Short-term 4-speed: Worth the effort?

[DRIVEN]

I got curious and started looking for that scattershields. Part number is 15060 but it's for SBC. Not sure if there is a BOP version or not. One of those Chevy to BOP plates could work in a pinch.
Another rabbit hole I started down was Jeep listings. Jeeps used a 231 Buick and Ford Toploaders. Just couldn't find proof that they were used together. If that bellhousing exists it might be an option as well.
Given enough time I bet we could make anything fit anything.

 

[Texas82GP]

Now that's a thought. Those are easier to find in my area. Might just be a thought for a dedicated T5 plan though. I'll be sure to save that idea and do some scattershield searching.
As far as the stop-gap 4-speed plan I do already have the bellhousing for one sitting around. But from all of the concerns about my current final drive ratio, it sounds like I may have to do some calculating to see what I'd really be living with. After all, it's not such a cheap and convenient plan if it requires another gear change. ha

I don't know your tire size but assuming a 26" tire with that 3.73 and a four speed, you would turn 3133 RPM at 65 MPH, 4097 RPM at 85 MPH. No fun on the highway.

 

[pontiacgp]

Steve, I like your way of thinking, obviously, since I have a T5 for my car. How would he mate a T5 to a Buick 350, and what would he do about the slanted mounting pad on the tailhousing? My solution was to get an 83 Camaro bellhousing, so the trans will go in canted the same as in a 3rd gen Camaro, and I can run mechanical linkage using the G Body equalizer (Z-bar).

If I was to do mine again I would use another bellhousing to put the transmission straight. The the 82-83 F body that came with a manual transmission that was not a T5 and it used the bellhousing casting 14037657. The transmission is mounted in a straight position and not rotated like the T5. The fork geometry is correct for use in a G body and the bellhousing has both the Chevy bolt pattern, and the BOP bolt pattern.

 

[Bonnewagon]

307 Regal- the overdrive is more logical considering you have the 3:73's. But I wouldn't want you to join the "some day I'll find an overdrive" club. Several of my 3:73 friends can't go far from home because they haven't found anything they can afford to do about it. Also remember that the Buick 350 is an under square motor with a long stroke. It make gobs of torque at low rpms. That is where you need to plan on for your cruising speed.

 

[Texas82GP]

If I was to do mine again I would use another bellhousing to put the transmission straight. The the 82-83 F body that came with a manual transmission that was not a T5 and it used the bellhousing casting 14037657. The transmission is mounted in a straight position and not rotated like the T5. The fork geometry is correct for use in a G body and the bellhousing has both the Chevy bolt pattern, and the BOP bolt pattern.

What is the solution for the slanted trans mount? Custom crossmember?

 

[pontiacgp]

What is the solution for the slanted trans mount? Custom crossmember?

With a stock crossmember you have to weld in a longer tongue so that gets welded on the 17 degree angle to match the transmission. You will also have to modify the floor brace since the front u-joint ends up right above it. I would have fabricated my own crossmember if I had thought about it in advance but I was working on my own and wanted to get the car back on the road...

 

[307 Regal]

What is the solution for the slanted trans mount? Custom crossmember?

I snooped around in that link you sent me and I was able to get to that same picture pontiacgp shared. It seems like you can just use a slanted tongue, but the website strongly recommends use of a solid rubber mount as opposed to a hollow rubber mount.

If I was to do mine again I would use another bellhousing to put the transmission straight

Any thoughts on using a Mustang T5WC's tail housing? Or a newer V6 F-body tail housing?

 

[pontiacgp]

I snooped around in that link you sent me and I was able to get to that same picture pontiacgp shared. It seems like you can just use a slanted tongue, but the website strongly recommends use of a solid rubber mount as opposed to a hollow rubber mount.


Any thoughts on using a Mustang T5WC's tail housing? Or a newer V6 F-body tail housing?

I use a poly support on mine, why would you want to use a different tail housing?

here is the Mustang tail housing, the holes for the support bushing are much further apart and they use a different style transmission support...

 

[307 Regal]

I use a poly support on mine, why would you want to use a different tail housing?

I was trying to think of a way to avoid the slanted mount before we discussed the option of just rotating the mounting tongue.
I thought maybe with some swapping of parts a Mustang tailshaft could be mated to a Camaro/Firebird maincase.
In pictures the Mustang tail looks a tad shorter, maybe a way to avoid modding the floor brace too, but then it made me wonder if the shifter would sit too far forward. So then I wondered if a later GM V6 T5WC mount would have a flat mounting surface, since that unit seems about the same length as a GM V8 T5 but uses a Ford pattern. With that one, the floor brace issue comes back but (if I'm right) the slanted mount issue would be gone and the shifter would be "in the right place."

That's the train of thought anyway.

 

[pontiacgp]

I was trying to think of a way to avoid the slanted mount before we discussed the option of just rotating the mounting tongue.
I thought maybe with some swapping of parts a Mustang tailshaft could be mated to a Camaro/Firebird maincase.
In pictures the Mustang tail looks a tad shorter, maybe a way to avoid modding the floor brace too, but then it made me wonder if the shifter would sit too far forward. So then I wondered if a later GM V6 T5WC mount would have a flat mounting surface, since that unit seems about the same length as a GM V8 T5 but uses a Ford pattern. With that one, the floor brace issue comes back but (if I'm right) the slanted mount issue would be gone and the shifter would be "in the right place."

That's the train of thought anyway.

the bellhousing is what puts the transmission on a 17 degree slant, you would need to use a different bellhousing to install the transmission with it being on an angle.

these bellhousings should work to install it without the slant

SBC
14060627
6263756

BOP
14037657