T56 question

[firebirdzig]

---

I'm looking at running a T56 in my '68 and have heard that they have issues with burning out 3 and 4 gear. Can these transmissions handle a 450-500 horse and 450 torque motor or should I be looking at strictly a magnum T56? Or is there a 5 speed route I should be going? I would prefer a T56 due to the ease of getting them and the price. Thanks for the help!

[andrewb70]

Which T56 did you have in mind? The 4th gen f-body transmissions era getting pretty hard to find. Next best would be a GTO trans, but it has different gearing. From there the options get less attractive to the point where a Magnum makes sense for ease of installation and availability.

Andrew

[firebirdzig]

I was thinking just that, a 4th gen fbody trans. There's been a few pop up complete w/bell housing for 1500-2000. The magnums are atleast double that. Are the 4th gen t56 and or GTO t56s strong enough to withhold that kind of power in a grand touringish car?

[Schwartz Performance]

They can handle that no problem. Lots of Fbody and gto guys with that hp.

But for the price difference id still go for a magnum. Warranty, stronger, among other advantages.

-Dale

[badazz81z28]

They can handle that no problem. Lots of Fbody and gto guys with that hp.

But for the price difference id still go for a magnum. Warranty, stronger, among other advantages.

-Dale

Whats funny is back in 2003-2004 time-line I bought a low mileage T56 out of a 2002. Got the trans, bellhousing, and a B&M shifter for $900 off of Ebay. Now it seems they are always listed for $1500+ for just the transmission. I would also agree that a T56 magnum is well worth the money.

[Schwartz Performance]

Yep, I did the same thing.
Amazing how expensive they've gotten. I blame the drift guys ;)

-Dale

[69L48Z27]

---

I'm looking at running a T56 in my '68 and have heard that they have issues with burning out 3 and 4 gear. Can these transmissions handle a 450-500 horse and 450 torque motor or should I be looking at strictly a magnum T56? Or is there a 5 speed route I should be going? I would prefer a T56 due to the ease of getting them and the price. Thanks for the help!

My experience is when you beat the crap out of them 3-4 is the first to go. There are a few Trans companies thy specialize in the rebuild. You can get a pretty good setup installed for $800-900. This is when you get into bronze pads, steel 3-4 shift fork, etc. My F-Body T56 is getting pulled for this rebuild in the spring. 3rd falls out every once in a while and 4th grinds like no tomorrow over 5K RPM.

My problem is that I paid too much for this Trans. The shop I bought if from said they just rebuilt the box. Apparently this was not the case. If you can buy the Trans for $1000 and get it rebuilt for the $800-900 range it would be less expensive than a new Magnum and take the abuse.

It's always better to buy new than screw around with used parts for sure. It's what I should have done but I was trying to save a buck.

[Z06vet]

I always look for ones needing to be rebuilt and have them gone thru with upgraded parts from Tick perf or other companies specializing in T56 parts & rebuilds. In the past I have bought used 6 speeds and most needed something addressed. That is unless you can drive the car its coming out of & know its ok. I dont abuse mine but know I will drive it hard. I'd rather start with a fresh one thats built to take what I'm going to put it thru. If you have the $ for the magnum it would be a great choice. Really hard to do the 6 speed on the cheap..

[32deucecoupe]

How well does the stock shifter location work when using a 2004 gto/t56 combo. Does the shifter need to be relocated?

[BonzoHansen]

Problem with 4th gen trans is they are getting old. And the tail housing seems bulky to me. I just had mine redone, maybe 100,000 basic street miles and i didnt think there was much wrong with it, i just wanted to upgrade it. $1800 later it was rebuilt and the output shaft was upgraded at hanlonmotorsports.com. And it shifts much better so,i guess it was more worn than i realized. But when we were discussing upgrades bob basically said if you have to end up having to replace some hard parts or want a lot of upgrades you get into magnum money so it isnt worth it, and it still might not be as strong as a magnum anyway.

If my 77 wasn't already setup for this trans i probably would have gone magnum.

[TheJDMan]

In addition to the dollar cost to go through a used transmission you also need to consider the hassle factor. Shipping these things is a PITA. When all is said and done the Magnum is the most cost effective.

[johnny5]

I used the gear box stage 2 kit on my 4th gen Camaro T56 installed in my 69.

http://www.thegearbox.org/catalog/it...17/7824166.htm

Rebulit it myself. No complaints whatsoever. Shifts smooth and crisp to 6500rpm with a factory hurst shifter.