t56 to a big block?

i am starting to get things together for a v8 swap in my car and have decided to go with a 402 big block to swap into my car that i have got pretty reasonably, my question is will a t56 tranny bolt up to it or can it with modifications or can someone suggest another manual transmission, preferrably 6 speed to use with the big block? i dont have a transmission yet so any help would be great....thanks!

About the engine, why are you getting a big block? Did you get that engine for cheaper price from a friend, or free or what, because big blocks weigh like 500 lbs over a small block.

and not to mention the amount of extra work and fabrication to get it to fit.

good luck getting a big block in a 4th gen engine bay without cutting the cowl, windshield, and getting a huge hood

Its been done. The fact is that most big blocks don't take up much more space than a small block, after all its the inside of the engine that takes up the extra cubes. Like a regular LT1 like mine is a 383 but I didn't enlarge the block. As for bolting up, chevy bolt patterns all work together but there might be some fab work involved in the cowl cause of the distributor but some say it didn't create a issue but looking at how a LT1 sits inside the engine bay I can't see how you wouldn't have to work up something (such as a hole in the firewall and cowl).

well in that case you should get the Camaro Big block hood and it will actually have a big block under it! I know alot of Camaros that have that hood but not a big block in it.

http://www.lmperformance.com/images/parts/small-jpg/s-300.jpg

john: yeeea but what's a big block without a huge blower on top of it :evillol:

ive got the big block very cheap and i think it would be kind of cool to have a modern big block camaro...i know it will be a huge amount of work compared to a small block but thats not an issue...my papaw has owned a body shop for over 40 years and i have access to that any time i need it for anything so fabrication isnt much of an issue....would cutting a hole in the cowl and firewall cause serious issues later? does anyone know anyone who has put a big block in a 4th gen? thanks for the help!

well in that case you should get the Camaro Big block hood and it will actually have a big block under it! I know alot of Camaros that have that hood but not a big block in it.

http://www.lmperformance.com/images/parts/small-jpg/s-300.jpg

i like the big block hoods too rally....but i would rather have a cowl hood

i can always get a small block engine if i have to but i would rather keep the big block swap if possible....is there any difference in the firewall and cowl and such in a v8 car compared to a v6 car? say i decided to just go with an ls1 or such would that consist of cutting the firewall too and if a v8 firewall is different could i just weld in the new firewall? sorry for all the stupid questions...and thanks!

when i was in high school for auto shop we put a carb small block into a 4th gen and even with that we had to cut the cowl, so i can only imagine a big block...good luck

I think cutting a hole in the hood wouldnt cause any troubles, there's a 3rd gen over here that has a big block in it and they cut a hole to get the carb air filter to fit.

when i was in high school for auto shop we put a carb small block into a 4th gen and even with that we had to cut the cowl, so i can only imagine a big block...good luck

how much of it had to be cut? would that lead to any problems later? is there any real draw backs to cutting the cowl and even firewall if i have to? thanks. oh and rally...im not cutting a hole in the hood lol

oh and btw....its going to be fuel injected not carbed

Just cut a hole in the hood! Show that engine who's boss. It looks badass too.

Oh.. even if it IS FI, still cut a damn hole in the hood to make me happy damnit.

Just cut a hole in the hood! Show that engine who's boss. It looks badass too.

lmao no hole in the hood....i dont want this done half assed lol but yep that would be funny! seriously now though...no hole in the hood...no worrys about fitting a carb cos its set up for fuel injection.

Asshole, cant make anyone happy, can you? :lol:

Anyway since it's FI, it should fit fine like John said, and you might not even have to get a cowl.

ill take some pics of my hood one day with it up and down and you can photoshop a hole in my hood.....shew lol

For it to look real, you would take a picture of the car from the front, then open the hood up and take another picture.

Do it, it would be pretty cool.

okay i will when i get a chance.....does anyone know of someone who has done a big block swap in a 98+ camaro? thanks...

yay!! for big block. and a bigblock DOES NOT weigh like 500 pounds more, and anyways a bigblock sounds better

There was a pic of a big block in a 4th gen posted on here, but where and when is the question? It was nice and snug, all up under the dash.

that would be sweet to see a pic and i wish someone would know someone who did this so i can talk to them lol....yep a big block sounds so much better than a small block and people pull up and wanna know whats under the hood? a big block...it'll hopefully be sweet

1. Read an article in High Performance Chevy that said a small block and big block were exact same dimensions and made interchanging the two easy. I THINK it was a 350 and a 454... not sure and may have misunderstood.

