1987 El Camino 4.3 TBI / bad flexplate: fixed with a 5 speed!

[Zelnak Zilla]

So... Starting my 1987 El Camino was getting less and less reliable due to starter/flexplate grinding. It got to where I had to turn the engine over by hand to get to a good section of teeth before I could start it. The solution? A new flexplate? What fun is that?!?!

I had most of what I needed to put a WC T5 in the car squirreled away so, yeah, that happened.

A few pics...

Now I need to do some hacking on the ECM front for drivability issues with the stock automatic ECM/PROM.

So far I'm lovin' it!

 

[Texas82GP]

Very cool! I don't recognize that fork. What is it? What did you do for clutch linkage or is that a slave cylinder bellhousing?

 

[Ribbedroof]

Nice floorpan!

Been a while since I've seen one that clean.

 

[ssn696]

Very cool! I don't recognize that fork. What is it? What did you do for clutch linkage or is that a slave cylinder bellhousing?

83 Camaro, I think. Single year with a mechanical linkage.

 

[Zelnak Zilla]

Very cool! I don't recognize that fork. What is it? What did you do for clutch linkage or is that a slave cylinder bellhousing?

Hey, cool that you caught the difference in the clutch linkage. 😎

The bellhousing is from a 1983 (one year only!) F body 5 speed car. It tilts the T5 transmission, moving the shift lever more towards the driver. It also tilts down the clutch fork similar to the G body to clear the lower floor pan, but the opening in the bellhousing allows the use of a normal straight clutch fork instead of the screwy G body one.

The clutch fork is from a C3 corvette. it uses a clevis pin instead of a ball and socket.

The clutch pedal & linkage is standard-issue G body, with the exception of using heim joints with the corvette fork. Far less likely to come apart while driving.

 

[Zelnak Zilla]

Nice floorpan!

Been a while since I've seen one that clean.

Yeah, I lucked out on that. The body isn't as nice unfortunately. Not terrible, just not super clean. The frame is solid but there's lots of rusty bolts underneath.

It's very well optioned, with the 4.3 TBI, full gauges, buckets & console, tilt, cruise, & delay wipers. Interior isn't terrible. Needs a headliner, dash pad, & carpet. Oh, and it's a Conquista.

All in all a pretty cool specimen.

 

[Zelnak Zilla]

Some pics of the clutch linkage...

The heim joints are 3/8", so the z-bar had to be drilled out from 5/16". I used two male joints, a coupler, and a shock extension, with some trimming, to create the lower link.

 

[Texas82GP]

Hey, cool that you caught the difference in the clutch linkage. 😎

The bellhousing is from a 1983 (one year only!) F body 5 speed car. It tilts the T5 transmission, moving the shift lever more towards the driver. It also tilts down the clutch fork similar to the G body to clear the lower floor pan, but the opening in the bellhousing allows the use of a normal straight clutch fork instead of the screwy G body one.

The clutch fork is from a C3 corvette. it uses a clevis pin instead of a ball and socket.

The clutch pedal & linkage is standard-issue G body, with the exception of using heim joints with the corvette fork. Far less likely to come apart while driving.

Neat! I also have the 83 Camaro bellhousing. I'm using the Camaro fork and G Body linkage. When I bought my car it had a Saginaw four speed in it already. It was cool, but no overdrive. I haven't tested/driven mine yet. My project has been stalled for years. Thanks for taking the time to school me on the Vette fork.

 

[stew86MCSS396]

Neat! I also have the 83 Camaro bellhousing. I'm using the Camaro fork and G Body linkage. When I bought my car it had a Saginaw four speed in it already. It was cool, but no overdrive. I haven't tested/driven mine yet. My project has been stalled for years. Thanks for taking the time to school me on the Vette fork.

Nice! I too have that bellhousing and G body linkage. Would be very simple for me to do what you did but I wanna keep the bench. Couple of things, where did you get that steering wheel from? Is that a modded 200-4r crossmember as that's what I'm seeing that came out of the vehicle? What gears are in the rear end and how you liking it with the power of the V6?

 

[Zelnak Zilla]

Nice! I too have that bellhousing and G body linkage. Would be very simple for me to do what you did but I wanna keep the bench. Couple of things, where did you get that steering wheel from? Is that a modded 200-4r crossmember as that's what I'm seeing that came out of the vehicle? What gears are in the rear end and how you liking it with the power of the V6?

The steering wheel was from a Z24 Cavalier. Back when I used to troll the junkyards I always picked them up. Used to have spares but no more; I have a black one also in my Malibu.

Regarding the bench seat - the T5's used in the S10 trucks are more conducive to bench seats. The shifter position is more or less equal to a 4 speed with a bench seat shifter. Some people even mix and match parts from different T5's to get better gear ratios into a S10 style case.

The crossmember is from a non-overdrive/V8 G body. The overdrive/V6 crossmember was too far back for this application. A non-overdrive V6 crossmember might work too I suppose.

The rear is 3.42 Posi from a Monte SS that I got from a member here - Malibu Mike7981. The T5 is from a 1989 IROC Camaro, which has a 2.95 first gear and, I think, a 0.83 5th gear. This gives a 10.1 to 1 overall 1st gear ratio. This works pretty nicely with the 4.3's horsepower and torque. That said, it ain't no hot-rod!

Regarding driveability - the stock ECM is calibrated for the automatic of course. It's not ideal for a manual transmission application so drivability isn't great. So I've been working on that aspect of the conversion. See my conversation over at Gearhead EFI: Replace 1227746 with 1227747, 1228746, or 16197427? So far a swap to 1227747 ECM with a 4.3 TBI/manual bin seems to have pretty good driveability.

I'm lovin' the interest is this swap!