B-Body.org

[Deathdeelr]

Rob, the big thing you need to check before you do anything else is the splines on the input shaft. The T5's that came behind the 2.8L V6's had a smaller input shaft with less splines. I found this out the hard way and unless someone chimes in who's a little more up on the T5's I don't think you can just swap the input shaft, bearing, and nose to the larger one.

Crave/Rob, my final setup on that Camaro I built was a stock flywheel, bronze pilot, Borg/Warner heavy duty clutch/plate, Lakewood blastproof bellhousing (#15020), the T5 from a V8 (junkyard) and the aluminum driveshaft from an IROC. The BW clutch was light enough not to put too much strain on the clutch master/slave (the slave was plastic) yet was heavy enough to handle the 300 ponies coming out the back.

That Lakewood Bell part number is specifically designed to accept the slave cylinder and stock clutch fork for the F-Body to any Chevy small block/T5 combo. Right now the cheapest price is $399 from Hawaii Racing Products on Ebay. Jegs and Summit sell it for $425. Keep in mind this thing has a flange completely around it for the blast plate that mounts to the block in front of the flywheel. Since my Camaro had a 2" drop I had to cut the flange off the bottom part to prevent it from digging into the ashphalt. Of course I didn't race the car and didn't care that it didn't qualify under NHRA rules for a blast proof bell without the flange. It didn't hurt the strength of it.
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Me hid big dings wid da hamma.
ASE Certified Master Tech
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3311846

[craveman85]

that is the 8 cylinder t5 he has there.
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you want organic? well shut your face and eat a damn squirrel you retarded hippie.

[Rob S]

Crave,

I intend to use the bell housing on my Olds. It's not just the bell housing that's different, the rear mounting pad on the T5 tailstock is also angled. If I have to use a normal bell housing, I'll have to get fancy in fabbing a crossmember for the transmission to bolt onto.

Death, Thanks for the info on your Camaro set up.
By the way, here's a photo of the T5's ID tag. I added the text with the info I got from the net.


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Rob
1982 Olds Delta 88, now equipped with 9C1 sway bars fore and aft, a 9C1 faster ratio steering box, 9C1 rear springs, and a tired 307.

[Deathdeelr]

The tail pad for the trans mount is angled how? If you bolt the bell and trans together the trans itself will be cocked but the stick should be straight up and the trans mounting pad should be level.
_________________
Me hid big dings wid da hamma.
ASE Certified Master Tech
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3311846

[Rob S]

Here's a photo of the rear of the transmission:


The mounting pad is angled and so is the shift lever.
Sure is a strange looking thing.
_________________
Rob
1982 Olds Delta 88, now equipped with 9C1 sway bars fore and aft, a 9C1 faster ratio steering box, 9C1 rear springs, and a tired 307.

[Deathdeelr]

When that trans gets installed the shifter will come out vertical through the floor and the mounting pad will be horizontal for the trans mount. That's why the bell is cocked. It'll come out right during the install.
_________________
Me hid big dings wid da hamma.
ASE Certified Master Tech
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3311846

[Rob S]

I'm not too concerned with the shifter being upright after the install, but I'm worried about clearance between the seat and the shifter. From preliminary measurements it's going to be close, even with the passenger seat as far back as it can go (my Olds has the 60/40 front seat). I really don't want to yank the bench seat and replace it with buckets.
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Rob
1982 Olds Delta 88, now equipped with 9C1 sway bars fore and aft, a 9C1 faster ratio steering box, 9C1 rear springs, and a tired 307.

[Deathdeelr]

I thought that you were going with the buckets. I really think you're going to be up the creek with the bench. However, keep in mind that stick is plain steel and can be welded, cut, heated and bent, etc...

Too bad you're not a little closer to Jersey. I'd trade you my buckets for the split bench. That's a story for another time and place.
_________________
Me hid big dings wid da hamma.
ASE Certified Master Tech
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3311846

[Deathdeelr]

Any progress???
_________________
Me hid big dings wid da hamma.
ASE Certified Master Tech
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3311846

[Rob S]

Thanks for asking, Death. But the project is in hibernation right now as I work on my vehicles out in the driveway...and it's too cold for me, wimp that I am.
Actually, I want to go through the T5 before I install it; I think it best to freshen up the bearings, synchronizers and seals first. I've never done anything like a transmission rebuild before, though. However, I've gotten to know the guys at the local engine rebuilding shop here in town and they're telling me to go for it. We'll see.
I did pick up a trashed junkyard 1992 V6 S-10 T5 so I could pull it apart for some experience--paid $30 for it. I downloaded the manual for it from Tremec, it's not the best, but the price was right: free.
I'm considering using the S-10 transmission tailstock on my Olds project; the S-10 tailstock moves the shift lever forward about 9 inches, if I remember correctly, and would sure help with the bench seat clearance issues. But the mounting pad on the S-10 tailstock is not angled like the one on the Camaro T5, so I'd have to either deal with that or use a common, non-angled bell housing. Not sure what I'll do yet.

