Okay so I'm confident enough in my swap that I thought I'd start to make a guide about how to do this. I haven't tested my car yet but if I run into any other issues I'll just be sure to update this post but I think I'm golden now.
Why?
There are not a lot of options out there for a good transmission behind a 3800, especially for a manual trans. We're discovering now how easy these swaps are though if you're willing to put the money into it.
The T56's reputation speaks for itself. In the past it has been something that was pretty easy to find and it's relatively inexpensive for the amount of power it can hold. A T56 Magnum transmission is rated for 700 ft-lbs of torque by Tremec.
There are other options for strong longitudinal rwd manual transmissions, like the new TKX, or possibly the CD009 but the T56 is a pretty straight forward way to get a bullet proof trans with a 6th gear, and plenty of aftermarket support.
Parts Needed:
- T56 transmission made for an LS vehicle.
I used a brand new F-body LS1 style T56 Magnum since the used transmissions are so hard to find right now and are insanely expensive. I used part number TUET16362
- LS1 T56 bellhousing for Camaro or GTO T56 bellhousing.
Might be other cars that share the same bellhousing as well. I used American Powertrain's replacement part number BHCV11001
- Malwood bellhousing adapter plate.
This is what makes time travel possible. It's a pretty simple part but right now it's only made in Australia and needs to be shipped from there.
This is surprisingly not a big deal at all though, it just takes somewhere around 2 weeks for it to arrive. The currency exchange rate is working out in our favor right now as well. I paid pretty close to their listed price on their website in US dollars after it was all said and done.
You will need to email them though because their website has no way of selecting a US address.
malwoodauto.com.au
- OEM style 3800/T5 F-body clutch and flywheel
If you're coming from a T5 car then you already have this. The T5 and T56 both share the same number of splines on the input shaft
I used my old Spec stage 3+ clutch that's good for almost 500 ft-lbs of torque. When I was researching this swap I emailed them about better clutch options and it sounds like it's possible to use a twin disc clutch since we are using the LS style bellhousing with a lot of room.
EDIT: You can also email Monster Clutches about getting a twin disc clutch for the 3800 and T56 and they should know exactly what you need! You won't need any throwout bearing spacers with their clutch as an added bonus!
specclutch.com
- OEM style 3800/T5 F-body hydraulic throwout bearing (HTOB)
The T5 and T56 in F-body cars both share the same HTOB so you can buy any of those you want. If you already have one you don't need to buy one.
I used a cheap part made by "Luk Clutch" with part number LSC265B
- OEM style 3800/T5 F-body pilot bushing
You can find pilot bearings too but I haven't found one that actually is the right diameter even though they are listed on rockauto as fitting the car.
I used Timken PB652HD
- T56 Hydraulic Throwout Bearing Spacers
EDIT: If you're using the twin disc Monster clutch you won't need any spacers!
This was the biggest headache of the swap. I found that I needed to use about 1" of spacers between the HTOB and the transmission.
I measured my clutch finger distance to the case and the distance of the fully compressed HTOB and the case and settled on using 0.928" of spacers that netted me a clearance of 0.13785" by my measurements with my clutch.
You might be able to get away with a 1" spacer and save a few dollars, but I'd double check your measurements.
I used a combination of 3 spacers:
- 0.75" spacer - RAM 78513
- 0.119" shim - Holley 319-202
- 0.059" shim - Holley 319-201
You could also buy Holley's shim pack for $10 more for more flexibility if you're playing with clutch options.
Other parts to consider:
31 spline slip yoke for driveshaft - only needed if using the T56 Magnum. Stock T56 uses a more common driveshaft spline count found in the 4L60e, T5, THM350, etc.
shortened driveshaft - I had to have my driveshaft cut about 1.5". Really depends on what car and transmission you have currently. If you're going through this swap though you might want to upgrade your driveshaft anyway. A brand new 3" steel driveshaft should be under $300.
Transmission crossmember - Will need to modify yours or buy an aftermarket one for the T56. It mounts lower and further back than the 4L60e or the T5. I just cut up and modified my stock crossmember pretty heavily.