2. A T56 will not bolt up to a 454 easily (so 3 speed shops have told me) - extensive fabrications with the bellhousing and tunnel to get them to mate and to get them to fit into ... a 2 gen, not sure about 4 gen.

3. Have to watch the power you're throwing to a T56... They weren't built for big blocks and if you're going to have a "hot" setup you might be looking at an exercise in futility. (If you wanna do it right... I'd go with a Richmond Bulletproof 6 speed ...saving up for one myself. All the speed shops I've been to say that throwing anything over 500 HP to a T56 is asking for trouble).

1. Read an article in High Performance Chevy that said a small block and big block were exact same dimensions and made interchanging the two easy. I THINK it was a 350 and a 454... not sure and may have misunderstood.

2. A T56 will not bolt up to a 454 easily (so 3 speed shops have told me) - extensive fabrications with the bellhousing and tunnel to get them to mate and to get them to fit into ... a 2 gen, not sure about 4 gen.

3. Have to watch the power you're throwing to a T56... They weren't built for big blocks and if you're going to have a "hot" setup you might be looking at an exercise in futility. (If you wanna do it right... I'd go with a Richmond Bulletproof 6 speed ...saving up for one myself. All the speed shops I've been to say that throwing anything over 500 HP to a T56 is asking for trouble).

im not sure about size...i know some of the 4th gens i've seen with ls7's stuffed in them look like they take up quite a bit of room but as longs as its reasonably possible i would like to stick with the big block....i had no clue about a t56 to a big block....im not planning on more than 500 hp but it is making 441 hp....how much can a richmond bulletproof 6 speed reliably handle? and how long would a stock t56 last?

a SBC 350 (which is the same as a LT1 dimension's wise) and a 454 I do believe are the same dimension but I could be wrong.

does anyone know the dimensions of a 396 or in this case a 402 compared to a 350? from what i've read the 402 BB is a 396 bored .032 i believe and still put in the camaros and badged as a 396 in the early 70's.

i had no clue about a t56 to a big block....im not planning on more than 500 hp but it is making 441 hp....how much can a richmond bulletproof 6 speed reliably handle? and how long would a stock t56 last?

My 454 is out of a 74 monte or chevelle and was rated 400-ish HP(forget the exact number.. 414, 440, 441???) from the factory... has had some pretty decent mods, and is hooked up to a rockcrusher... who needs a rebuild WAY before it should.

A Richmond 6 (the Richmond 5 speed too) is built for abuse, whereas a T56 might be built for some licks from a 350 or such, but you're talking considerably more power than most factory 350's. Anyhoo, Richmond's website (RichmondGear.Com) can give you the info you need. Tremec also makes a 6 speed that is rated to 600 HP (I think).

As far as how long it would last???? How bad you gonna beat it up? Shoot a .22 plinking target with a .22 and it'll last forever, shoot it with a 30-06, 7mm Mag, 300 Mag or whatever and it MIGHT last a while... but it also might disappear on the first shot.

Seems like automatics can handle more power than manual transmissions, but that's just an observation, someone else will have to tell me if I'm right on that.

cool thanks...its not going to be a race car or anything so i dont plan on abusing it...it'll be my baby then...i went to richmonds site and looked at the t56 and it wasnt too bad on price....i definately want a 6 speed tho...i swore to never own another automatic sports car again

I'm with you on the manual trans... I plan to swap out my 4.11's and go with the Richmond 5 speed. 5/6 speed really aint that much different, but the 6 speed (in my application) will require way to much fabrication etc, whereas the 5 speed SHOULD bolt up with no issues. The final drive ration in both isn't going to make that much of a difference... I don't need a 180 MPH top end, 80 mph at 2000-ish rpms will make me happier than a pig in shit.

i dont know why i want the 6th gear now that you said that honestly but i do....iono some day some how i may need that 6th gear

Hey, you can't use it if it ain't there.

You CAN go with a like 2.73 rear, and still get decent highway speeds with a 1:1 final like the 5 speed. HOWEVER that .62 final in the 6 speed would just makes things all that much smoother. Problem is that it's like an extra grand to get it. Then you have to mess with everything to get it in there.

Both have their advantages. I'd much rather have the 6 speed, but my budget and automotive ability are sort of steering my decision.

yeah...it would make a big difference if the car was finished and needing a tranny...but where everything is starting out new im not going to spend that much money and in 2 months regret spending it so....the car is an everyday driver now and everything is okay with it so im not in a hurry to just get it done...thanks for your help....
another question....about boosting an ls1...i know it has 10.1:1 compression so i know it cant take a lot of boost like 4-5#....how much will the lq9 heads lower compression? are there any other ways to lower compression without tearing the engine apart? thanks