Which manual tranny did you choose for your LS swap?

[BaroneDog]

Can you tell everyone about your manual tranny setup? I am debating which manual tranny to use for my LS swap project and thought it would be helpful (to me and hopefully others as well) to have a single thread listing what people had success with. Sorry if someone has already done this, but I could not find such a thread with a quick search.

Please respond with the details (including manufacturer) on what you used for:
1) Manual Transmission Type and Model
2) LS Engine Type and Motor Mount Adapters Used (did the motor need to be moved forward?)
3) Mechanical or Hydraulic Actuation? If Mechanical, what did you use for Z bar attachment to engine block?
4) Flywheel Type and Size
5) Clutch and Pressure Plate Type and Size
6) Bellhousing Type
7) Pilot and Throw-Out Bearing Types
8) Cross Member Type
9) Any type of other critical parts needed (spacers ,etc?)
10) Year of your truck and did you have to modify any sheet metal?
11) Level of difficulty from 1-10 (10 being most difficult)

Also, please include any other additional information you can add that might help another out when doing this. Anything you can think of no matter how small the detail! Pics would be great too.

Also, just your general feeling on how happy (or not) you were with the final outcome and if you would you do it again (or already did). Maybe even some comments on how you use the truck (daily driver or 1/4 mile, etc.). Much appreciated!!

[mongocanfly]

Ill play..
Nv4500 trans
Lq9 6.0
Ebay motor plates keeping rear of engine in same position as the 350
Mechanical clutch linkage with advance adapters z bar mount
Advance adapters LS flywheel clutch and pressure plate
Advance adapters bellhousing
Advance adapters throwout bearing
Stock crossmember moved back 2"
Dakota digital speedometer elec pulse to cable drive covertor box
1981 c30.. sheetmetal mods needed were shifter hole move towards rear of tunnel
Difficulty 1 or maybe a 2

[sangell]

1) T-56 from a 2005 CTSV
2) 5.3 from a 2004 Silverado 1500, custom made mounts to put the motor where I wanted it. It's further back than stock.
3) Hydro clutch, Tilton Master cylinder bolted to firewall with custom made rod attached to stock pedal arm.
4) C6 ZO6 Corvette flywheel
5) C6 ZO6 Clutch
6) Stock from CTSV
7) 5.3 Truck Pilot bearing, C6 ZO6 throwout bearing
8) Custom made cross member installed where it lande
9) Using a CTSV or newer TR6060 trans requires a remote mounted shifter and the deeper CTSV bell housing requires either some spacers or the C6 ZO6 parts.
10) 71 C10 Big Block/TH400 with the high hump and to keep the bottom of the trans not lower than the frame yes I had to modify the tunnel.
11) While new to the C10 game I have done metal fab before so I would say the metal work was a 2 to 3, figuring out what parts worked with what was a 5 to 6.

I started with the CTSV trans to save a few bucks and while I think I did the extra work over just getting a F-Body trans was not worth it. Also this was a project for my teenage son and I so we were doing as much of it ourselves as we could and teaching him some metal fab. It would be easier and faster to just buy all the mounts, adapters, etc. but more costly.

I'm happy with how it came out, my son loves his truck and it being a 6sp is his favorite part. It is fun to drive. Not right now as we are painting it and redoing the interior but it is my 16 year old's daily driver.

[FAKKY]

How did you do the kickdown/TV cable linkage on the T56 to engine......

[sangell]

Originally Posted by FAKKY

How did you do the kickdown/TV cable linkage on the T56 to engine......

The T56 is a manual 6sp. There is no kickdown/TV cable.
Posted via Mobile Device

[FAKKY]

Originally Posted by sangell

The T56 is a manual 6sp. There is no kickdown/TV cable.
Posted via Mobile Device

Lol. Rookie error.
Was thinking about the issue of putting in older style trans like 700r4 ..... due to original electronic trans not having tv etc
Anything special with fitments for t56 ...

[BaroneDog]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Ill play..
Nv4500 trans
Lq9 6.0
Ebay motor plates keeping rear of engine in same position as the 350
Mechanical clutch linkage with advance adapters z bar mount
Advance adapters LS flywheel clutch and pressure plate
Advance adapters bellhousing
Advance adapters throwout bearing
Stock crossmember moved back 2"
Dakota digital speedometer elec pulse to cable drive covertor box
1981 c30.. sheetmetal mods needed were shifter hole move towards rear of tunnel
Difficulty 1 or maybe a 2

Thanks mongocanfly. Any chance you could send a link to those motor adapter plates? What type of tranny did your truck have before the swap? So, if you had kept the stock transmission, the motor mount adapter plates would have allowed you to use the stock crossmember as well? Was your stock crossmember at the bellhousing or the tranny?

