T-56 install

[Rwillia4]

So I'm almost ready to put the engine and T-56 into the car, but I am yet to drill the hole for the shifter. Is the shifter the same distance back from the the bellhousing? The main question is do I still drill the shifter hole 18.5" in front of the rear passanger wall? This is not something I want to drill twice or it will be a long day.

Today was a long day, while putting on the pressure plate. I was tightening down the bolts 1/2 rotation at a time skipping bolts to make the load even over the plate. I was getting close to the pressure plate touching the flywheel and a bolt broke (ie still working with a short wrench)! Yes, they have the 8.8 on the back so I think they are the correct bolt for the application, but WTF. Needless to say I will be replacing ALL the bolts tomorrow. It would suck to have another one break while under load.

[Gun Doc]

An "8.8" stamped on a bolt head designates a metric grade "5" bolt with a tensile strength of 120,000psi up to a bolt dia. of 1." A grade "8" bolt (10.9marking on head for metric, or six slashes for SAE) has a tensile strength of about 150,000psi.

Gun Doc

[Rwillia4]

Gun Doc.

Thanks for the info. How does tensile strength relate to ft-lbs of torque?

[Gun Doc]

Tensile strength is the "maximun stretching force that a material can withstand before breaking." So, a grade "8" bolt can withstand about 30,000 more pounds before breaking, or stated another way, about 125% of the torque that a grade "5" bolt can handle before breaking.

When you torque a fastener, you are stretching the fastener and applying a load to the threaded area.

Other considerations should be paid to bolt diameter and thread pitch. Also, torque values are for dry fasteners unless the specific manual calls for lubrication...Lubrication will affect the applied torque.

Gun Doc

[Rwillia4]

A T-56 shifter distance from the bellhouseing is the same distance as a T-5

The other thing I learned is the threaded bolt holes on a RAM flywheel are standard AND metric. For their pressure plate the holes line up with the standard holes, not the same bolts that you would get if you asked for a Ford pressure plate to flywheel bolts which are metric. Yeah, sucked learning that one.

[Bailey]

You may not get much info on a T56 in a BDR, as far as I know, mine is the only street car equipped with one. If you are using the aft shifter location, the center of the shifter cutout is 19 1/4" forward of the aft vertical wall of the cockpit.
Installing it, I would leave the shifter off, tape up the opening to keep things clean, start small on the opening, and open it up just enough to install the shifter while the tranny is in place. Also make sure you driveshaft is short enough to be able to be removed with the tranny in place (the T56 has a longer housing than a T5) The first time I removed my tranny, I had to cut the driveshaft in half, no fun at all.
Let me know if you need pictures of anything.
Good Luck,
Richard Bailey
RTBBailey@MSN.COM

[Rwillia4]

Richard,

Thanks for the info. I figured out the opening and the shifter from the top. I haven't gotten to the driveshaft yet. My current concern is the engine mounts in the center not the back hole because the T-56 is so long. If I was to put the engine in the back hole the tranny mount would be past the fatherst back I can slide the crossmember mounting bracket (by a few inches of course). With the engine in the middle I am worried about side pipe holes working.
Any other things you have learned? What did you hook your reverse lockout 12v to?

[Bailey]

A common place to access power for the reverse solenoid, is coming off the brakelight switch. There is power to the switch one side, the switched side works well. You would just need your foot on the brake to activate the solenoid. Frankly I never have tied mine in, no real issues with getting into reverse. Let me look at the car next time she's in the air for which engine mount holes to use. Keep in mind the header/sidepipe exit through the body will probably be your determining factor. Exciting stuff. I just left Backdraft in Fla, looking at all the awesome race R and D goodies in the works, thinking of a track only car...........
Cheers,
Richard

[Bailey]

Just got the car on the lift...The engine is mounted in the back holes. Let me know what info you need, pics, measurements etc. Do you already have the driveshaft?
Cheers,
Richard

[Rwillia4]

I have the driveshaft but it is not cut to the corrent length, nor is the yoke correct for the T-56. (it was to small) and the universal looked pretty whimpy so I'm thinking of swapping that out also. Tonight I drilled the holes in both sides of the frame rails. Install the shifter, I had to tighten 3 bolts from the bottom, and one from the top in attempt to minimize the hole in the tunnel. This is all done with the engine in the middle holes.

With the engine in the back holes how did you mount the tranny crossmember? do you have a pictures?

How did you end up getting your driveshaft in? I'm a bit worred with what you said and looking at the room I have. -not much.

What R&D things are they working on?

Rob

[Bailey]

duplicate post, sorry

[Bailey]

Rob,
The yoke is different between the standard TKO and the T-56. I'll get the car on the lift and get some pictures ready. Shoot me a private email.
Richardl

[jp65cobra]

Rob

I replaced the drive-shaft in my car replaced by one built locally here in San Diego. I was getting some vibration and my universals were also wimpy. The new one fixed the vibration and also leaves me feeling a bit better about the strength. I can dig up who built mine if you are interested.

JP

[Doug I]

How would a 56 hold up behind 500HP?

[Bailey]

So far, so good. With the current setup, I am running 430 at the wheels. For track use, it's great having 5 usable gears, no complaints at all.
Richard

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by Doug I

How would a 56 hold up behind 500HP?

The Mustang and Viper guys are hitting them with much more than that with slicks and a 3500# car. For a Cobra it seems like the loads would be much lower, even with the higher HP cars.

Steve

[392cobra]

Doug,
I've had a T-56 for 5 years and have 600 hp.

[Rwillia4]

JP,

I see that Armond built your's. He has my driveshaft to be fixed up. The engine and tranny are in...next is opening the holes for the sidepipes, what do they say measure twice cut once, how about measue a dozen times!!!

[Doug I]

Waaaaay back when I asked a 56 wouldn't fit. Now it will

I had thought a TKO but now the 56 seems to be back on the table.

choices choices

Doug I

[Rwillia4]

My understanding was a T-56 does not fit in the earlier cars. It does fit in the later cars (not sure of when it changed). I can tell you that it fits in the tunnel of #455