292 l6 to a 5 speed?

[Lugnutz65]

Originally Posted by 60-66

I don't mean to hi jack this thread but since we have so many T5 Gurus here I have a few questions on this swap.

My Brother is replacing his stock 283 front mount engine and 3 speed mid mount at bellhousing in his 1961 X frame short bed. He's putting in a new GM crate 300HP 350 with stock 3:90 rear end gears and T5 shown below.

Question one, can he still use the same 61 bellhousing and mid mount ?

Two, looks like I'm reading he needs a hydraulic clutch, which he already has but what's different ?

Three, is drive shaft length different ?

Four, heres the trans he is using, can he use the original low hump or does he need the high hump and will it affect his bench seat with this shifter location ??


Any other parts or suggestions Id like to help him before it gets to involved.

Thanks !!

All good questions. Like you said, so we don't hijack this thread, I'll send you a PM. I'd be happy to help. The short answer is that it will work but mods will need to be done. More to come in the PM.
Jay

[TJ's Chevy]

Hey all...I'm on the look out for a tranny for my hotrod 292 as well...I was looking at a tremic tko 600 but its gonna be almost 4500 down the drain to get the thing to work cause supposedly I have to change bell housings even though the small block uses one almost to similar. So all you who are running the richmond 5 speed...anyone have numbers and what you had to do to adapt it to the 292? Or 250? Not wanting to spend 2500 on a trans and another 500 on a darn bell housing. lol But if that's the only way then..we'll just live with it.

[66Submarine]

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy

Hey all...I'm on the look out for a tranny for my hotrod 292 as well...I was looking at a tremic tko 600 but its gonna be almost 4500 down the drain to get the thing to work cause supposedly I have to change bell housings even though the small block uses one almost to similar. So all you who are running the richmond 5 speed...anyone have numbers and what you had to do to adapt it to the 292? Or 250? Not wanting to spend 2500 on a trans and another 500 on a darn bell housing. lol But if that's the only way then..we'll just live with it.

Not sure who told you that, but it's BS; the 292 uses the same bellhousing as a SBC/BBC.

What's the extra $2,000 for? The driveshaft and shifter location are the only things you should need to deal with (besides the 26 spline clutch disk, obviously).

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by 66Submarine

Not sure who told you that, but it's BS; the 292 uses the same bellhousing as a SBC/BBC.

What's the extra $2,000 for? The driveshaft and shifter location are the only things you should need to deal with (besides the 26 spline clutch disk, obviously).

I knew it, That's what I told the guy at summit...he was saying something abou the bell housings being similar but for that tranny to work with the inline 6 it needed a different bell housing for a hydraulic clutch and a block adapter....why I don't know cause its "SUPPOSED" to fit ALL small block and big blocks and chevy 6's used identical bell housings as the sb and bb. I don't know. lol I mean....if it fits a small block 327 from 66 then why won't it bolt up to a 292 I6 from 66 when they used the same housing? Ah, maybe I'll just go with the nv3500. lol

[Captainfab]

With the NV3500 you will have to convert to a hydraulic clutch. I believe the NV3500 is rated at 300 or 330ftlbs.

[64chevtruck]

Hi, Merry Christmas,

I think I would just put a 308 rear end in it, you can actually use Granny gear as a first gear, the stock 4 speed is bulletproof and already in there, you can glide down the highway in 4th gear at low rpms.

Im not sure how it would work on a track though,

Happy Hollidays

[Shaky]

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy

Hey all...I'm on the look out for a tranny for my hotrod 292 as well...I was looking at a tremic tko 600 but its gonna be almost 4500 down the drain to get the thing to work cause supposedly I have to change bell housings even though the small block uses one almost to similar. So all you who are running the richmond 5 speed...anyone have numbers and what you had to do to adapt it to the 292? Or 250? Not wanting to spend 2500 on a trans and another 500 on a darn bell housing. lol But if that's the only way then..we'll just live with it.

I didn't have to do anything different for the Richmond behind the 250. I used a bell housing from my brother's 327 (truck was automatic when I got it), used the same clutch, and most of the same clutch linkage.

I don't know who told you that, but it's incorrect. There were only two bell housings in light trucks at that time (to my knowledge) and the only difference was the i.d. where the transmission pilots. I think the SM465 took a larger i.d. I used one from a Muncie 3-speed truck and it worked just fine.

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by Shaky

I didn't have to do anything different for the Richmond behind the 250. I used a bell housing from my brother's 327 (truck was automatic when I got it), used the same clutch, and most of the same clutch linkage.

I don't know who told you that, but it's incorrect. There were only two bell housings in light trucks at that time (to my knowledge) and the only difference was the i.d. where the transmission pilots. I think the SM465 took a larger i.d. I used one from a Muncie 3-speed truck and it worked just fine.

Thanks for the info shaky. Yeah...they say the tko 600 fits all sbc and bbc so why wouldn't it fit the i6 when they use identical bell housing? lol But won't know tell we try.

[vince1]

Old 4sp with 3.08 gearing is not the answer. Horrible shifting and loud. Could still also use a bit taller gearing on the highway.

[Captainfab]

Shaky is right. There are 2 different truck bellhousings. The typical '67 and earlier with the 4-11/16" bore for the trans input shaft retainer and the '68-'72 with the 5-1/8" bore. If your truck currently has the SM420, the bellhousing will be 4-11/16". You need to find out what the TKO500 or 600 trans requires for a center bore. If you do need a bellhousing with the 5-1/8" bore, I believe I have a couple. You could also eliminate the bellhousing crossmember and change the bellhousing to a standard GM bellhousing and just add a trans crossmember under the rear of the trans.

[66Submarine]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Shaky is right. There are 2 different truck bellhousings. The typical '67 and earlier with the 4-11/16" bore for the trans input shaft retainer and the '68-'72 with the 5-1/8" bore. If your truck currently has the SM420, the bellhousing will be 4-11/16". You need to find out what the TKO500 or 600 trans requires for a center bore. If you do need a bellhousing with the 5-1/8" bore, I believe I have a couple. You could also eliminate the bellhousing crossmember and change the bellhousing to a standard GM bellhousing and just add a trans crossmember under the rear of the trans.

The 5-1/8" bore is only a 1968 and later truck thing (at least AFAIK). The TKO's have a 4-11/16" bore like all the other old car transmissions.