Six speed swap for a 5 speed?

DrScientist · Apr 25, 2011

I've always wanted to have a 6-speed transmission in a 94GT. I've seen the prices online for the drop in kits, and they're pretty high and quite franky don't seem worth the money just for one more gear.

However, there is one method that might be affordable enough. The borg warner 6 speeds that came in the camaros-trans ams. Plenty of them can be found in the junkyards, and if you get one out of a 99-02 car, you can get one with a .50 6th gear. With that 6th gear, you could run 4:11 gears and still cruise at 2K RPM at 70 on the highway. Not sure if those numbers are exact but you get the idea. Its something you couldn't do with just the typical mustang 5 speed.

So to get to the point, has anyone here done this? I know it would need a different bell housing, but what else? If you bought all the conversion parts used, wouldn't it work out to be far cheaper than just buying one that was built to fit in the mustang? Seems like it would be about a thousand bucks less.

revhead347 · Apr 26, 2011

They don't fit a Mustang. Trust me, if that were possible, everyone would be doing it.

Kurt

DrScientist · Apr 26, 2011

I know they don't fit, but they can be modified to fit. Its been done, but some people think the cost and labor involved is too much to justify it. I was going to go around to all the junkyards and search until I could find one for free or next to free, one that needed to be rebuilt. Then I'd just rebuild it and convert it to the ford spline and bellhousing. But I'm sure there are other things involved, as I've never done it before.

ProKiller · Apr 26, 2011

i'm with Kurt on this one. if it was that easy to just put in a different spline and bellhousing then it would be all over the place. swapping in a different input shaft is a common enough thing to go from 10 to 26-spline. more power to you if you can make it work, get one and see what all needs to be modified to work. we'd love to see what needs to be done.

McLeodRacing · Apr 26, 2011

Yes it is absolutely doable. Give us a call and ask for Lee. I'll walk you through it.

Adam95GT · Apr 26, 2011

Its cheaper to just put in a t-56.

BlownFiveLiter · Apr 26, 2011

Adam95GT said:
Its cheaper to just put in a t-56.

It is a T-56.

sixt9coug · Apr 26, 2011

McLeodRacing said:
Yes it is absolutely doable. Give us a call and ask for Lee. I'll walk you through it.

How about I drop my car off with you guys and you all can start a photo step by step "how to" thread? lol

I work right across the street from you guys. Well, only on Fridays now but I USED to be there every day until I got transferred to the Pomona offices 80% of the time.

texmirage · Apr 26, 2011

373 gears at 1800rpm. a coworker has a 6 speed in his. but he bought it from Ford I believe he said. he said best move he made with the car.

DrScientist · Apr 26, 2011

McLeodRacing said:
Yes it is absolutely doable. Give us a call and ask for Lee. I'll walk you through it.

I didn't think it was nearly as impossible as some people make it out to be. I've heard of it being done, but it was about 5 years back. Someone should put together a kit... might be some money in it.

Adam95GT · Apr 26, 2011

StangGT1995 said:
It is a T-56.

Sorry ment to put ford in there.

revhead347 · Apr 26, 2011

Let me correct myself. It's possible, but by the time you get all the swap parts, it's going to cost the same as getting one packaged for a Ford. It's almost $4K no matter how you cut it.

Kurt

McLeodRacing · Apr 27, 2011

sixt9coug said:
How about I drop my car off with you guys and you all can start a photo step by step "how to" thread? lol

I work right across the street from you guys. Well, only on Fridays now but I USED to be there every day until I got transferred to the Pomona offices 80% of the time.

Really? Where they work on the old dragsters?

95GTvert[bv12] · Apr 27, 2011

I think your biggest issue with the Chevy versions will be the shifter linkage, as i don't think it would line up as is and you may never get it to really shift right....If you were really going to put this much effort into it why not just go for a Corvette Transmission and shifter linkage then mount in in the rear just like the corvette. Then at least the added wait of the 6 speed and parts will at least be in the back of the car.

I always thought i wanted a 6 speed for my mustang but now I have 3.73's and a Ge-force T-5 with a 2.95 1st gear and a .59 O/D for my 5th gear. This setup basically makes the 5 speed ratios the exact same as the 6 speed....just with no 5th gear, saves so weight too over a t-56.

sixt9coug · Apr 27, 2011

McLeodRacing said:
Really? Where they work on the old dragsters?

Nahh not there lol. I work next to the strawberry field where we do training for automotive painting. The sign out front says "Spies Hecker" or "Standox" depending on the day. Pretty nondescript building on the outside but we have two full spray booths on the inside. I painted my car there

SableSal · Apr 27, 2011

sixt9coug said:
Nahh not there lol. I work next to the strawberry field where we do training for automotive painting. The sign out front says "Spies Hecker" or "Standox" depending on the day. Pretty nondescript building on the outside but we have two full spray booths on the inside. I painted my car there

And he painted my car there too

DrScientist · Apr 27, 2011

Well, here is the list of stuff you have to buy and install to make it work. Got this from a guy who has done it. He says that if you got the transmission itself for free, it would probably be worth it. But given the prices he gave me for the stuff, it looks to me like you'd still be saving a pretty nice chunk of change if you can do the alterations to the transmission yourself. Many people can.

Swap the input shaft $300
Swap the mid plate $350
Custom crossmember $160
27 spline yoke $65
26 spline clutch kit $200-$350
Quicktime bellhousing $520

If you add this list up, that comes to $1,745. Now add another $1000 for the junkyard transmission. So now we're up to $2,745. Someone said you can buy a drop in ready unit for $3400. That looks like a savings of $655. If that is how much the ready made ford units are. But you still have to do the labor yourself. So for someone who is good at building standard transmissions up, it looks like its well worth it. If you're someone who would have to pay someone else to put all those new parts on your junkyard transmission, then the prepackaged unit might be for you.

Then you have one other way, which is to find all the stuff needed for the conversion, for cheaper somehow. You might haggle the junkyard guy down to $800 for the tranny instead of $1000. Or you might get one on craigslist for $700. And you might be able to get those parts from somewhere for a little cheaper too. Maybe not the conversion bell housing but some of that other stuff is a little more common. If you could wiggle your way into the right situation, I think it could end up being well worth the effort. When it comes to how much you could save. I'm going to at least try it by seeing if I can get the tranny itself for free or next to free. If I can't do it for less than the ford units, I'll just sell the tranny and not be any worse off in the wallet.

revhead347 · Apr 28, 2011

When you buy the drop in ready unit for $3400, it's been freshened up. So add another $700 to the cost of the junkyard transmission, and there you go. The $4K will get you a Viper Spec, and a decent clutch. A good clutch runs in the neighborhood of $450.

Kurt

DrScientist · Apr 28, 2011

All this for one more gear. I guess I'll probly stick with the 5 speed for a long time. Or just get a used drop in ready unit.

But what about getting a 6 speed out of a newer mustang? Find some trashed junkyard 2011 GT and get the 6 speed out of it? Would that end up being a cheaper cost?

95GTvert[bv12] · May 2, 2011

No matter how you cut it your going to be spending over $3k and most likely over $4k for a 6 speed. What's wrong with a upgraded 5 speed with the gear ratio's you want?

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