mph in socal.

 

...

[LS1 Z]

Amazing.... I won the trans on thursday (14th), Paid for it on friday and it arrived yesterday! Super quick E-bay transaction! All the way from Oaklahoma.(was wrong saying from maryland). Totally complete. Soo complete if I had an Auto Camaro/Firebird I could switch it out, pedals and all.

I've beeen told I can get a Z06 clutch set up from G.M.

QUESTIONS?????

1. What year S10 master do I need and How do you adapt it to the car and datsun pedal?

2. Is my John's Cars auto crossmember the same as the manual one and if it is does it bolt up to the body in the same place?

If you guys don't know the answer to the second question, I can always get ahold of John. He owes me a favor from my drive shaft I got from him. And I'm sure I will have to get my drive shaft changed.

JOEY

[Phantom]

Joey,

You could just get your MC from John. The one in mine required two new mounting holes in the firewall but then the piston arm went straight to the bracket on the Datsun clutch pedal.

Might just send John a quick email on the trans crossmember. I would tend to think they would be very close because GM made them to mount in the same vehicles. I would confirm with John though.

Bill

[iflyfast1]

Joey,

I sent you an email.

Tom