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Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
2/13/23 12:44 p.m.
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Do the best engines always get paired to the best transmissions, or is there always room for improvement?

If you could bolt any transmission to any engine, what would your dream setup look like?

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Tom1200
Tom1200 UberDork
2/13/23 1:00 p.m.

Yamaha Two Stroke Twins (RD & TZ); because H-pattern synchro gearboxes are abominations in comparison and a rev happy two strokes spinning to 12K are glorious. This is also the reason I like motorcycle engined cars.

If I have to pick a common automotive combo I'd go with Miata engine and gearbox. Nice gearbox with a revvy motor.........I especially like 1.6s.

 

 

triumph7
triumph7 HalfDork
2/13/23 1:04 p.m.

The TR7/TR8 gearbox is phenomenal, unfortunately I don't think it was ever mated to a really good engine.

Ranger50
Ranger50 MegaDork
2/13/23 2:06 p.m.

Twin turbo 555-ish " BBC/BBF and a Lenco. May or may not include a Bruno for the inbetween....

mr2s2000elise
mr2s2000elise UberDork
2/13/23 2:08 p.m.

Yamaha V8 + 6MT or V12 Maranallo + 6MT

fidelity101
fidelity101 UberDork
2/13/23 2:13 p.m.

20B + BMW DCT

RadBarchetta
RadBarchetta New Reader
2/13/23 2:21 p.m.

In reply to triumph7 :

The 4 speed or the 5 speed?

NOHOME
NOHOME MegaDork
2/13/23 2:33 p.m.

TKX bolted to the back of an LS.  

Not a cheap proposition, but I have learned to be blasé about  6 speed manuals.

 

Because of a current thread re roll-your-own mid engine, I have become fascinated with LS to Audi conversions. Fascinated, but not sold on for various reasons.

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
2/13/23 2:34 p.m.

In reply to fidelity101 :

That sounds like a fun combo to me.

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
2/13/23 2:34 p.m.

In reply to NOHOME :

I don't think you can really go wrong with that.

Ian F (Forum Supporter)
Ian F (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
2/13/23 2:47 p.m.

Depends on what I'm dreaming of building.  Right now, my dream engine/trans combo to stuff a Cummins 12V backed by an Allison 6 spd AT with a dual range transfer case into my 1992 E350 to make it 4WD. 

frenchyd
frenchyd MegaDork
2/13/23 2:48 p.m.

6.0 Jag V12 and Saenz 5 speed. ( dog ring) 

I just love shifting dog rings.  I feel like such a brute doing those clutch less shifts with my throttle foot flat to the floor.  I understand they can even make it sequential rather than H pattern. 

  The 6 liter would be offset ground  and liners taken out to .100 to yield a 7+ liter engine.     With a pair of T4 turbo's and E85 as fuel   1200? Hp!!!!!

sir_mike
sir_mike Reader
2/13/23 3:10 p.m.

My 1600 Cortina with a period Jack Knight 5SP....or a new Quaife 5SP

93gsxturbo
93gsxturbo UltraDork
2/13/23 4:37 p.m.

4G63 to a real mid-engine trans with decent highway gears and still strong enough to bang out quarter mile passes all day every day.  

Even more cooler is if that trans has a provision to run a front transfer shaft as well.  

Yet even more cooler is addressing the coolant situation so the 4G is piped like a proper inline RWD application and not a FWD application turned sideways.

calteg
calteg SuperDork
2/13/23 6:50 p.m.

 

I'll just leave this here. Fun starts around the 30 second mark.

This, mated to a fancy BMW dual clutch transmission should do just fine

 

 

GeddesB
GeddesB GRM+ Memberand Reader
2/13/23 8:07 p.m.
NOHOME said:

TKX bolted to the back of an LS.  

 

My lastest 'project' has this setup, and I am digging it.  Very nice combo.  Mandatory new project (the $8K C6) photo:   

buzzboy
buzzboy SuperDork
2/13/23 10:00 p.m.

The BHW and FS5R30A going into my Mercedes is pretty fantastic honestly.

OM648 backed with a ZF S5-320z would be a close second

I also dream of a Duramax(ask curtis which one) with a ZF S6-750 and a manual shifted transfer case for a snow and highway capable RV dream build.

 

RacerBoy75
RacerBoy75 Reader
2/13/23 11:20 p.m.

I really liked my Yamaha FZ1 engine and it's six-speed box. Strong bottom end pull, very strong mid-range, and crazy top-end. You could pootle around town all day long shifting at 2500 rpm, or let it rip to the crazy redline. The gearbox shifted like butter whether you used the clutch or not. 

triumph7
triumph7 HalfDork
2/14/23 1:07 a.m.
RadBarchetta said:

In reply to triumph7 :

The 4 speed or the 5 speed?

The 5 speed, LT77

yupididit
yupididit GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
2/14/23 6:49 a.m.

M275 with a robust 6 speed manual. Or even better, m120 with itb's and said transmission. 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
2/14/23 9:14 a.m.

It was a factory pairing, but I keep coming back to the B16A/S1 combo that I had in my CRX. The B16A had all the revs–especially after its new computer–while the S1 had that low fifth gear. To quote JG, it was like driving an impact wrench. 

Terrific on track. Not a great highway car, though. 

preach (dudeist priest)
preach (dudeist priest) GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
2/14/23 12:22 p.m.

VW 07k 5cyl with a single turbo and an Audi 01E 6spd transaxle.

pres589 (djronnebaum)
pres589 (djronnebaum) UltimaDork
2/14/23 12:37 p.m.

In reply to GeddesB :

Where is the TKX mounted, behind the engine normally, or at the rear diff like normal for a C6? 

Interesting project.  Is there a build thread on this?

Pete. (l33t FS)
Pete. (l33t FS) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/14/23 1:38 p.m.
preach (dudeist priest) said:

VW 07k 5cyl with a single turbo and an Audi 01E 6spd transaxle.

username checks out

SKJSS (formerly Klayfish)
SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) PowerDork
2/14/23 2:47 p.m.

I have to say I'm quite happy with the already existing marriage between the N52 and whatever the code for the 6spd manual BMW uses in them.  Silky smooth bottom to top.

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