Doing a restomod on a 79. A few weeks back I posted some pics of a 99 gen4 Camaro LS1-4L60E.

I'm putting a TR6060 in the car and just test fitting everything. The tranny seems to fit fairly well with regard to the cross member. As showing in the following pics:

TR6060

 

However, it seems like it's going to be difficult to line up the transmission horizontal angle with the differential. I'm using a bubble level, the transmission is about 5 degrees out of line with the transmission sitting about 2 in from the top of the crossmember.

Dating myself with the trusty combat plotter as you can see Max speed is 540 knots..

Level on the face of differential you can see the bubble is pretty close to zero.

On the face of the transmission it's almost an entire bubble out.

Centerline of the output shaft is about 3 and 3/4 in above the top of the crossmember.

I tried raising the transmission up to where it was at the same angle as the differential but it's way too high so what I'm wondering is if I put the CV joint from the Camaro on the front of the drive shaft and use a universal joint on the back if I'm still going to have vibration issues. I have to have a drive shaft made up anyway.

The car is sitting on the tires but the way I'm using the level it really doesn't make much difference other than the fact that the weight is loading the aft structure of the frame. More loading on the structure will make the angles worse anyway.

 

I spent all day measuring my differential and transmission angles raising and lowering the transmission and differential and I think I've arrived at the optimal "W" configuration for the driveline.

It looks like a 1/2 inch bushing between the pinion Mount and frame and a 2 and 1/4 rise off the frame at the transmission will give equal 1.8 degree drops on the driveshaft. At least on my car in its current configuration.

I'm using the LSX innovations motor mounts on my block and I'll post some pics here that show that in this configuration it gives adequate room for the parking brake bracket and for the reverse solenoid on the transmission.

since I have the body off the frame I don't know how it will fit in the transmission tunnel but I plan on modifying that anyway.

This is the top bushing from a vansteel pinion mount and it's about 1/2 inch.

What I did was put in a 2 by 4 block with some three-quarter inch nuts above it which puts it at about two and a quarter inches off the crossmember.

as you can see from this configuration on top it looks like there's plenty of room for the reverse solenoid on the tr6060 and the parking brake bracket on the crossmember.

 

 

This will help out- just need a smartphone-

http://www.tremec.com/menu/tremec-toolbox-app/

 

This shows where the stock 79 Corvette driveshaft fits in terms of distance with it back in the pinion yoke and laying up against the adapter great weld on that I think that's been repaired. The driveshaft will have to be shortened.
I tried using that app, but unless the angles are close, it's useless. Tells you when it's not in spec, but provides no information on what's off or how far off.

This photo goes with the post that follows this.

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I did download a spirit level app, and used that for comparison between the pinion angle and transmission. I'm not sure what the accuracy is if these, they display in tenths of a degree.. I'm a little skeptical the phone is that accurate, but if your using it to compare then that is probably close. I took six measurements, three comparative each starting on both sides.

What finally worked was measuring the distances from the engine mount to the transmission end, and from the diff mount to the pinion end. Then i used an online angle calculator to determine how much angle change on each one for a 1 inch up/down at the u joint. This got me close enough to then finish it with the spirit level app.

 

Got some more parts in today. A sonnax adapter flange for a tr6060 and I have the recommend 1350 (Spicer 2-2-119) yoke flange for this adapter but won't work with my driveshaft. I have ordered a 1330 yoke flange (spicer 2-2-1209) which should bolt

Here's the part number for the adapter plate

Here's where I have the ruler sitting on the pinion yoke for reference.

This photo shows the distance to the flange from the pinion yoke which is about 29 and 1/2. the transmission is not sitting at the proper height yet so this distance will change a little bit in my installation.

Here's the distance to the 1350 flange yoke for the flange that I've got. It will change for the 1330.

to this I just don't have it yet so it's not in the photos.

 

Just curious, but could you post a picture of what the aft end of that tranny looks like? Do you have to use some sort of 3-piece adapter contraption to hook up to the drive shaft?

 

I think I'm going to try and adapt the existing Corvette transmission mount and place it directly on the crossmember instead of on the plate that bolts to the crossmember.

2010 Camaro tr6060 mount on the left Corvette mount on the right and the plate that bolts to the crossmember on top

Here's the mount bolted directly to the crossmember

Here's the transmission sitting down on top of the mount from the right side.

Left side view

Photo of the engine mount plate adapters I'm using.

 

Is the trans three bolt a slip yoke of some type? Or does you drive shaft need to be spot in regards to length? If it doesn't have any play that could be real interesting.