Shifter - T56 magnum has a pretty good shifter already. Just needs a handle on top. Pretty easy to find and pretty cheap. I used Sikky SRRT01
Clutch Hydraulic line and master - Will need a hydraulic clutch master. Stock F-body master will be perfect. I also converted my hydraulic line to a -3AN line because I've had a lot of issues with the quick disconnects. You can find adapters online. I used a Russel fitting 640281
Overview
I made this diagram to visually compare the distances and clearances between the T56 and T5 transmissions behind a 3800. This is probably enough for you to figure out what's involved here
Installation
First remove all of the old pieces of crap you had behind your engine before. Probably a good time to replace your flywheel if you haven't done that, and maybe even the gaskets behind it.
If you're using an L67 bottom end you might want to have your flywheel rebalanced for it if that hasn't been done before. The L36 and L67 are weighted different on the flywheel/flexplates.
I pulled a 4L60e out of my car this time. I used to have a T5 before that though so I had a lot of the parts I needed already.
Okay let's assume you have the flywheel already installed at this point and the old transmission removed. You're ready to start the installation process.
Adapter Plate:
First you're going to want to install the Malwood adapter Plate.
This adapter plate comes with a few instructions from Malwood. Use your discretion about how much of that you want to follow.
Keep in mind their driver side is our passenger side though.
You do need to trim down one of the dowel pins, specifically the one by the starter. The adapter plate uses a nice system of countersunk bolts so the bellhousing bolts flat against it. The dowel protrudes too far for the countersunk bolt to sink down properly so you'll want to trim it down to something like 1/8". I basically removed it almost ?
The passenger side will get the bolt with the smaller head of the bunch so it can clear the new bellhousing bolt:
Bellhousing adapter should look something like this:
Now there is one more thing you'll want to do that they don't mention. The adapter and the bellhousing don't clear the factory starter at all. You could try trimming down the starter case to clear the adapter, but I opted to trim the adapter and the bellhousing to clear the starter in case I ever get stranded somewhere and need to buy an OEM starter.
I trimmed out a TON of material off of the bellhousing and the adapter plate:
Bellhousing, pilot bushing, and Clutch
Now with the adapter plate installed you can go ahead and bolt on the bellhousing. Make sure the starter clears it though and trim whatever you need to if not.
also make sure to install your pilot bushing. Factory bushing seems like it's going to work fine. I wasn't able to find extended pilot bushings, but that turned out not to be necessary based on my measurements. There's going to be a little over 3/8" of engagement on the factory 3/4" pilot bushing. You could potentially get a little bit more engagement by going with a smaller transmission adapter plate though. The malwood plate is 1/2" thick.
You can also install your clutch now because it frickin fits through the hole in the bellhousing
Transmission Prep
Okay so before you bolt in the trans you will need to install your HTOB and it's fittings and spacers. I learned the hard way to measure this out after I installed it based on other write-ups I found. You need a LOT of spacers for the HTOB compared to what I was reading online.
I used 0.928" of spacers that netted me a clearance of 0.13785" by my measurements. Holley says to go for 0.125" - 0.200" of clearance so that's what I did here. My clutch feels really good right now with this amount of spacers. You might be able to get away with just using a 1" spacer but I would check your measurements before you try that.
Because I used so many spacers I also went and installed a remote clutch bleeding kit that Speedway Motors sells for the T56. This was because I was worried I pushed the HTOB out too far for the factory fitting to clear the bellhousing. Once I installed it though I realized there's some clearancing done on the bellhousing too so it might have been fine with the factory bleeder. Otherwise you could just trim it a little bit.
the remote bleeder only costed like $40 though.
If you used an AN line for the clutch you'll also want to install that before you mate the trans to the bellhousing because there's no way to access it afterward.
Bolt it in!
Jack it up and get it seated in the trans. Don't force it in, you don't want to damage the input shaft or the clutch or the pilot bushing. I did a lot of rotating back and forth to get it seated before bolting it in.
You'll also want to check your shifter clearance in the tunnel. My car is a real oddball so I had to do some cutting of the trans tunnel for it to fit.
At this point you should be able to handle the rest of the bolt in process on your own
Here's some of the things I did to affix it to my car though.
