The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Good 5 speed transmission for a hotrod 292?

Hi all..looking for a good tranny for my hotrod 292 I6 it will be making around 290 hp and 340 torque. The truck is a 66 c10 short bed and will be a daily. Stock gear ratio of 3.73 and a 30 inch tire..will be changing to a 31 inch. I'm looking for a close ratio tranny so I don't have to wind it up all the time like the sm420. Any help would be cool. Also would like something that can utilize the stock bell housing.

Check out the T5 tricks that others have posted. Use the search function. Lots of good information. Right T5 will fit the bell housing so start looking.

If your C10 is truly driven like a hot rod, then a T5 will not last long. I met the owner of a gorgeous 1955 Chevy 2 door hot rod with a 383ci stroker engine. He had a Camaro T5 in it BUT HE DROVE IT NORMALLY.

Bottom line - a T5 works great if you want a daily driver. Otherwise, spend your money getting a stronger transmission.
Just my opinion.

T5 is only rated for 300 lbft of tq. Lug is right. Gear swap might be a better idea?

Yeah the T5 was not on my list...it will be driven as a dd, but when I wanna do a burnout I want to have the confidence in my tranny. I've seen some of the richmond 5 speeds used, but many of them were the non-over drive version and I don't know if the stock bell housing was used.

Dude, you can't say burnout.... Hotrod either... I'd stick with the 4 speed and drop the rearend gear. Wallaceracing.com has a good calculator to figure your rpm and speed for any given tire size and gear sets. Best of luck to ya
3000rpm cruise never hurt anything.

A Tremec will stand up to what you want to do and a mid shift kit will make it workable in a pickup.

http://www.tremec.com/anexos/Mid-Shift%20Conversion%20Kit.pdf

My hopped up 6 will easily do burnouts. lol Yeah nothing wrong with the sm420 except the wide gear split...when I downshift to 3rd I don't want to go from 2000 rpm to 4000 rpm like it does...For cruising and highway driving I love the sm420...slow shifting and long time through the gears...but I have a 3.73 rear end and I like it that way because I can utilize the torque really well...makes taking off really nice and fast, and is a good ratio especially since I use the truck for working as well. Was able to pull a hill in 3rd from almost a dead stop towing a 2000 pound trailer and it accelerated the whole way. Thanks.

I just watched the video, nice work! Where at in oregon are you located?

Here is some food for thought what about using a Mopar A-833 New Process. Its a 4speed manual with over drive. Those were used in the mid seventies, Plymouths Feather Duster as well as assorted Dodge products and many Chevy vans used them. The aluminum-case had the 4th gear being over drive of 0.73 to 1. If you find one that's cast iron 4th gear will be 1:1 high gear. The muscle cars used the cast iron ones. At least the aluminum one has the overdrive so if you have a 3.90:1 rear end you can cruise at 60 mph at 2146 RPM and still have lots of torque off the line. I read this in a book called The Classic Chevy Truck Handbook by Jim Richardson. I have no practical experience with this tranny, plus I have a T5 already or I might have gone that A-833 route.

I do not know what the T5 can handle as far as popping the clutch. I know my brother I believe in 1986 had an IROC-Z Camaro and when he was foolish enough to lend me his car the tranny held up well. I think it was a t5 but not for sure. In my 235 I do not plan on ripping it too hard. just my .02

My brother has a 66' with a 350 bored .60 over with 3.73 gears.

He installed a Tremec 6 speed out of a Camaro in it and it has held up to burnouts and towing a carhauler with my 1958 3200 on the back. It has been a solid trans for him. Stock Chevy bellhousing pattern, as the tranny has the housing integrated. He did have to rig up the hydraulic clutch though, wasn't too difficult.

If I had a big budget, or planned to keep the vehicle forever, I would put in a Tremec 5 or 6 speed. Tremec had a display at the recent Houston autorama, lots of gearing options, no external linkages, multiple shifting locations. They are expensive however.

Thanks! I'm located in Cave Junction...32 miles from Grants Pass.