cascadian_fox

Idly considering performing the manual swap on an '82.

2 factors driving my tranny choice:

1) ease of install (by the time this mod is actually on the docket I expect to have a garage, but possibly not a terrific amount of vertical space to lift the car up in)
2) odds of finding a gently-used transmission

Thoughts? I'm not necessarily averse to buying a brand new transmission if I can get it in with minimal hassle.

cagotzmann

Auto to manual swap ?. If so there is no ease of install.

Shark Racer

The worst part of an auto-to-manual swap is the pedal box change. You then have to decide how you're setting up the clutch actuation. Hydraulic is a bit easier than mechanical but more expensive.

You'll have to cut a hole in the floor for the shifter and fabricate something to cover said hole up.

If you've done a clutch replacement before, it's not much more difficult than that.

The car has to be high enough off the ground to get the transmission out - figure at LEAST a foot of clearance, more if you use a transmission jack (which you'll need, unless you're fairly strong - you may still need a strong friend).

SH-60B

What are you looking for? 4, 5, or 6 speed? I did a T56 into an automatic car. Used T56 can be had for reasonable $

Garys 68

Considering you have a 2.72 rear end, you're going to be limited to a manual with around a 3.0 first gear.
That would be an autogear wide ratio, or 2.88, or 3.42 T10.

Richard Daugird

With 2.72, it's gonna be gutless regardless what you do...Save your pennies, get a 3.73 and overdrive stick. If it was cheap/easy, everyone would be doing it. "Easy/low cost" and "Corvette" rarely fit in the same sentence!!!

jim-81

My build was similar. I had 2.87 gears and swapped my auto for a ST-10 with 2.88 first gear. Drove that for a summer then swapped out the gears for 3.54. All good now!

Here is my trans swap thread: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...on-thread.html

cascadian_fox

Well, "easy". "Minimum theoretical hassle" might have been a better phrase there.

cascadian_fox

Kind of don't care? Leaning towards a six-speed to keep RPMs down at *ahem* "highway speeds".

What are the tradeoffs between a high number of gears and a low number of gears?

cascadian_fox

Cheap and easy are subjective. I'm budgeting ~4k for the project, and the Corvette's my "remedial car wrenching course" (to make up for a small subset of the things my father failed to teach me), so I'm amenable to doing a fair amount of wrenching in the process.

What I'm trying to avoid is picking a transmission that is going to be a nightmare to install correctly. "Minimal theoretical hassle" is the philosophy here: i know that this is a big job, and the minimum hassle is going to be rather high -- I want to avoid pushing it higher unnecessarily.

cascadian_fox

Tight! Thanks for the link.

cascadian_fox

Thanks, great to know.

NOPE NOPE NOPE WHEEEEE

If I still own this car when I move next, my next house *must* have somewhere I can stick a lift. For precisely the above reason!

Sky65

If you can find a Richmond non-OD 5 spd it would be perfect with the 2.72 rear. 3.27 1st and 1:1 5th. The RG is as close to a bolt in you can get. No tunnel mods other than shifter hole, uses stock manual bell housing, uses stock manual driveshaft, may be the same as an auto I don't know, and with the current automatic you already have a removable crossmember to ease the installation. I would use a stock mechanical clutch set up. Just need the clutch cross shaft frame bracket installed to bolt the rest of the stuff on. Shop it all and price it out to see if you can hit your budget before buying any parts.

I use a RG 5spd and a 2.73 rear in my 65.

Tom

cascadian_fox

Wonderful input, thank you so much.

cv67

Assuming your 82 is stock crossfire 350 and staying that way?

Are you dead set on keeping the gears you have now or open to upgrading?

Without knowing more and budget a rebuilt Camaro T5 would be my choice.

6th in the T56 will be useless its just too tall. Autogear 4 spd 2nd
Having an OD is nice, if you really need it. On the 4 spd forget anything with a 2.20 low you wont like it.

cascadian_fox

At least for the forseable future.

If the benefit's worth the cost in time and dollars and contributions to the swear jar, sure. What changes would you suggest making, and what would those changes get me?

If you'll indulge my ignorance, what's the practical difference between a tall 6th and an overdrive? I was under the impression that an overdrive was "just" another gear in the gearbox, albeit a really tall one.

SH-60B

Richard Daugird has brought up a critical point. The rear gearing in your car will have to dictate what transmission you need. If you are willing to change your gears your options open up. I can drive mine with 355 rears and the T56, but anything numerically lower is going to become a problem.

Garys 68

The Richmond/Doug Nash non OD 5 speed (3.28 1st, 1:1 5th) would be a great option, but I don't think they make them any more. It's also difficult to check out used ones since you have to split the case.
Any OD trans will be useless in top gear with your rear end. And changing rear end ratios in a vette is expensive if you cant do it yourself. Might want to even check what ratios would be available for an 82 rear.
On your budget the T-10 with 2.88 or 3.42 1st would be your best bet. They're available new and used and can be rebuilt with a $100 kit. I found a 3.42 T10 locally for $100 from an early 80s Camaro that I'm using with a 2.73 rear in my 72 Olds. Nice combo if you have an engine with a wide torque curve. Note that the 3.42s tend to be weak, but as a DD and with the 82 motor, it shouldn't be an issue.

cv67

c.f youre correct 6th is just OD for steady cruise really not accelerating
Think a 5 spd would be plenty for ya

Shark Racer

Actually, a 2.73 rear gear with a 0.82 OD gives you a top gear ratio of 2.24:1. 2000 RPM in 5th with a 27.1" tire is 72.02 MPH.

A 3.55 rear gear with a 0.64OD gives you 2.27:1. 2000RPM in 5th with 27.1" tire is 70.97MPH.

That's a 1.05 mph difference, pretty negligible. But yes, the 3.55 car would be faster in lower gears. It would also have a massive gap between 4th and 5th gear, and much higher driveshaft speeds. I don't think this would be a terrible option. Aside from hole-shot, it may be more fun to drive than my 3.73/TKO-600 0.64 setup, particularly since I hate the gear drop between 4th and 5th in mine (wish I had a T56).

I think the "perfect" setup for my car, though, would be something with the ratios my ATS's TR6060 has: taller T56 gearing 1-4 (2.66 first) and slightly quicker highway ratios in 5th and 6th.