My crossmember:
Modified trans tunnel:
I also had to have my driveshaft shortened 1.5" and had to switch to the 31 spline slip yoke since I used a T56 Magnum
The 3800 style 4L60e measures 30.5" from the bellhousing to the tailshaft
The T56 with the 5.5" bellhousing and 0.5" adapter plate will come out to ~32.5"
My driveshaft must've been too long before or something, I'm not sure. You might have to cut out a full 2" of yours if you're coming from a T5 or 4L60e
Wiring
The T56 only has 3 harnesses on it. If you had a T5 already then you already have 2 of those 3.
- speed sensor (already on T5 harness)
- reverse lights (already on T5 harness)
- reverse lockout solenoid - ACDelco part number 12101857
The reverse lockout solenoid keeps you from accidentally putting the car into reverse when you're reaching for 5th gear. It just needs 12v and a ground, doesn't matter which wire goes to which. I wired it with my brake pedal so that I can get into reverse if my brake lights are on. The solenoid is something you can crash through though if you try hard enough so you might be able to get away without wiring the solenoid if you want to give your arm a workout when you drive the car.
Cost
Coming from a T5 equipped car:
T56 Magnum Transmission $3,400 + tax. You might be able to find a used T56 cheaper. Right now after Covid I can't find a used one under $4,000 on car-part.com
Bellhousing: $300. Might be able to find a used one cheaper. I didn't want to deal with haggling and getting a hold of people though to bother trying.
Bellhousing adapter: $360 US. Will need to wait about 2 weeks for it to get here though since it's being shipped from Australia
clutch: $0 I reused my old Spec stage 3+ clutch from my T5
HTOB spacers: $132.19 for all three of them.
HTOB itself: $56 Can reuse T5 HTOB but might be a good time to replace it though
Wiring harness: $18 reverse lockout harness
Crossmember mods: $0-hundreds can either modify your existing one if you have a welder, or buy one out there and make slight modifications to it (drilling likely)
driveshaft shortening $120 New driveshaft might be a good call though for >$300
pilot bushing: $5
shifter handle: $40
Coming from an automatic trans:
T56 Magnum Transmission $3,400 + tax. You might be able to find a used T56 cheaper, in the past they were around $2,000. Right now after Covid though I haven't been able to find a used one under $4,000 on car-part.com
Bellhousing: $300. Might be able to find a used one cheaper. I didn't want to deal with haggling and getting a hold of people though to bother trying.
Bellhousing adapter: $360 American. Will need to wait about 2 weeks for it to get here though.
flywheel and clutch: $200 - $600+ Depends on quality of clutch and flywheel
HTOB spacers: $132.19 for all three of them.
HTOB itself: $56
Hydraulic master cylinder ~ $100
-3AN hydraulic hoses and fittings: ~$30
Clutch pedal: $$ ?? Really going to depend on your car. I fabricated my own a long time ago
Wiring harnesses: $30 Can reuse VSS harness but will need reverse lockout and reverse light harness
Crossmember mods: $0-hundreds can either modify your existing one if you have a welder, or buy one out there and make slight modifications to it (drilling likely)
driveshaft shortening $120 New driveshaft might be a good call though for >$300
pilot bushing : $5
tune: $0 - $200 If your previous trans was computer controlled it's probably a good idea to go to a manual trans tune.
shifter handle: $40
I myself spent around $4,400 for all of the parts I actually ended up using. I ordered a lot of extra things though based on misinformation I had been finding online that I still need to return.
The swap itself was pretty easy, the biggest hurdle for me was finding out how much space I needed behind the HTOB and then also just clearancing around the starter for the adapter.
Modifying the crossmember and driveshaft weren't a big deal and wiring this thing was really easy.
Considering how much people will throw into a FWD 4T65 to buy parts you can't even find or replace anymore this is really not a big deal at all. The T56 has such a good reputation and so much aftermarket support for it.
With a good transmission like this behind the 3800 I'm anxious to see how much power it can really make since it's no longer limited by the 4t65e.
Why?
