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Help with T56 identification (pic)

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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 12:25 AM
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Default Help with T56 identification (pic)

Hey C5ers! C3 owner here poppin on up to see if someone can confirm this t56. Im told it’s out of a 95 Firebird. I’m not too familiar with all the versions and tail shafts but this one seems strange to me. I’m going to look at it tomorrow.

Two things stand out.

1. The shift plate. I thought these had a double position mounting surface (forward/back). Looks to be only one.

2. Am I crazy or does the shifter appear to be mounted to some mysterious black tail shaft section?

Please help me understand here here if you can.

Thanks all!




-Stroke

Last edited by Strokemyaxe; Sep 20, 2018 at 12:27 AM.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 12:55 AM
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Here’s my t56 lifted straight out of an 01 SS if it helps.



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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 01:49 AM
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Originally Posted by dbgoodwin
Here’s my t56 lifted straight out of an 01 SS if it helps.
Yes. That helps greatly.

I wish I knew a little more about them before buying, but this one seems like a pretty fair deal.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 12:02 PM
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So that came off the 1990's LT1 engine, out of the Trans Am and Camaro, the C4 LT1 manual transmissions were not T56, I wanna say they were called 4 plus 3?

I may be wrong about the C4 Corvette manual transmission.

The C5 however did use T56, but it was in back of car bolted to differential, unlike the T56 in Camaro or Trans Am(1998-2002 Camaro Trans Am had LS1 engines like the C5 Corvettes).

I think the T56 with different shifter locations are brand new aftermarket units, called Magnum T56, they are heavy duty from the factory, 700 ft lbs of tq rated.

The new Magnum T56 is based on LS engine input shaft and mid plate and LS style clutch slave, that 1995 Trans Am has LT1 input shaft and midplate, and external clutch slave cylinder.

What kind of car and what engine is this going in?

The new magnum T56 can be bolted to LS engines, SBC, BBC, with the correct adapter bell housing, any engine you bolt it to, it still uses the internal clutch slave cylinder that is better than the external kind.

The new Magnum T56 is about $3200.00 last I looked (I want a T56 for my 1965 Chevy pickup to go behind the 396 BBC I swapped in to replace TH400, with 3.73 rear gears it's not very freeway friendly).

The adapter bell housing to bolt magnum T56 to SBC or BBC is around $700.00.

Not cheap at all, but T56 are expensive to have rebuilt and chances the one you are considering may need some work, also the parts for them are expensive.

A rebuild for basic stock is almost 2000.00, more if you do upgrades, say you buy the 1995 T56 for 800-1200 bucks and it needs a rebuild, you are in the same $$ as the brand new Magnum T56.

How much is the used T56?
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 02:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Strokemyaxe
Hey C5ers! C3 owner here poppin on up to see if someone can confirm this t56. Im told it’s out of a 95 Firebird. I’m not too familiar with all the versions and tail shafts but this one seems strange to me. I’m going to look at it tomorrow.

Two things stand out.

1. The shift plate. I thought these had a double position mounting surface (forward/back). Looks to be only one.

2. Am I crazy or does the shifter appear to be mounted to some mysterious black tail shaft section?

Please help me understand here here if you can.

Thanks all!




-Stroke
It's 93-97 F body T56. This was used with LT1 and will not work with LS engine. They used "pull" style clutch and you can see the slave mounting on the bell housing. These transmission never had dual mounting for the shifter. Hope that helps.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 02:59 PM
  #6  
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Originally Posted by 1999corvettels1
So that came off the 1990's LT1 engine, out of the Trans Am and Camaro, the C4 LT1 manual transmissions were not T56, I wanna say they were called 4 plus 3?

I may be wrong about the C4 Corvette manual transmission.

The C5 however did use T56, but it was in back of car bolted to differential, unlike the T56 in Camaro or Trans Am(1998-2002 Camaro Trans Am had LS1 engines like the C5 Corvettes).

I think the T56 with different shifter locations are brand new aftermarket units, called Magnum T56, they are heavy duty from the factory, 700 ft lbs of tq rated.

The new Magnum T56 is based on LS engine input shaft and mid plate and LS style clutch slave, that 1995 Trans Am has LT1 input shaft and midplate, and external clutch slave cylinder.

What kind of car and what engine is this going in?

The new magnum T56 can be bolted to LS engines, SBC, BBC, with the correct adapter bell housing, any engine you bolt it to, it still uses the internal clutch slave cylinder that is better than the external kind.

The new Magnum T56 is about $3200.00 last I looked (I want a T56 for my 1965 Chevy pickup to go behind the 396 BBC I swapped in to replace TH400, with 3.73 rear gears it's not very freeway friendly).

The adapter bell housing to bolt magnum T56 to SBC or BBC is around $700.00.

Not cheap at all, but T56 are expensive to have rebuilt and chances the one you are considering may need some work, also the parts for them are expensive.

A rebuild for basic stock is almost 2000.00, more if you do upgrades, say you buy the 1995 T56 for 800-1200 bucks and it needs a rebuild, you are in the same $$ as the brand new Magnum T56.

How much is the used T56?


It is $800 and Im told it is in good shape. Will not know until I look at it. Assuming none of the gears are trashed, rebuild kits are $400. It's going into my C3 corvette at the back of my 383 SBC.

Thanks for all the info, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I may just wait until after the Good Guys Car show at Texas Motor Speedway. Check out what's out there before I buy.

-Stroke

Last edited by Strokemyaxe; Sep 20, 2018 at 03:19 PM.
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