I was thinking about putting a saginaw (similar to muncie) 4 speed into my 94Z. I was wondering if there is anyone who has done this conversion and could tell me what problems I would encounter.

Thanks,
Jeremy

 

Not a fan of overdrive?

 

Cheap alternative (maybe) and I like the ratios of this particular tranny.

 

There were several different Saginaws offered over the years with a variety of torque ratings. The 3.11 low gear trannies can absorb less abuse than the 2.52 geared trannies. They went behind everything from 4cyls. to mild V8's. I think a stout LT1 will tax even the stronger ones. That being said, for the amount of work and expense involved, I would suggest saving up some more for the proper T56 conversion for your car. The parts will fit together much easier and I feel the car would be more attractive come resale time. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Well that's basically what I want to know. Estimated cost to install this 4sp. This particular tranny sat behind a well built 350 (around 475hp) so I'm not too worried about it. And as for resale, not really an issue with this car.

So to restate the question. Is the total cost in parts+amount of work required greater or less than the cost of a T-56? Please assume a T-56 will cost me around $1000. However if anyone has one lying around and is interested in selling it let me know.

Thanks,
Jeremy

 

The average price for a T56 conversion seems to be around $1500. This would include bellhousing, pedals, clutch assy, flywheel, hydraulics, crossmember, torque arm mount, bolts, and a transmission. For a 4spd you would still need everything but the tranny. You would be on your own for adapting the tranny to the crossmember, deleting whatever wiring no longer needed from the harness, getting the computer retuned, figuring out a shifter placement, and probably lengthening the driveshaft. So the price difference between the Saginaw and the T56 has to be weighed against the fact that you will be doing a lot of re-engineering to save that money. You know how much the Saginaw costs, I don't. Do the math and consider all the possible snags before tearing your car apart. Hope this is of some help. Paul

 

well, $200 for the tranny. But no, it isn't worth it. Though arguably it is already a 6sp car so I have the cross member and torque arm, and I was going to get an aluminum flywheel/new clutch assembly anyway, so that does bring the price of the T-56 down a little. I still dont think its worth the time, I was hoping there was some kit that I could buy with the parts pre-fabbed. Thanks for the input though, and seriously, if anyone knows where I can get a T-56 in North or South Carolina, let me know. They're not easy to find in this area.

Jeremy