There are not a lot of options out there for a good transmission behind a 3800, especially for a manual trans. We're discovering now how easy these swaps are though if you're willing to put the money into it.
The T56's reputation speaks for itself. In the past it has been something that was pretty easy to find and it's relatively inexpensive for the amount of power it can hold. A T56 Magnum transmission is rated for 700 ft-lbs of torque by Tremec.
There are other options for strong longitudinal rwd manual transmissions, like the new TKX, or possibly the CD009 but the T56 is a pretty straight forward way to get a bullet proof trans with a 6th gear, and plenty of aftermarket support.
Parts Needed:
- T56 transmission made for an LS vehicle.
I used a brand new F-body LS1 style T56 Magnum since the used transmissions are so hard to find right now and are insanely expensive. I used part number TUET16362
- LS1 T56 bellhousing for Camaro or GTO T56 bellhousing.
Might be other cars that share the same bellhousing as well. I used American Powertrain's replacement part number BHCV11001
- Malwood bellhousing adapter plate.
This is what makes time travel possible. It's a pretty simple part but right now it's only made in Australia and needs to be shipped from there.
This is surprisingly not a big deal at all though, it just takes somewhere around 2 weeks for it to arrive. The currency exchange rate is working out in our favor right now as well. I paid pretty close to their listed price on their website in US dollars after it was all said and done.
You will need to email them though because their website has no way of selecting a US address.
Holden V6 to LS1 / T56 – Adapter Plate Kit
Kit Includes: Engine Plate Engine Block Dowels Bolts & Washers Dust Cover NOTE: Fitting instructions included. This adapter will suit Hydraulic Clutch operation ONLY
malwoodauto.com.au
- OEM style 3800/T5 F-body clutch and flywheel
If you're coming from a T5 car then you already have this. The T5 and T56 both share the same number of splines on the input shaft
I used my old Spec stage 3+ clutch that's good for almost 500 ft-lbs of torque. When I was researching this swap I emailed them about better clutch options and it sounds like it's possible to use a twin disc clutch since we are using the LS style bellhousing with a lot of room.
EDIT: You can also email Monster Clutches about getting a twin disc clutch for the 3800 and T56 and they should know exactly what you need! You won't need any throwout bearing spacers with their clutch as an added bonus!
Chevy Camaro V6 3.8L – SPEC Clutch, Inc.
specclutch.com
- OEM style 3800/T5 F-body hydraulic throwout bearing (HTOB)
The T5 and T56 in F-body cars both share the same HTOB so you can buy any of those you want. If you already have one you don't need to buy one.
I used a cheap part made by "Luk Clutch" with part number LSC265B
- OEM style 3800/T5 F-body pilot bushing
You can find pilot bearings too but I haven't found one that actually is the right diameter even though they are listed on rockauto as fitting the car.
I used Timken PB652HD
- T56 Hydraulic Throwout Bearing Spacers
EDIT: If you're using the twin disc Monster clutch you won't need any spacers!
This was the biggest headache of the swap. I found that I needed to use about 1" of spacers between the HTOB and the transmission.
I measured my clutch finger distance to the case and the distance of the fully compressed HTOB and the case and settled on using 0.928" of spacers that netted me a clearance of 0.13785" by my measurements with my clutch.
You might be able to get away with a 1" spacer and save a few dollars, but I'd double check your measurements.
I used a combination of 3 spacers:
- 0.75" spacer - RAM 78513
- 0.119" shim - Holley 319-202
- 0.059" shim - Holley 319-201
You could also buy Holley's shim pack for $10 more for more flexibility if you're playing with clutch options.
Other parts to consider:
31 spline slip yoke for driveshaft - only needed if using the T56 Magnum. Stock T56 uses a more common driveshaft spline count found in the 4L60e, T5, THM350, etc.
shortened driveshaft - I had to have my driveshaft cut about 1.5". Really depends on what car and transmission you have currently. If you're going through this swap though you might want to upgrade your driveshaft anyway. A brand new 3" steel driveshaft should be under $300.
Transmission crossmember - Will need to modify yours or buy an aftermarket one for the T56. It mounts lower and further back than the 4L60e or the T5. I just cut up and modified my stock crossmember pretty heavily.
