whats a good/common manual tranny to use??

[ZQ8Dude]

I was thinking T5 for an inexpensive start, but i'm not sure what works best with a 350 and the JTR mounts.

 

I'm sure a T56 would be ideal, but its sorta out for now as the tranny would cost more then what i'm expecting to pay for my Z

[dr_hunt]

I was thinking T5 for an inexpensive start, but i'm not sure what works best with a 350 and the JTR mounts.

 

I'm sure a T56 would be ideal, but its sorta out for now as the tranny would cost more then what i'm expecting to pay for my Z

 

Well, then your budget isn't high enough. Your options are saginaw 4 speed, muncie 4 speed, T5. There is no best and it depends on your rear gear, tire size, desired rpm, etc. etc.

[Michael]

This has been discussed early and often! But to summarize, there really are no good options for manual transmissions with enough torque capacity - at least not in stock form. The T5 is considered to be too weak, unless fortified by with aftermarket parts (such as by G-Force). The T56 is heavy and its 6th gear is too high for most applications. The Doug Nash/Richmond 5-speed (what I have) handles the torque but is very unpleasant to shift and lacks overdrive. The Richmond 6-speed has overdrive and good torque capacity, but it’s heavy and expensive.

 

You may wish to just get a T5, install it, debug the car, and drive it until it grenades. Then ponder an upgrade.

[BillZ260]

Depending on your HP levels a T-5 for a V8 is plenty.

 

I have an 'upgraded' World class T-5, which is to say I have the Cobra R internals that I bought and installed.

 

None of the manual options are 'cheap'. All the accessory items can add up if you don't get them all together. A racce tough 700R4 is close to 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of my MILD T-5.

 

Of cours the auto trans is not as fun

[Pyro]

shift the t5 slow and it will live. no full power in 5th gear and avoid hard clutch dumps.

 

I ran mid 11's at 120mph and mid 10's at 135mph (on n02) with my t5 using MT drag slicks. Just try not to shock it.

 

stock wheels and tires will spin before the trans breaks.

[SpeedRacer]

Like most other decisions the T-5 is a good one IF you don’t go crazy with the 350 engine in front of it. Most early GM T-5 transmissions will easily handle 265 – 275 lb-ft of torque. The later “World Class†versions generally handle 300-330 lb-ft of torque. Since the Z is so much lighter than most of the GM cars that used the T-5, chances are that it could handle a bit more since you will probably spin the tires before you fully load it. That being said, if you are going to drop the clutch at 5000 RPM on a daily basis you will eventually break it.

 

It works really well with the JTR mounting since the shifter will come up through the stock hole without any modifications.

 

 

 

 

 

There is one odd thing though. The common Chevy V8 T-5 available is from the Camaro. For tunnel clearance Chevy tilted over 14 degrees. But, if you use the Camaro bellhousing you can use the JTR crossmember with a stock Chevy transmission mount.

 

However, if you use a 1984 and up Corvette bellhousing you can “straighten up†the transmission but you will have to modify the JTR transmission crossmember or make a 14 degree wedge for the rear transmission mount. You will also have to straighten out the shift lever since it is also on a 14 degree angle. This is the better solution since the Corvette hydraulic clutch system is much better than the Camaro version.

 

BTW, the Chevy (both Camaro and Corvette) hydraulic clutch system works very well in a Z car conversion. All you need to do is make up a line with the Z car fitting on one end and the Chevy fitting on the other.

 

I have had around a 400HP SBC with a WC T-5 in my car almost seven years now and never had a problem. I certainly don’t abuse it but I have been known to light up the tires on occasion. And, since fifth gear is an overdrive you will find it really helps with fuel economy and a much lower noise level when cruising down the highway. So yes, it can be a good choice.

[jap tin]

Got a borg warner super T-10 in my old Scarab 327 Z car. No over drive but you ain't gona break it.

[turbodieselfreak]

i have been using a 6 cyl T5 for quite some time behind a 400+ hp 350 with no problems.....just avoiding clutch dumps. The tranny is actually surprising me by how good its holding up.....and I havent been the easiest on it...