How many SBC v8 guys are using manual trannies?

[Guest MHB240z]

Do all camaro or Trans am t-5s bolt on to the bell housing tilted? which years does it bolt on straight. I had a t5 out a 85 fire bird & it bolted kinda side ways. & for that reason I couldn't use it.

[Pyro]

I'm using a T5 that is mounted in a tilted position without any problems. Why couldn't you use it that way?

[pparaska]

...When I drove Pete’s car with the Tremec 5-speed, I found myself yearning for a deeper first gear (numerically higher ratio) because I’m a dweeb and don’t know how to shift; I tend to upshift at 2500 rpm.

 

Michael, my recollection isn't that you had a tough time starting out with the 3.27:1 first gear, but just shifting it way too early for the barely streetable cam I had in the 327, plus the 16lb flywheel. The light flywheel has a lot to do with take off too, if that was a problem. Put a 30lb flywheel in and it makes a huge difference.

 

I decided to just go with more cubes and a bit less radical cam for the engine. This worked out great for take-off (light throttle), even with a 252/252 @.050" cam with 105 LSA - LOTS of overlap.

 

The G-Force T-5 is VERY loud in third gear, worse under load. Even 5th gear is loud. I didn't realize it until the trans was at G-Force, but they have to use the OE GM 5th gears, since the ones they make are only splined for the Ford shaft. I am concerned that I will blow 5th, as I hammer 5th gear a lot. Mike Kelly told me that the guy as 5speeds.com worked with someone in Europe to develop a high strength 5th gear. I may look into that. Of course, the G-force tranny shifts great!

[Michael]

Driving Pete’s car with the 327 and Tremec was challenging for me. It was actually my first drive in a quality-built V8Z with a manual transmission. The clutch felt finicky, the shifting was troublesome and the overall feel of the experience made me nervous. But by personal admission I’m not a good drive and have little experience with powerful engines and the generally notching transmissions that high torque-capacity seems to accompany.

 

So I almost stalled Pete’s car trying to ease it into his garage in 1st. On suburban streets, I would shift too soon, and probably ride the clutch too long during shifts. With more seat time in Pete’s car, I would have gotten more comfortable with the clutch and with handling the car off the line, but my general squeamishness about high-rpms would have made it difficult to take full advantage of Pete’s car, even with considerable experience.

 

My big block Z - when it ran (engine still disassembled, hope to drive it again in the spring of 2008) was an entirely different animal. Engaging first gear was difficult - harder than in Pete’s car. But for whatever reason, aggressive upshifting could be done with some precision - just by shoving the shifter back (1st into 2nd , 3rd into 4th) or forward (2nd into 3rd, 4th into 5th). Often this was accompanied by crunching noise. More leisurely shifting, such as in traffic, was oddly enough MORE difficult than violent shifting on rural backroads. Clutch effort was similar to that in Pete’s car, but the clutch was more forgiving. The main difference was the torque: an aluminum-head roller-cam 454 in a 2600 lb car vs. a more high-strung 327 in a 2800 lb car and ~200lb more of passengers. Gear ratios were almost the same, except that that Pete’s car has a 3.70 differential and mine has a 3.54, and his has an overdrive 5th.

 

Actually, if I were doing things all over again, I would give serious consideration to an automatic with overdrive, perhaps manually shifted. Being “in the right gear†just doesn’t have the same importance with such an excess of torque. Heel to toe and the other fancy stuff seems impossible with the sort of brutal manual transmission necessary to handle the torque, and probably isn’t necessary any but the most sophisticated application - which mine is not.

[BillZ260]

Now having driven mine (if only around the block) my set up seems to shift pretty smoothly, clutch isn't very heavy and works well.

 

I havn't put any real load on any of it yet but everything seesm to be working well.

 

T-5 Cobra R internals, Ram flywheel PP and clutch.

[Guest Dainger]

BTW: Do these T5s have synchroz on reverse? Mine grinds everytime I try to go into reverse unless I double or triple clutch, and yes I only shift into reverse when the car is completely stopped.

 

Wheelman

 

 

try putting it into first gear and then reverse...i experience the same grinding when i don't throw it into first before i go for reverse. Ive been running a t5 in a 1984 Monte Carlo SS with a warmed up 350, a much larger car than a z, 3600 pounds or so. i try not to abuse it...but it happens. i like to do dounuts and burn outs and such and the t5 has been good, i destroyed the stock 7.5 ten bolt though. I'm sure I'm pushing the limits of the transmission, probably matter of time before it eats its self. but then again I've been saying that for a year now.

 

And BTW...i don't know how many of the V8 guys are running a manual transmission, but i can tell you that ALL of the v8 MEN are.

[HICKL]

No, T5's don't have synchros on reverse.

[Top Secret]

Am I the only guy here runnin' a Muncie?

[RTz]

And BTW...i don't know how many of the V8 guys are running a manual transmission, but i can tell you that ALL of the v8 MEN are.

 

Comments like that serve no constructive purpose whatsoever. Please feel free to keep those thoughts to yourself.

[Guest Dainger]

Comments like that serve no constructive purpose whatsoever. Please feel free to keep those thoughts to yourself.

 

allow me to respectfully disagree, the purpose served by my "comment like that" was humor, an attempt to make people laugh. I think thats a very noble purpose to serve. I do not honestly believe that if you drive an automatic your not a man, it was a joke. Allow me to note further that the useless comment in question followed relevant, useful information to the thread.

[COZY Z COLE]

allow me to respectfully disagree, the purpose served by my "comment like that" was humor, an attempt to make people laugh. I think thats a very noble purpose to serve. I do not honestly believe that if you drive an automatic your not a man, it was a joke. Allow me to note further that the useless comment in question followed relevant, useful information to the thread.

 

Take a deep breath and reflect on this ... Posting on the internet is not the same as talking to someone in person. There is no emotion shown unless you post it. Therefore when I read your statement I didn't take it as a joke either and I have a TH 350 in my car.

That said, in the future when you are posting a statement as a joke, it would behoove you to add a or even a j/k to the end of such a statement.

 

 

LARRY

[wrxand280z]

I'm running a T56 with the stock gm clutch and stock datsun master

cylinder and I LOVE the way it shifts. The clutch is super smooth and lite, and the gears just slide into place.

So people don't like to shift as much but I only drive mine on the weekends etc, and I like having the option to either gear down for some fun or put it in 6th and cruise on. Plus on the free way it rocks having a 6th gear. It lowers the noise in the cabin and gets better mpg, espcially when running high test this is a good thing.

However the install would be much easier (and cheaper) with a T-5, I wanted my HybridZ to be what I wanted so I put a T56. Both trannies have their ups and downs. To me the T56 was the choice. It has a better life expectancy (with large HP) and its "different". IMO create the car that you want, you're the one thats got to drive it everyday.

[Guest CA-350Z]

I’m running a Muncie M21 2.20 first gear 3.36 rearend 0 to 60 in first gear (no shifting required) in 1970 240. M21 came with the car so its of unknown origin. It leaks, shifts hard (like a truck), makes grinding sounds with hard shifts, but hasn’t blown yet, I keep trying.

With 336 motor install added a buillet flywheel and center force gold disk and pressure plate, pushed with a tilton master and Datsun slave. Last dyno run showed 313rwh at 6,000rpm.

The Z mainly sees road courses, would like to find a direct replacement looking at Richmond 5/6 speed or another M21. The T56 and TKO sound heavy and big to me so looking at different options. Just waiting for the M21 to blow maybe this spring at Laguna Seca.