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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Engine/Drivetrain => Topic started by: 1983stepside on December 08, 2008, 08:44:10 am

Title: transmission question
Post by: 1983stepside on December 08, 2008, 08:44:10 am
im building a 1983 chevy c10 stepside 2wd ive owned since i was 14 and im 21 now i just took it apart in may of 2008 to the frame and im gonna put in a 350 instead of the 250 straight six and a 4 speed instead of the 3 i was wondering tho what year truck can i fina a top mounted four speed i DO NOT want any linkage nuttin but problems (at least with me  ;D) so i was gonna go to the junk yard and awap meets when the weather gets nicer and look for one thanks any info or pics would be great
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: Blazin on December 08, 2008, 09:06:42 am
An SM456 out of any two wheel drive Chevy truck will work. You will need the center section of the floor to go with it. Will have to cut yours out and bolt the new section in with self tapping screws.
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: 1983stepside on December 08, 2008, 09:40:53 am
thanks for the info so ill have to cut my tunnel out and put the new one in is that right
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: HAULIN IT on December 08, 2008, 11:11:27 am
Blazin' answered your question correctly of coarse, however I would like to see you re-think that as a swap. The SM456 is a "TRUCK" transmission, as in : creeper gear 1st gear. My way of thinking...it has no business in a street cruiser, dump truck, maybe. The T-5 (OD trans) out of a late '80's-up Camaro/Firebird would be more suited for a lowered "hot rod". It will pose a few obstacles that are able to be dealt with. I realize that wasn't  your question, but just a little food for thought. Lorne
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: 1983stepside on December 08, 2008, 11:28:20 am
thanks for the info i want a true four or five speed trans
what kind of problems would i run in to if i used one out of a camaro or firebird
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: team39763 on December 12, 2008, 09:44:59 am
I think the one on the camaro/firebird is tilted a little bit to the driver's side, so shifter placement will be altered a little bit.  I don't think it's a big issue with our trucks.
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: HAULIN IT on December 12, 2008, 01:15:31 pm
Yes, team is correct. The BELL HOUSING is tilted. Using the tranny with a normal bell housing makes it straight. Some years used cable speedo's & the newer ones use electric. Probably best to do a search for "T-5 swap" or something like that, I'm sure you can find the info you need. Lorne
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: Captkaos on December 15, 2008, 11:43:03 am
If you are going to beat on the T5 from a F-body, you will break it, so watch when getting one, they were probably already abused, and GM didn't offer them behind 350's for a reason.
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: 1983stepside on December 16, 2008, 04:16:09 pm
was wonderng if a muncie would work even tho it has linkage or what about an s10 tranny thanks 8)
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: Captkaos on December 16, 2008, 04:18:31 pm
Any transmission will work.  I have used a Muncie and a Doug Nash 4+1 (richmond) trans on mine.
An S10 trans is worse than a F-body trans.
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: eventhorizon66 on December 16, 2008, 05:07:23 pm
There are companies (G-force (http://www.gforcetransmissions.com/tran_gt-5.asp) comes to mind) that will seriously beef up a T5 trans at a premium price.  I've heard these T5s when equipped with a Pro 5.0 shifter are better than any other off-the-self aftermarket transmission.  But that's just gossip, and the price is steep.  Just thought you should know.
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: 1983stepside on December 16, 2008, 05:29:53 pm
well captkaos what trans would you recomend for me my truck has stock 350 that i will replace with a crate motor some day but for now the motor is stock so what trans would you sugest thats really what im wanting 8)
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: zieg85 on December 16, 2008, 08:56:08 pm
With a stock rear end you will need a low enough first gear so you will have clutch life.  Consider the MY6 4 speed overdrive.  It has a 3.09 first gear.  It is the same length as the 3 speed and uses the same driveshaft.  My $.02 
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: Captkaos on December 17, 2008, 08:39:47 am
We are only seeing a part of your setup.
How do you plan to drive it?  When you get a crate motor are you just going to drop it in?  What is your budget?
If it is going to be moderately mild and you aren't going to be abusing it everyday the F-body trans will work.  I would seriously look into rebuilding it though.

I would get a 5speed TKO-500 if I ever planned future upgrades to the motor.
http://www.keislerauto.com/index.php?/gm-street-rod/kit-car-perfectfit-5-speed-kit-tko-500.html
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: 1983stepside on December 17, 2008, 09:24:35 am
i plan on puting in 4:10 gears and the motor im gonna chang the cam so it has a lil more of a rough idle and bottom end the motor may or may not be a crate motor but either way it will be a 383 stroker but that wont come for a year or so  8)
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: 1983stepside on December 21, 2008, 12:44:14 pm
ok breaking news i just found out last night that a budy of mine wants to sell his bored 30 over 454 to me for 700 bucks ;D i was wondering if some one could tell me a good manual tranny that wont cost millions of dollars around 500 or so would be my max for the trans but it has to be a manual thats what was in the truck and thats what i wanna kepp in the truck thanks for any info 8)
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: Captkaos on December 24, 2008, 11:43:30 am
For $500 behind a BBC, nothing.  A good Muncie 4 speed from 70's rebuilt is around $700-800.
a F-body T5 won't last.
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: Lt.Del on December 24, 2008, 04:03:09 pm
Quote
A good Muncie 4 speed from 70's rebuilt is around $700-800

I should have kept my '70 Firebird with 400 and 4spd muncie and 3.73 posi.  Man that was a great car.  I'd be dead if i kept driving it though.



(http://www.delbridge.net/seasonsg2.gif)
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: eventhorizon66 on December 24, 2008, 04:05:02 pm
I should have kept my '70 Firebird with 400 and 4spd muncie and 3.73 posi.  Man that was a great car.  I'd be dead if i kept driving it though.

Yah, but what a way to go.
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: Lt.Del on December 24, 2008, 04:10:41 pm
Quote
Yah, but what a way to go.

 ;D

(http://www.delbridge.net/hny.gif)
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: the dan on January 09, 2009, 03:20:53 pm
muncie is the way to go, i got mine wrecked for $50 bucks off my fathers friend, i rebuilt it myself and it has held up, total came to about $300 in parts, but i can find them around for 500-700 bucks rebuilt.

as for linkage dont worry about it, i thought mine wouldnt work, but i bought a hurst competition plus shift kit for it and made my own shifter, it cleared my bench seat with 2 12"s behind it

(http://i41.tinypic.com/2zzrujb.jpg)
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: 1983stepside on January 10, 2009, 05:54:47 pm
wow wish i could find a muncie for 500-700 bucks around here rebuilt. but my truck before i took it apart was a 250 straight 6, with a saginaw 3 speed on the floor, and i always had problems with the linkage geting stuck in gear or the bolt coming out of the tranny, but my shifter was the 3 speed conversion thatat you get from your local parts store, wasnt anything special, i bet if i had a hurst shifter kit i wouldnt of had thosssse problems, but at time didnt have money for it and it was for show, like im building it now, hey "the dan" do you have a web site or something with the rebuilt muncie id like to have one of them thanks 8)
Title: Re: transmission question
Post by: the dan on January 11, 2009, 12:04:34 am
this is where my rebuild kit came from, and theres no known place, kinda just doing a swap meet run you can pick them up for a decent price, took me a while to find mine