The UPS man came bearing gifts today! I'm getting closer to starting this whole messy process.

I ended up with a used, low-mileage Tremec-built Ford Motorsports 7003Z T5 trans. It's the same trans that Summit sells for $1100 or so. Rated at a continuout 330ft-lb for 24 hours. Should be more than enough for how I drive.

Also got a plate of 1/2" aluminum for the bellhousing adapter from a local scrap yard

Waiting for the UPS guy to bring my new clutch and I'm ready to get going.
Clutch disc: Ram 305M
Throwout Bearing: Ram 487
Pressure Plate: Ram 401

Everything is out of the car. Trans, clutch, console.

Need to cut the crossmember and fab the brackets for it.

I'll be documenting everything with pics as I go for those of you playing along at home. :cheers:

 

Looking forward to watching this one!!!

:lurk: :lurk: :lurk:

 

Did it come with a yoke ? You will really enjoy the results !

geo

 

Sounds really cool. I am definitely interested in what you're doing. I have been kicking around the idea of a G-Force T-5 install for sometime now. I will be following closely.

Getting the Vette all tuned up for the road trip to the cruise-in?

 

definately interesting. i will be doing this this fall for sure.

 

Get out the sawzall and start cutting. You will enjoy the overdrive.

 

Dave you are inspiring me to give it a go, would be interested in seeing your crossmember set up, again if you need some welding done I might be able to get my buddy to give us a hand. :thumbs:

 

Be expecting a call!! :lol:

It didn't come with a take-apart yoke, which will make me decide ow creative I want to be before spending a couple hundred for a custom one. I can get pretty darn creative for that kind of money :D

 

Get out the sawzall and start cutting. You will enjoy the overdrive.

Why all the cutting?? The tunnel clears fine. Is it a problem with the shifter? Since I used the ford version the shifter came out in the stock location.
I just cleaned up the fiberglass around the hole where the automatic stick use to be, they use a large piece of rubber to cover the hole.
I just cleaned this area up, repainted and it fit fine.

 

Also got a plate of 1/2" aluminum for the bellhousing adapter from a local scrap yard

A few tips. Machine the large hole first, lay it out roughly where you want the hole then have someone bore the hole to fit the ford front bearing.
Next lay the plate over the front of the ford transmission and draw the outline of the transmission on the plate plus mark out the 4 mounting holes for the Ford.
This gives you the outline of the ford transmission on the plate.
I then made a ring , a stepped ring, I could send you mine? I place this ring in the bellhousing and place the adaptor plate over the ring. This centers both holes , the bored hole in the place and the bellhousing hole, I also rotote the plate 18 degrees because the transmission is layed over.
I then trace the outline of the bellhousing and mark the 4 holes again.
The final shape of the adaptor plate needs to be drawn around the outside of these 2 patterns drawn on the plate, any shape around the outside to but leaving the material for the 2 outlines.
I drill and put studs for the future mounting of the transmission and 3 out of the 4 chevy bolt holes can be used. The 2 at 8 and 4 oclock can be ordinary bolt since they lay outside the transmission but the one at about 11 must be countersunk since is lays inside the transmission.
For the 4 th hole at about 1 I drill a number of 1/4 x 20 counter sunk cap screws, I mean flat head cap screws and use them for the 4 th mount.
Don't hesitate to email me at home nwilhelm@rogers.com for advice.
I have done this, it works and you will love the transmission.
Just a shot of my plate.

 

Thanks norval! That's pretty much what I was planning on doing.

The stepped ring just lines the plate up with the chevy bellhousing, right? Are the large holes very different in size? (mostly just wondering aloud here. I haven't taken the time to measure anything yet)

As for the cutting, my crossmember is the only thing I think I'll have to cut. The hole will need to be cleaned up so I can get at all of the shifter bolts, but that should be pretty simple.

 

I meant the crossmember. That is all I had cut when installing the Tremec in my car.

 

The stepped ring just lines the plate up with the chevy bellhousing, right? Are the large holes very different in size? (mostly just wondering aloud here. I haven't taken the time to measure anything yet)

The holes are close but not right on. With a ring to hold both holes in alignment it makes it easy to set up the plate with the bellhousing.