How do you like the NV4500? How about the feel on the Advanced Adapters pressure plate (pedal feel)? Did the shifter hole moving back interfere with the bench seat (or are you running buckets)?

Any issues with the Z Bar adapter interfering with headers? If not, what kind of headers do you have?

Sorry for all the questions. Your experience is appreciated.

[BaroneDog]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Ill play..
Nv4500 trans
Lq9 6.0
Ebay motor plates keeping rear of engine in same position as the 350
Mechanical clutch linkage with advance adapters z bar mount
Advance adapters LS flywheel clutch and pressure plate
Advance adapters bellhousing
Advance adapters throwout bearing
Stock crossmember moved back 2"
Dakota digital speedometer elec pulse to cable drive covertor box
1981 c30.. sheetmetal mods needed were shifter hole move towards rear of tunnel
Difficulty 1 or maybe a 2

Was your stock crossmember the type the attaches to the bellhousing or the rear of the tranny? My 67 has the one that attaches to the bellhousing and leaves the rear of the tranny hanging out in the breeze which seems odd to me, but I guess that is how they did it then.

[mongocanfly]

Mines a 81..crossmember is at the rear of the trans..

[G8DAN]

Hey Sangell,

What exactly do you mean about the spacers? I have a tr6060 out of a 2015 Camaro SS with a monster clutch. Will I need spacers too?

[sangell]

Originally Posted by G8DAN

Hey Sangell,

What exactly do you mean about the spacers? I have a tr6060 out of a 2015 Camaro SS with a monster clutch. Will I need spacers too?

The shifter setup for the CTSV is like the 6060 I don't know about the bell housing. The caddy used a dual mass flywheel which required a deeper bell housing and when going to a standard style flywheel the slave needed a spacer to move it closer to the pressure plate. It just so happens the C6 ZO6 setup works without a spacer.

I have no experience with the monster clutch nor the tr6060 bell housing.
Posted via Mobile Device

[72blu]

1) Muncie M22 Rockcrusher
2) LQ9 with a ASA camshaft, Used early classic enterprises motor mount kit.
3) Mechanical, I used SDCP clutch pivot ball. it attaches to the back of the bellhousing and with a little fabrication i was able to get the Z bar & linkage to workout.
4) SACHS 1050 flywheel
5) i used a clutch kit from a 1980 Corvette and simply had to drill out some of the mounting holes on the pressure plate
6) I believe the bellhousing was from a big block 69 camaro and so was the clutch fork
7) Pilot bearing: summit PN NAL-12557583, throwout bearing was apart of the clutch kit
8) Crossmember: summit PN CLP-CP9427
9) Pressure plate bolts: summit PN NAL-12561465
10) 1972 C10 and I had to cut a hole in the floor as my truck was not a factory 4 spd. No high hump needed. Needed to have a custom driveshaft made.
11) other then the fabrication for the mechanical linkage it wasn't to bad id give it a 7

[BaroneDog]

Originally Posted by 72blu

1) Muncie M22 Rockcrusher
2) LQ9 with a ASA camshaft, Used early classic enterprises motor mount kit.
3) Mechanical, I used SDCP clutch pivot ball. it attaches to the back of the bellhousing and with a little fabrication i was able to get the Z bar & linkage to workout.
4) SACHS 1050 flywheel
5) i used a clutch kit from a 1980 Corvette and simply had to drill out some of the mounting holes on the pressure plate
6) I believe the bellhousing was from a big block 69 camaro and so was the clutch fork
7) Pilot bearing: summit PN NAL-12557583, throwout bearing was apart of the clutch kit
8) Crossmember: summit PN CLP-CP9427
9) Pressure plate bolts: summit PN NAL-12561465
10) 1972 C10 and I had to cut a hole in the floor as my truck was not a factory 4 spd. No high hump needed. Needed to have a custom driveshaft made.
11) other then the fabrication for the mechanical linkage it wasn't to bad id give it a 7

Thanks 72blu. Is this the pivot ball?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/nal-sdcb

Was your truck a manual from stock or did you convert it from auto?

