Recommendation For Strong Reliable Trans

[transamguy79]

im looking for a good manual transmission that will handle up to 700hp to be safe. its going in a 79 trans am with a 461 stroker and a 3.42 rear end. its going to be mainly street use but i want it to handle strip use as well. Any suggestions?

[cheapthrillz]

Why do you think anybody is going to help you when you haven't contributed to this site yet. Stop posting the same ****ing thread over and over. I know you are trying to get a project going, but you don't have the car yet and you are flooding this site with BS threads like this one and the others you have started.

Contribute something and others will be more than happy to help you.

At least introduce yourself in the Welcome Forum....



(To the mods: What is it with all of the new guys posting identical threads and being selfish? Don't bother introducing yourself, but make sure you blow off the opinions of the people trying to help you. Don't get the answer you're looking for? Hell start an identical thread!)

[transamguy79]

hi, my name is wyatt and im from York, PA. Im new to the forum and new to building up cars. i know how to work on cars, my father owns a repair shop so other than basic repairs im clueless. i own my own roofing company so i don't learn about cars on a daily basis. i have a pontiac 400 block and i just picked up a 79 trans am rolling chassis. i know what i want my project to end up being. i just sold my last 79 due to the fact that i rushed it and was frustrated that i did so i decided to start from scratch and do a ground up build. although i do know what i want out of the build i need help finding whats best for it and im asking for everyones help to make this happen. Thanks and sorry for not contributing so far due to the fact i cant really help anyone due to the fact of lack on knowledge and sorry about blowing up the forums. im not doubting anyone or anything i was told i actually wrote every bit of info down and read into each thing recommended. i repost basically the same question but the category of the car is changed to find out info on it in the appropriate category in the forum. so thanks to everyone who helped me and gave advice so far and everyone else ill try and help as best as i can.

[68Formula]

Nice attempt, but introductions go in
Welcome To Our section "Message Board / New Cars."

Another piece of advice for getting more responses, is to include proper capitalization in addition to punctuation. The easier it is to read, the more likely people will read it. Yes it might save you a few seconds time, but think about how that affects the other 1000 people that are trying to look at it.

A T56 Magnum is supposed to be pretty strout.

[razor66]

You might want to check out the following link which is an interview with McLeod at the recent SEMA show. They are in development of new 5-speed transmissions that are supposed to be "very affordable - direct fit" replacements for many of the stock GM, Chrysler and Ford 4-speed transmissions. They claim they have been testing the new transmissions at 1000 ft-lbs of torque with no failures, and they are scheduled to be released for sale in March of next year. razor66

http://www.stangtv.com/forum/mcleod-...new-6035.html#

[transamguy79]

any idea how much they will cost? I read into it and im liking what i'm hearing.

[razor66]

any idea how much they will cost? I read into it and im liking what i'm hearing.

All I know is what was stated in the link that I provided in the previous message where Paul Lee, owner of McLeod, stated that they would be "very affordable". What that means, I don't know as their definition of "very affordable" may be different than mine. They may not put out any actual pricing until they are actually released for sale in March 2010. razor66

[BonzoHansen]

I was told 'priced very competitively' at SEMA when I saw it.



Red Roberts is a nice guy to talk to, BTW.

[transamguy79]

any recommendations for a good strong clutch? thanks alot guys

[razor66]

any recommendations for a good strong clutch? thanks alot guys

You might want to talk to the folks at McLeod as they make good quality clutches. This would give you the opportunity to also ask them about their new transmissions to see if they will provide you with any additional information about them as well. Their Web site is http://www.mcleodind.com/ and their phone number is 714-630-2764.

There are several other good clutch manufacturers out there as well like Centerforce, Ram, Zoom, Spec, etc. Just do a Web search and find one that will fit your application then talk to the manufacturers about them. I'm sure most of the major manufacturers of performance clutches are all good and it is probably primarily a matter of personal preference. I'm sure others on this forum can provide input on which ones they have had success with and like best. I happen to be using one of the McLeod dual friction clutches, but I think it is primarily a matter of finding one to match your engine/drive train and the hp/torque you will be producing. razor66

[transamguy79]

which clutch would you personally recommend?

[JEFFTATE]

Welcome to the site Wyatt .

Part of what this site is about is sharing information and helping people increase their knowledge and skills .
It's also about friendly help , advice , fellowship , and self-improvement.( and hauling butt at driving events)
So , feel free to ask as many questions as you want to.
Teaching is the best way to learn, so anyone that answers and helps is learning too.
Making the information public spreads it among the masses and keeps the lifestyle-hobby alive..

Good luck.

I'd use a Mcleod or Centerforce clutch if I was gonna' use an aftermarket clutch.( like for a lot of horsepower)
But , I like stock / single disc / factory style clutches ..
They are less aggressive and just feel plain better for a street car application..
They engage and disengage with less jarring ..

[Socrates]

TAguy79,

You have many options for a high HP manual trans car that isn't full drag race, ie, not spending its whole life on big full slicks and with 6K RPM clutch dumps. There is the new T56 Magnum, a dual over drive 6 speed (what I'd personally would choose) that will easily enough mate to your Pontiac and be bomb proof, butter to drive and has a great selection of gears to choose from. You could also pull a T56 from a 2004 and up Viper that will be plenty stout for a bit less scratch then the Magnum. Depending on your true use and true, not fairy tale, HP of the car, a 1998-2002 LS1 camaro/TA T56 could work for you as well and be a very low cost solution. There is also the TKO 500 and TKO600 variants thereof that will work great. All of these are proven transmissions with known strengths and weakness (...hey, there are always tradeoffs). If you'd like help getting a T56 attached to your Poncho V8, I can help. There are also threads here and on performanceyears.com for getting the T56 and TKO's into a 2nd gen bird. Read up. Search for a few hours every day for a week or two and you'll just start to get a glimpse of what's possible and what is best for you, your car and your budget. It's time to do some homework!

[67bird]

Wyatt,
I would recommend you do some research on the t-56 magnum and the new Mcleod trans. Depending on your timeframe when you are needing it and who has the best deal I would decide between those two. As far as all the items needed to install that is easy. I would contact with Keisler or Hurst (used to be CMG) and tell them what you are doing and ask for recommendations. I would also call Frank at Prodigy customs. Their project Emptynest Firebird is about the same HP level you are looking at. I am sure he can tell you or sale you every item you would need to install in your car. I can also tell you that Pontiac Enthusiast and High Performance Pontiac magazine have done installs for TKO's in recent years. Those articles are probably listed on their websites. My only recomendations is consider a Quicktime or Mcleod bellhousing as they are normally smaller than the lakewood and easier to dial in.