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performance after tranny swap question

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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 01:28 AM
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Default performance after tranny swap question
All my T10 parts are here and getting ready to do the swap. My question is, how will the car run after the swap without changing the rear end gears? Should I wait and do all at the same time (tranny and gears)? What are the pros and cons of going with 3.54 gears?
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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 09:07 AM
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If you swap the tranny before you change the rear gears, you'll be able to get any bugs worked out KNOWING that they'refrom the tranny swap. If you change both at the same time, if there are any bugs is anything, you'll have to dig around for the source. I'ddo one at a time, unless you're 100% sure there are no little hidden secrets in anything..

Just my $.02

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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 09:32 AM
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Do the trans. swap first, drive it some & then you should have a better feel for what you want in rear gears.
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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 10:56 AM
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Maybe I should go that route and do the swap first to get a feel of things.
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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 11:37 AM
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you may not need to swap the rear end i would do the tranny swap first.
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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 01:25 PM
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I just wanted to know performance-wise how the car will feel considering the swap to a 4 speed but still using the stock 81 automatic rear end gears. If it's going to be sluggish, might as well change the rear end too after all the work of swapping the tranny. What are your opinions?
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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 01:37 PM
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Originial '81 rear gears with an auto. trans was 2.87. Won't work very well with a 4 speed, IMO. You will need at the very least 3.36's, preferably 3.55's.
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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 01:45 PM
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How will it perform in highway speeds? Maybe I do need to change gears. I was told here at the forum that 81 uses 3.54.
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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 01:48 PM
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Not that it came with a 3.54 but rather 3.54 is what the 81 can accomodate and not 3.55. I have no clue, just going by what other people are saying.
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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 01:56 PM
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For highway use stock gears would work. For stop light to stop light, you will be dissapointed. Will require considerable cluch slipping on a hard leave to keep it from bogging down.
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Old Feb 22, 2007 | 02:05 PM
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Originally Posted by big_G
For highway use stock gears would work. For stop light to stop light, you will be dissapointed. Will require considerable cluch slipping on a hard leave to keep it from bogging down.
So, I guess I definitely have to change gears considering Los Angeles traffic and some lights that are only a block apart. Thanks for the advice.
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