[72blu]

Originally Posted by BaroneDog

Thanks 72blu. Is this the pivot ball?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/nal-sdcb

Was your truck a manual from stock or did you convert it from auto?

Yes thats the one

My truck was factory 3 ott

[davepl]

1) Manual Transmission Type and Model

Tremec TKO-600

2) LS Engine Type and Motor Mount Adapters Used (did the motor need to be moved forward?)

LS3 on simple eBay mout adapters, motor in rearmost position

3) Mechanical or Hydraulic Actuation? If Mechanical, what did you use for Z bar attachment to engine block?

Mechanical

4) Flywheel Type and Size

GM +0.400 thickness

5) Clutch and Pressure Plate Type and Size

Chevy Big Block

6) Bellhousing Type

6036

7) Pilot and Throw-Out Bearing Types

I can get that if needed

8) Cross Member Type

Stock

9) Any type of other critical parts needed (spacers ,etc?)
10) Year of your truck and did you have to modify any sheet metal?
11) Level of difficulty from 1-10 (10 being most difficult)

7, mechanical linkage being the hardest part I think. Using the old BBC clutch with an LS3 required a specialized (some say truck, not sure) pressure plate from GM that cost about $300 and it is 0.400 thicker to take up the difference in dimension between LS and BBC. Never fully understanding that dimensional difference was the hardest part of the swap.

[Overdriven]

Originally Posted by davepl

7, mechanical linkage being the hardest part I think. Using the old BBC clutch with an LS3 required a specialized (some say truck, not sure) pressure plate from GM that cost about $300 and it is 0.400 thicker to take up the difference in dimension between LS and BBC. Never fully understanding that dimensional difference was the hardest part of the swap.

Yeah that dimensional difference does make things a bit more difficult. I've seen some swaps use a spacer, others a special flywheel or flexplate. Either way you need the longer bolts that are only available from GM.

Question. Just to verify, by 6036, you mean the QuickTime bellhousing correct? This is actually the trans, bellhousing and clutch combo I was looking into for my swap.

[BaroneDog]

[QUOTE pressure plate from GM that cost about $300 and it is 0.400 thicker to take up the difference in dimension between LS and BBC. Never fully understanding that dimensional difference was the hardest part of the swap.[/QUOTE]

davepl, I also have a question about your 6036 reference. If that is the Quicktime RM-6036 you are referring to, my understanding was that bellhousing was shorter to account for the 0.4" crank thickness difference, so you can run a stock LS flywheel.

I thought that you would have a problem if you use a flywheel that is 0.4" thicker AND the RM-6036 bellhousing together. But I have not yet tried it, so clarification of your first-hand experience would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[BaroneDog]

Originally Posted by BaroneDog

[QUOTE pressure plate from GM that cost about $300 and it is 0.400 thicker to take up the difference in dimension between LS and BBC. Never fully understanding that dimensional difference was the hardest part of the swap.

davepl, I also have a question about your 6036 reference. If that is the Quicktime RM-6036 you are referring to, my understanding was that bellhousing was shorter to account for the 0.4" crank thickness difference, so you can run a stock LS flywheel.

I thought that you would have a problem if you use a flywheel that is 0.4" thicker AND the RM-6036 bellhousing together. But I have not yet tried it, so clarification of your first-hand experience would be much appreciated. Thanks![/QUOTE]

So what I said above might not be accurate. I just received my 6036 bellhousing and it is only 1/8" shorter than the stock bellhousing (when the plate is included with the 6036). That was NOT what I was expecting. I had called Holley before buying this and they ensured me that the stock LS flywheel would work, however with only 1/8" difference I am having trouble seeing how that might be.

davepl (or anyone else who has used the Quicktime RM-6036) can you confirm what type of flywheel you ended up using? Thanks.

[BaroneDog]

One other thing..Looking at your original post (davepl) I see you do list the 0.4" thicker flywheel paired with the 6036, which makes sense given that I only measured a 1/8" difference. The confusing thing is that there is a HOTROD network article about this (and confirmation from Holley who owns Quicktime) stating that the 6036 was shorter and implied it would work with a stock LS flywheel.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/legac...s-style-block/

l already bought a stock LS flywheel and need to decide if I should return it and get the 0.4" thicker one or keep it. Any experience out there would be appreciated. Thanks!