Shifter - T56 magnum has a pretty good shifter already. Just needs a handle on top. Pretty easy to find and pretty cheap. I used Sikky SRRT01
Clutch Hydraulic line and master - Will need a hydraulic clutch master. Stock F-body master will be perfect. I also converted my hydraulic line to a -3AN line because I've had a lot of issues with the quick disconnects. You can find adapters online. I used a Russel fitting 640281
Overview
I made this diagram to visually compare the distances and clearances between the T56 and T5 transmissions behind a 3800. This is probably enough for you to figure out what's involved here
Installation
First remove all of the old pieces of crap you had behind your engine before. Probably a good time to replace your flywheel if you haven't done that, and maybe even the gaskets behind it.
If you're using an L67 bottom end you might want to have your flywheel rebalanced for it if that hasn't been done before. The L36 and L67 are weighted different on the flywheel/flexplates.
I pulled a 4L60e out of my car this time. I used to have a T5 before that though so I had a lot of the parts I needed already.
Okay let's assume you have the flywheel already installed at this point and the old transmission removed. You're ready to start the installation process.
Adapter Plate:
First you're going to want to install the Malwood adapter Plate.
This adapter plate comes with a few instructions from Malwood. Use your discretion about how much of that you want to follow.
Keep in mind their driver side is our passenger side though.
You do need to trim down one of the dowel pins, specifically the one by the starter. The adapter plate uses a nice system of countersunk bolts so the bellhousing bolts flat against it. The dowel protrudes too far for the countersunk bolt to sink down properly so you'll want to trim it down to something like 1/8". I basically removed it almost ?
The passenger side will get the bolt with the smaller head of the bunch so it can clear the new bellhousing bolt:
Bellhousing adapter should look something like this:
Now there is one more thing you'll want to do that they don't mention. The adapter and the bellhousing don't clear the factory starter at all. You could try trimming down the starter case to clear the adapter, but I opted to trim the adapter and the bellhousing to clear the starter in case I ever get stranded somewhere and need to buy an OEM starter.
I trimmed out a TON of material off of the bellhousing and the adapter plate:
Bellhousing, pilot bushing, and Clutch
Now with the adapter plate installed you can go ahead and bolt on the bellhousing. Make sure the starter clears it though and trim whatever you need to if not.
also make sure to install your pilot bushing. Factory bushing seems like it's going to work fine. I wasn't able to find extended pilot bushings, but that turned out not to be necessary based on my measurements. There's going to be a little over 3/8" of engagement on the factory 3/4" pilot bushing. You could potentially get a little bit more engagement by going with a smaller transmission adapter plate though. The malwood plate is 1/2" thick.
You can also install your clutch now because it frickin fits through the hole in the bellhousing
Transmission Prep
Okay so before you bolt in the trans you will need to install your HTOB and it's fittings and spacers. I learned the hard way to measure this out after I installed it based on other write-ups I found. You need a LOT of spacers for the HTOB compared to what I was reading online.
I used 0.928" of spacers that netted me a clearance of 0.13785" by my measurements. Holley says to go for 0.125" - 0.200" of clearance so that's what I did here. My clutch feels really good right now with this amount of spacers. You might be able to get away with just using a 1" spacer but I would check your measurements before you try that.
Because I used so many spacers I also went and installed a remote clutch bleeding kit that Speedway Motors sells for the T56. This was because I was worried I pushed the HTOB out too far for the factory fitting to clear the bellhousing. Once I installed it though I realized there's some clearancing done on the bellhousing too so it might have been fine with the factory bleeder. Otherwise you could just trim it a little bit.
the remote bleeder only costed like $40 though.
If you used an AN line for the clutch you'll also want to install that before you mate the trans to the bellhousing because there's no way to access it afterward.
Bolt it in!
Jack it up and get it seated in the trans. Don't force it in, you don't want to damage the input shaft or the clutch or the pilot bushing. I did a lot of rotating back and forth to get it seated before bolting it in.
You'll also want to check your shifter clearance in the tunnel. My car is a real oddball so I had to do some cutting of the trans tunnel for it to fit.
