Rwd, cheap engines for 450whp

In reply to mad_machine:

This is a big factor. Id rather give up the straight 6 wail to have a better balanced car.

JTNWEvo wrote: Are there any readily available manual transmissions that you can run behind an LSx? T-56 prices are sky high.

Darn near anything if you're not married to 6 speeds. T5, AX15, NV3550. There are dozens more, but most of them are truck-ish and have granny firsts.

I thought the T5 was only good to 300 foot-pounds?

Ill probably go with a T56 just for strength

Since I don't know what is cheap for you. Have you thought about an RB25 swap?

I forgot to add that LOJ Innovations makes a kit to get a z32tt 5speed on an LSx motor.

LOJ

JBasham wrote: I thought the T5 was only good to 300 foot-pounds?

It was pretty conservatively rated. Also entirely depends on the vehicle and traction. A light car with 235mm rubber? I wouldn't worry about it. A truck with mud tires would kill it.

T56s are expensive, but really a worthy box. Expect a rear axle gear swap unless you have high 3 series to mid 4 series gears. At T56 with its 2.66 first and double OD with 0.50 sixth makes 4.10s feel like 3.08s with a normal OD ratio.

If you go T56, pay attention to year. The early 92-94 boxes had different ratios and were not rated to take much more torque than a T5. Once you get to 95 (I think) all the GM T56s were the 2.66/0.50 spread.

Also, don't necessarily limit yourself to GM T56s. All of the center cases and gears are interchangeable between brands. The only differences are input side and output side. The front plate, input shaft, tailhousing, and output shafts are specific, but one of the T56s I have orginally started as a Viper unit. I would actually consider selling it to you, but if you think a junkyard T56 is pricey, you wouldn't want to hear my price. I spent a lot of money on converting a brand new, parts-counter TNET1247 box to fit a GM but keeping the massive viper 31-spline output shaft. But it just goes to show you that T56s are easy conversions between brands.

What junkyards are yall visiting with T56's?

yupididit wrote: I forgot to add that LOJ Innovations makes a kit to get a z32tt 5speed on an LSx motor. LOJ

The other is Crossmembers.com.

I picked up a Z32 trans, fly, and driveshaft for $220.

yupididit wrote: What junkyards are yall visiting with T56's?

Seriously, you can barely find an iron block LS at all my local junkyards, and I'm halfway between two large cities. T56? Fuggedaboutit.

In reply to yupididit:

This is intriguing. I like it

yupididit wrote: What junkyards are yall visiting with T56's?

Ebay and craigslist for me. I don't live in a huge metropolis so I can't just drive across town to a junkyard, but if I expand my search radius to 2 hours I get Baltimore, Philly, DC, northern VA, and Delaware. Last one I bought was from a yard in Altoona. $500, but it was known to have a bad 2nd synchro. For $900 all in (and help from a friend who knew what he was doing) I had a freshly remaned T56.

Look for projects, too. I bought a non-smoggable S10 with a 6.0L and T56 for $2000. I drove it like a Roadkill episode for 30 days until I had to get it registered then parted it out. I made all but $50 of my money back and kept the T56 and Spec aluminum flywheel and clutch.

Maybe find a T-boned Camaro or someone else's stalled project. Its a lot of work just to get a T56, but I have had good luck with that. Sometimes an incomplete pile is worth a lot less than the sum of its parts, so buy one and part out the rest of the car keeping the tranny stuff.

The value of LS1/T56 Camaros is dictated by the value of the engine/trans combo

High demand, limited supply. If you want one out of a junkyard, you need to be the first one there when the car shows up. They don't last long.

I live in southern California. I travel up to 60 miles into LA to hit junk yards. Never seen a T-56 . Or LS motor for that fact.

I call all this "the LX tax," and I have to console myself with cheap 350 HP pushrod Fords in light chassis.

JBasham wrote: I call all this "the LX tax," and I have to console myself with cheap 350 HP pushrod Fords in light chassis.

Hahaha that's one way to look at it.

I picked up a t56 ls1 pullout at a local redneck junkyard. They let me take the car home and pull it myself as long as I left the body panels and rear end. I sold $500 of trim pieces off it.

Also scored a gto t56 and ls6 intake injectors etc for $1000 total. The intake is worth $300+. That was a Craigslist find, or as my friends say Greg'slist....

LSX tax indeed! By me, I notice even 5.3s creeping to the 1k mark.