89 Z28 with LT1/T56

[LT1 Kayker]

Might remember my post a while back about that Camaro with the LT1 swap. Well I flew down to Cali and checked out the car and all...found out it's for real. Only thing is he fried his automatic transmission he swapped in there. So I am going to get a rebuilt T56 for it. I have been to the 3rd gen F-Body T56 install site, and printed off directions that I found from three different sites plus that one (all of them a little different) I guess im just wondering what im getting into. Over the past month or so i've learned a lot about all this stuff, so how much of an undertaking would this be for a guy that knows a decent amount about it, and a chick im friends with that says it will take 20 minutes to do...? She has all the tools though so thats a plus too. I know she is credible though because she has lots of experience working on cars and her dads a mechanic. The car was baught as a manual so the firewall holes and all will be there and such. To be short im just wondering if you have any suggestions or tips and such. Thanks fer tha helpa!!!

[LT1 Kayker]

Also wondering what year T56 I should get and what kind (if the guy even has more than one) plus maybe a list of parts I would need. The sites i've been to had some but they were all different. The car has been sitting in his garage for three years (heated and on jacks) if that changes anything. Maybe anyone know of a clutch with flywheel set and maybe everything else set? lol. The T56 im getting is bare rebuilt so I need master and slave cylinders with all the linkage and everything. pwease hewlp meh

[89IROC&RS]

well for what year tranny to get, i would ask what year LT1 it is, and get the corrosponding year to make sure everything lines up right.

as for the install, i did my auto tranny swap, and new converter, by myself, with a lift and tranny jack, in 5 hours, having never done it before. trannies are actually quite easy to pull and install, the hard part that youre going to face is routing all the clutch equipment. but if you have the directions, a little common sense, and a person with experience, it shouldnt be that hard, but i would focus on doing it right rather than doing it fast. just my two cents.

[LT1 Kayker]

Thanks. It was kinda sad when i went down there and asked the guy a bunch of questions. He knew nothing about the car haha. He paid His nephew to do the whole thing himself. Im ganna look up the numbers on everything and find out the info, but I'll need to go back to Cali again. I know someone that works for airlines so $10 tickets are always nice. Also what kind of clutch, flywheel, shifter, linkage and so on should i get? Im guessing I can't reuse anything from the tranny in it right now so where would be a good place to get all the bearings and gaskets and shizzaz? Im going to get a chiltons for it pretty soon too. Since I got my birthday money I only need $300 more to buy and ship it...soooo closeee......
Thats a huge relief though. I thought it was going to take 90+ hours over the entire winter, but thats a HUGE RELIEF knowing it could just take a weekend if we bust asses on it. Im planning on driving it with the squeaky messed up auto tranny for a bit (It still works but is pretty much done) just to show off around skool. Any suggestions on clutch sets or any of the manual parts I need or where to get em?

[89IROC&RS]

well, for specific information regarding this swap, i suggest emailing the people at

www.fbodymotorsports.com

they do this kinda stuff all the time and can tell ya just aobut everything you need to know.

[LT1 Kayker]

Alright thanks. I'll email them tonight. After I get the year of the LT1, and once the guy im getting the tranny from has some in stock of the same year I'll email them again with details and such. He said it would be about three weeks until he gets some more in so it wont be long.
One last thing I think haha. What kind of T56 should I get? I am sure I can get one of the same year but there are different types and all, or is just the standard good enough? Im only going to do minor mods with it, and im thinking 4.10 gears maybe...maybe an LT4 conversion in a year or two, then a S/C in like 15 years when I can afford it. Haha Thanks.

[Dober89]

Get a T56 thats 94 or newer. I think they put better gear ratios in those but I do know that they are preferred over the 92/93.

[LT1 Kayker]

The ratios are basically the same for all years, but I think 94 had a .05 increase in overdrive. I would still want it to be the same year as the LT1 so it would fit though...haha. Would 4.10's run good on this or no?