It's too bad that the Olds 307 crank isn't machined for a pilot shaft bearing. If it were, I'd probably swap in the T5 first. But since it isn't, I'll have to install the Chevy 350 before the T5. The present automatic transmission is the original 2004R and it has the dual pattern bell housing so it'll fit the Chevy engine. I'm thinking that this needs to be a two part project, first swap will be the engine while maintaining the 2004R, then R&R the auto transmission after all bugs have been worked out of the engine swap.

The engine rebuild has had the longest gestation period of any project that I've ever done...but it's finally nearing completion. I've been taking some photos along the way and will post them when the engine is done.
I intend to do the same with the transmission rebuild.
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Rob
1982 Olds Delta 88, now equipped with 9C1 sway bars fore and aft, a 9C1 faster ratio steering box, 9C1 rear springs, and a tired 307.

[Deathdeelr]

Tearing down the trans is great experience and your machine shop guys are right. Most manual tranny's are a simple breakdown and reassembly. I haven't done the T5 but I did mess around with an M21 in my days of yore. That was so simple I thought there were parts missing.

With respect to the tail, if it fits then go for it. However you definitely will need to use a different bell which means the F-body fork and slave cylinder will be useless to you.

Kick this around for a while since you have time. Use the F-body bell, slave, and fork. Install the F-body shifter lever into the S10 tail assembly. Then put the S10 tail on the trans. What you'll get is the transmission clocked to the side with the shifter lever moved forward the 9 inches you need and straight up through the floor. The hardest part will be to fab an angled transmission mount since the angle of the transmission will put the straight S10 tail mounting boss at the same angle. You're going to be fabricating a crossmember anyway. It would be simple to incorporate an angled plate for the transmission mount and you can gusset or support it any way you like. The tranny mount is only meant to secure the tail of the transmission and triangulate the engine/transmission unit. All of the torque of the motor is handled by the engine mounts. Even 4x4 trucks only have one or two small bushings holding the trans/transfer case. The transmission mount can be done any way you choose.

Let me know how this turns out when you get back to it.
_________________
Me hid big dings wid da hamma.
ASE Certified Master Tech
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3311846

[Rob S]

Well, just to get this project moving in a forward direction I took the T5 to the transmission shop here in town and asked them to go through it, replacing anything that needed it. I told them what I intended to do with it, just in case that would affect anything.
I didn't get laughed at when I told them that it was for my Olds, so that was a good sign.
It took a little over a week (I told them that I was in no rush) but it's now back home newly rebuilt. All the gears were in fine shape, so nothing needed replaced there. The synchros were a bit worn and were replaced with new ones. The bearings were changed for new just as a matter of fact. One of the shift forks was changed and, of course, all the seals were renewed. Finally, the input shaft and the throw out bearing retainer were cleaned up to the point that they both look new. Total cost: $375.

So I now feel good about the transmission being ready for installation.
_________________
Rob
1982 Olds Delta 88, now equipped with 9C1 sway bars fore and aft, a 9C1 faster ratio steering box, 9C1 rear springs, and a tired 307.

[theholycow]

Rob, any updates? I just joined...I have a 1980 LeSabre and I want to do the same thing.
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1980 Buick LeSabre Limited 4.1 V6 TH350, 38,000 miles, family heirloom. Plan: Convert to manual transmission.

[Rob S]

Holy cow,

The Chevy 350 is finished and is now waiting on me to pick it up, so I'll be going to the machine shop today. The T5 is also ready for installation, but I'm still leaning on installing the small block first with the existing 2004R transmission just to work out any problems with the engine swap. Normally, you wouldn't think there would be much in the way of problems with dropping a Chevy engine into a B body since scads of B bodies came with the Chevy small block originally. But I'll be changing to TBI fuel injection from the Quadrajet carb with the engine swap and that will involve replacing the Olds gas tank with one from a TBI 1990 Caprice (this quickly gets me the fuel pump in the gas tank. I had originally considered modifying the present Olds gas tank but figured replacing a 28 year old tank a good thing and probably cheaper in the long run). Also, I need to change out the engine bay wiring for the fuel injection wiring and ECM. I don't anticipate any real problems there, but it'll take time.

The 2004R transmission in the Olds isn't in the best of shape and it just could happen that I'll get a little crazy with the Chevy 350 and destroy the transmission, so I wonder if the best method of procedure here would be to yank both the Olds 307 and the 2004R in one fell swoop and install the 350 with the T5 and deal with whatever comes along.

At least the weather is getting nice, so the driveway isn't looking like such an ordeal.
More soon.
_________________
Rob
1982 Olds Delta 88, now equipped with 9C1 sway bars fore and aft, a 9C1 faster ratio steering box, 9C1 rear springs, and a tired 307.

[theholycow]

I'd like to replace my Q-jet with TBI too. Originally I was thinking of that as a priority but lately I think I'll wait until I get the manual transmission done first. I'm hoping to use an S10 as the donor for both projects.

I'm waiting with bated breath for your further news (and maybe some pictures of how it's done, descriptions of difficulties, etc).
_________________
1980 Buick LeSabre Limited 4.1 V6 TH350, 38,000 miles, family heirloom. Plan: Convert to manual transmission.