I know you doing a lot of fab work but I would consider an aftermarket cross member. I found that on my 71 LS swap routing the exhaust thru the hole in the stock cross member a real pain in the butt.

 

Sorry, I'm confused on your question. I'm planning on using the stock driveshaft, shortened to fit. The flange yoke will adapt it to the plate.

 

I know what you're saying about the slip yoke, the stock Vette doesn't use one... haven't decided yet. But now that I think about it is provided by the slip yoke that goes in the transmission of the stock Corvette.

Are you using headers on your swap, (long tube?). Right now I'm planning on side pipes with the 99 fbody manifolds and twin turbos.

I'm also going to move the fuel tank(s) to the same location as the C5/6/7.

 

I just have not seen that type of transmission output yoke? My Muncie (and my Richmond for that matter) both came with standard slip fit output yokes. I was just curious what you have to do to make that 3-bolt flange adapt to a standard U-joint bracket with ears?

 

A couple of posts back, I have some pictures of an adapter plate that goes on the trans output, and a yoke flange attaches to that. There is no splined shaft that goes in the transmission.

 

So if that three bolt flange on the end of the trans doesn't allow for any lateral movement your drive shaft length will have to be a very exact length so no pressure is put on the rear axle pinion and the output shaft of the trans. I think and don't quote me on this but does the late Camaro have two piece drive shaft with a slip joint to allow for some lateral movement? Will your new drive shaft have some type of slip joint?

I used mid-length headers on my swap. I welded up my exhaust out of mandrel bend pieces. It was just kind of tight around the trans. I was using a 4L60E. I did have to relocate the e-brake mount slightly to clear the front u-joint yoke.

I think there was a thread on here that someone converted a shifter like yours to more of a direct mount that also moved it to the "stock" trans tunnel console positon.

Should be a great ride with the twin turbos.

 

Decided to use the stock 79 transmission mount sitting on the crossmember. In order to do that, I had to weld some side brackets on the mount so it would bolt to the TR6060.

1/8 angle iron from the local Lowe's. Brackets cut and notched to fit.

The left side bracket could be drilled and bolted to the existing transmission mount but I decided to go ahead and weld both sides this is the left side bracket. On the transmission the bolt on the left side is foward of the bolt on the right side in order to clear the reverse solenoid.

Here's the right side bracket where it will go on the transmission mount.



I'm not the best welder but I think that's good enough


There's the right side bolted to the transmission and the crossmember.

here's the left side bolt to the transmission in the crossmember I will have to cut an angle on the top right of that in order for it to clear the reverse solenoid.

 

Good idea and great job. I saw some post elsewhere and they sell a similar contraption for a lotsa bucks(for what it is). I like it. Never having seen the back end (or any end for that matter) of those trannys; I'm a bit puzzled by the lack of a slip-joint output flange and the "different" rear tranny mount. I like your solution.

I had to modify my center exhaust mount support (that sits on top of tranny mount and under transmission) that holds up the center of the exhaust pipes. Mine now faces forward and it's trimmed-and-tweaked to work around my Richmond ROD. The mount has to hold the pipes still inside the holes in the crossmember so there's no rattling.

What is your plan for that? I ask since your tranny mount is really above the crossmember.

 

Thanks, my car was a "roller" off craigslist and didn't come with the engine/transmission in it. It had the plate that mounts to the crossmember but not the exhaust...if you could post a pic of yours that would be great.

My current plan is to mount two small turbos aft and below the engine in front of the footwells then to a catalytic convertor and then into side pipes. But I'm not sure it will all fit and I may just go with duals out the back. After reading some dyno tests of LS manifolds vs headers, I think I'll just stick with the F-body manifolds if I do that.

 

I am currently working on this now. I chatted with Josh at Custom Image Corvettes and it seems I should be pretty close once I trim the differential bushing a bit to bring the front of the differential up a bit. I am currently at about 2.3° downward to the back at the end of the transmission, and about the same angle on the driveshaft. The differential is right at 0° so if I bring it up a couple degrees I should be close. I will send some pictures of my cross member, I just finished welding it up today.

Scott

 

That sounds similiar to what I'm getting on mine. I'm really wondering what the tolerance is on the angles once the frame is loaded and under power, it sure seems like a couple degrees of movement in the differential would be common. The mounting of that on the crossmember and the pinion isn't very rigid.

The 93 k3500 driveshaft should be in Friday and once I get it installed, I'll post some pics