The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Anyone try to put a T-56 6-spd in a '64 SB FS?

I've just gotten my hands on a '64 SB Fleetside and am jumping in with both feet here. I found a new crate 350, so I grabbed that, and found a T-56 out of a '94 Z28 over in Tucson, and I just had to try it. The idea of having a 6-speed tranny with 50% overdrive in top gear was just too cool to turn down. Now, though, I've figured out the shifter handle is going to be back about 16 inches farther than the old 4-spd shifter was, so I have no options - buckets are mandatory. Also, the T-56 has an electronic speedometer feed, so I have to either go to a new electronic speedo or get one of those converter units I saw online somewhere. Now I'm wondering what else I didn't consider, since I had never even seen a T-56 before! If anyone has any tips or suggestions, I'm sure open to advice!

Have the T-56 serviced if it has high mileage since it is 14 years old, unless it came from a really low mileage car. The 3/4 fork is a little week and older units may need service. I pulled a friends apart, replaced the input bearings and the 3/4 fork assembly a few years back - he was shifting from 1-4 (skip shift on the trans) when the trans got stuck in 2 gears simultaneously in the middle of an intersection. There are stronger shift forks available aftermarket now, and I believe that TTC has upgraded the design on new transmissions in about 2000.

Since it doesn't sound like you are using the Camaro engine or ECM, I wouldn't worry about the skipshift feature because the computer isnt there to activate it.

I would buy new gauges myself vs a speed-box converter

Other than that, welcome to the 'bolt, post pics

Scott

Scott, thanks for the advice. I'll get the tranny checked out.

As for this skip-shift feature you mention, I guess I've got a lot to learn - I never even heard of this before. Does this mean you can't skip a gear, going up or down, unless you're using the ECM?

Yeah, I kinda figured on new gauges, too. Brothers has a sale going on, and a guy there is supposed to be getting back to me re if they will substitute an elec speedo vs the mech unit in the sale package. Reminds me - he hasn't called me back...

Thanks again, and I'll figure out how to post pics and try to document the project - I think it's going to be a fun one!

The Skip-shift feature was introduced with the T56 in all cars. The ECM monitors throttle input, engine load, and speed. During normal driving, when leaving an intersection or otherwise starting out, the ECM blocks 2nd gear forcing you to shift from 1st into 4th. This feature enables the vehicle to get better mileage. This is done with a solenoid mounted under the shifter assembly in the tail section. The ECM triggers the solenoid. The ECM so precisely controls fuel that you can lug the crap out of the engines without problems.

To go into 2nd gear normally in a stock vehicle, the engine must be loaded more than 25%, or the throttle more than 25% applied. There are "skip shift eliminator" kits that use a coil and resistor to fake the computer into thinking the solenoid coil is active.

However since you are most likely not using the stock ECM and EFI, you will not have to worry about the feature.

Scott