Joe,
The guys from Hammond transmission will probably be at the DFW swap meet in a couple of weeks. I got a 2004R from them that I'm putting in my 57 3100 behind a 250. They seemed quite knowledgeable and reasonably priced. I went with the 2004R because it is a lighter duty trans and has less parasitic loss. But still plenty capable of handling the power levels I'll have. A slightly smaller core means it fit the 57 with no mods to the floor pan.
I'll be interested in your T5 setup for my 55.1 3100 if you decide to replace it.
regards,
Leon