GILBERT CHEVROLET - Tremec T-56 Six Speed Transmission (Helpful Pictures)
GILBERT CHEVROLET - TREMEC T56 HELPFUL PICTURES
Car Craft magazine January 1994 T-56 article continued. The pictures on this page will help with understanding what is
needed to make this installation. Depending on the vehicle you are trying to put this transmission into, you may have more or less alterations that will
need to be done. This is in the Price Search along with the GM and SC parts. We don't have an Excel price list from Tremec for you to download as of yet.
Key - tremectrans
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TREMEC RETRO-FIT T56 DISCRIPTION
TREMEC T-56 Six Speed Transmission
Click on the Tremec Logo above to go to Tremec’s web site.
Visit Tremec’s T56 page.
TREMEC’s GM aftermarket replacement T-56 six speed is designed to replace the T5 five speed in the 82-92 Camaros and
Firebirds. This transmission can be used for many other applications with small modifications.
Installation is not as hard as you might think. Use the links in the Tremec T56 Navigation bar to help you understand what it will take to do the installation.
This page continues the Car Craft magazine January 1994 T56 article from our main Retro-Fit T56 page.
The ’93-and-later F-car (Camaro, Firebird, and Trans Am)
T56 compatible bellhousing (right) works with the new “pull-type”
clutches. It’s not deep enough to clear conventional clutch
assemblies. BorgWarner uses the original T5 bellhousing. (left)
Begin by removeing the torque arm, driveshaft, trans mount,
crossmember, and T5 trans. Do not remove the stock bellhousing.
Note how the factory T5 bellhousing rotates the “traditional” GM
trans mounting bolt pattern 18 degrees counterclockwise from
vertical.
Use the four supplied countersunk sockethead capscrews
(arrows) to attach the adapter plate to the bellhousing. Note that
the plate corrects the trans orientation to “straight up”.
Carefully align the clutch disc splines with the input shaft splines,
then bolt the trans to the adapter plate.
The original flat T5 crossmember (left) won’t fit the T56.
Instead, get a ’93 T56 crossmember (PN 10198322, center). Modify
it so it looks like the one on the right. This involves drilling
a new hole (A), cutting the right side off to change its angle
(B), and adding new material (C). Details follow below next line.
Start with the left-hand side. The new crossmember attaches
to the rearmost two threaded factory mounting holes. This requires
drilling one new hole in the crossmember that corresponds to the
location of the rearmost subframe hole. To find the proper hole
location, scribe easily visble line on the subframe through the
rear bolt hole that is parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal
axis. Scribe a second line at a right angle to the first line
through the rear bolt hole. Make the lines long enough so they
extend beyond the crossmember when it is in position. Bolt the
crossmember and mount to the T56 trans. Install the forward
lefthand crossmember-to-subframe bolt(A). Using the ends of the
previously scribed lines as a baseline, extend them across the
crossmember. Remove the crossmember and drill a 10mm hole at their
intersection point (B).
Remount the crossmember to the left-hand subframe. Cut off
the crossmember to the right of the mounting pad (A). Bolt the
cut-off section's front hole to the rearmost existing tapped hole
in the frame channel (B). Section an add new pieces of material
(C) to make the crossmember's existing rear hole flush with the
frame rail kick-up. Drill a new hole into the frame rail that
corresponds to the rear hole in the crossmember (D).
A blind Rivnut or Nutsert is the “elegant” solution for
supplying the female threads required by the newly drilled bolt hole.
The low-buck solution is a 2x3x1/2-inch-thick steel or aluminum
block. Shove it into position through the large existing hole in
the frame as shown so it lines up with the newly drilled crossmember
mounting hole (arrow), then drill and tap it for metric
M10x1.5 theads. Adding a second (but countersunk) bolt hole to
the block from twisting out of position. Finally, bolt the
crossmember solidly into position using all four bolts, and final-weld
all joints.
Shorten the rear differential torque arm 1.9 inches by
sectioning and rewelding in the area shown.
Production GM T56s accept only a fully electronic speedometer
connector (left photo, A). BorgWarner machines the aftermarket
version’s extension housing for the traditional GM speedo cable
connection (right photo, A), which accepts both full-mechanical
cables and the hybrid ’90-’92 magnetic pickup. Use GM T5 drive
and driven gears for speedo calibration. Although the speedo
hookup is 2.6 inches farther rearward, the existing cable should still
hook up. Shifter location is also revised to conform to the T5
location, eliminating the need for any floorpan mods. In both
photos, B indicates the location of the electric reverse-lockout
connector receptacle, a common feature on all current T56
transmissions (see T56 Electric Reverse Lockout at the bottom of this
page).
The backup light switch is on the opposite side of the
transmission as compared to the T5 and will require extending the wire
harness to make the connection.
The completed T56 trans installation shows the new adapter
plate, relocated and modified crossmember, and shortened torque
arm.
Listed below are the critical dimensions of the T56 in comparison to T5 and traditional four-speed
transmissions. Metric dimensions are converted to inches, rounded off to the nearest 0.1 inch.
Trans model
A
B
C
D
E
F
GM Super T10, Muncie, Saginaw
6.3
14.2
23.0
N/A
N/A
3.75
GM T5 (V8)
6.3
16.0
25.0
19.0
21.2
3.75
GM T56 F-car (production)
4.9
21.0
26.4
21.1
23.9
3.75
GM T56 F-car (aftermarket)1
6.3
21.5
27.0
21.6
21.6
3.75
Notes: 1. Dimensions B through E include 0.5-inch-thick adapter plate.