At this point you should be able to handle the rest of the bolt in process on your own
Here's some of the things I did to affix it to my car though.
My crossmember:
Modified trans tunnel:
I also had to have my driveshaft shortened 1.5" and had to switch to the 31 spline slip yoke since I used a T56 Magnum
The 3800 style 4L60e measures 30.5" from the bellhousing to the tailshaft
The T56 with the 5.5" bellhousing and 0.5" adapter plate will come out to ~32.5"
My driveshaft must've been too long before or something, I'm not sure. You might have to cut out a full 2" of yours if you're coming from a T5 or 4L60e
Wiring
The T56 only has 3 harnesses on it. If you had a T5 already then you already have 2 of those 3.
- speed sensor (already on T5 harness)
- reverse lights (already on T5 harness)
- reverse lockout solenoid - ACDelco part number 12101857
The reverse lockout solenoid keeps you from accidentally putting the car into reverse when you're reaching for 5th gear. It just needs 12v and a ground, doesn't matter which wire goes to which. I wired it with my brake pedal so that I can get into reverse if my brake lights are on. The solenoid is something you can crash through though if you try hard enough so you might be able to get away without wiring the solenoid if you want to give your arm a workout when you drive the car.
Cost
Coming from a T5 equipped car:
T56 Magnum Transmission $3,400 + tax. You might be able to find a used T56 cheaper. Right now after Covid I can't find a used one under $4,000 on car-part.com
Bellhousing: $300. Might be able to find a used one cheaper. I didn't want to deal with haggling and getting a hold of people though to bother trying.
Bellhousing adapter: $360 US. Will need to wait about 2 weeks for it to get here though since it's being shipped from Australia
clutch: $0 I reused my old Spec stage 3+ clutch from my T5
HTOB spacers: $132.19 for all three of them.
HTOB itself: $56 Can reuse T5 HTOB but might be a good time to replace it though
Wiring harness: $18 reverse lockout harness
Crossmember mods: $0-hundreds can either modify your existing one if you have a welder, or buy one out there and make slight modifications to it (drilling likely)
driveshaft shortening $120 New driveshaft might be a good call though for >$300
pilot bushing: $5
shifter handle: $40
Coming from an automatic trans:
T56 Magnum Transmission $3,400 + tax. You might be able to find a used T56 cheaper, in the past they were around $2,000. Right now after Covid though I haven't been able to find a used one under $4,000 on car-part.com
Bellhousing: $300. Might be able to find a used one cheaper. I didn't want to deal with haggling and getting a hold of people though to bother trying.
Bellhousing adapter: $360 American. Will need to wait about 2 weeks for it to get here though.
flywheel and clutch: $200 - $600+ Depends on quality of clutch and flywheel
HTOB spacers: $132.19 for all three of them.
HTOB itself: $56
Hydraulic master cylinder ~ $100
-3AN hydraulic hoses and fittings: ~$30
Clutch pedal: $$ ?? Really going to depend on your car. I fabricated my own a long time ago
Wiring harnesses: $30 Can reuse VSS harness but will need reverse lockout and reverse light harness
Crossmember mods: $0-hundreds can either modify your existing one if you have a welder, or buy one out there and make slight modifications to it (drilling likely)
driveshaft shortening $120 New driveshaft might be a good call though for >$300
pilot bushing : $5
tune: $0 - $200 If your previous trans was computer controlled it's probably a good idea to go to a manual trans tune.
shifter handle: $40
I myself spent around $4,400 for all of the parts I actually ended up using. I ordered a lot of extra things though based on misinformation I had been finding online that I still need to return.
The swap itself was pretty easy, the biggest hurdle for me was finding out how much space I needed behind the HTOB and then also just clearancing around the starter for the adapter.
Modifying the crossmember and driveshaft weren't a big deal and wiring this thing was really easy.
Considering how much people will throw into a FWD 4T65 to buy parts you can't even find or replace anymore this is really not a big deal at all. The T56 has such a good reputation and so much aftermarket support for it.
With a good transmission like this behind the 3800 I'm anxious to see how much power it can really make since it's no longer limited by the 4t65e.
