Could the c5 trans be used for mid engine?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
Could the c5 trans be used for mid engine?
I do a lot with old kit cars and this question has popped up because 45 years ago a kit car used a modified corvair transaxle to make a mid engine car,
The lay out was engine then bell housing adaptor then the gear box ( you couldn't use the vair auto )
then the diff and then the rear where the vair engine was is blocked off.
So the question on the kit forum was could the c5 tranny and diff be adapted to have a v8 hanging off it to be a mid engine set up even though to me it would be rather long from engine to axle, perhaps off road sand rail people already do this,
Any info?
Many thanks!
Cheers,
P.
The lay out was engine then bell housing adaptor then the gear box ( you couldn't use the vair auto )
then the diff and then the rear where the vair engine was is blocked off.
So the question on the kit forum was could the c5 tranny and diff be adapted to have a v8 hanging off it to be a mid engine set up even though to me it would be rather long from engine to axle, perhaps off road sand rail people already do this,
Any info?
Many thanks!
Cheers,
P.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 23,480
Likes: 9
From: East Meadow NY
St. Jude Donor '12
In theory you should be able to make something work. You need to somehow get rid of the torque tube connection and make an adapter plate of some sort to bolt the corvette transmission to the engine.
The F-body version of the transmission might work better since it is designed to be bolted directly to the engine though. I am not sure if you can bolt the Fbody transmission to the Corvette differential though.
The GTM Supercar uses the corvette engine in a mid-engine configuration, but uses a Porsche G50 transmission. If you could figure out how to do it without having to buy the Porsche parts, the GTM kit car builders would probably love you.
https://www.factoryfive.com/kits/gtm...what-you-need/
The F-body version of the transmission might work better since it is designed to be bolted directly to the engine though. I am not sure if you can bolt the Fbody transmission to the Corvette differential though.
The GTM Supercar uses the corvette engine in a mid-engine configuration, but uses a Porsche G50 transmission. If you could figure out how to do it without having to buy the Porsche parts, the GTM kit car builders would probably love you.
https://www.factoryfive.com/kits/gtm...what-you-need/
Last edited by chaase; Jan 8, 2013 at 01:38 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,449
Likes: 409
From: Portland OR
I saw a Corvair in one of the car mags that used a C5 diff and a powerglide mated to it. Turned out the PG has a 27 spline output shaft same as the spline count in the C5 pinion. An adapter was machined to bolt the 2 together.
A C5 A4 (4L60E) is the same internaly as the trans in a Camaro etc. The bell housing portion unbolts from the trans, so does the bellhousing for the Camaro.
I would think, although I don't know, that you could bolt a Camaro bellhousing on to the C5 4L60E/Transaxle and be able to bolt the LS engine directly to the trans, eliminating the torque tube.
Interesting proposition actually!
Ron
A C5 A4 (4L60E) is the same internaly as the trans in a Camaro etc. The bell housing portion unbolts from the trans, so does the bellhousing for the Camaro.
I would think, although I don't know, that you could bolt a Camaro bellhousing on to the C5 4L60E/Transaxle and be able to bolt the LS engine directly to the trans, eliminating the torque tube.
Interesting proposition actually!
Ron
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 13,760
Likes: 75
From: Haymarket VA
Here's a great build. Not really a C5 engine but one based on LS specs.
http://ls1tech.com/forums/generation...8ci-build.html
http://ls1tech.com/forums/generation...8ci-build.html
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
There are engine mount variations of the C5 trans available in both auto and manual versions so you could build either trans so they bolt to the engine on one end and bolt to the diff on the other end.
