03CL55AMG Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 I have been kicking around a LS swap and I have read a few posts about such swaps...My question is can the stock tranny be used with a adapter plate when doing a LS swap. Second question...how well does the stock diff handle the swap, I am sure I will have more questions as I gear up for this possible build, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasQuest Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 Don't even try to use the stock trans on an LS engine, it won't hold up. The 6 bolt rear diffs in these cars are super strong can handle well over 500hp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autotr8er2 Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 No adapter plate exists. The best option is to use a t-5 tranny out of a mustang and a QuickTime Bellhousing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasQuest Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 Just use a T-56 that's made for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03CL55AMG Posted December 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 Well I have a 4 bolt out in my 87...how well does it handle the power increase ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasQuest Posted December 29, 2014 Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 It should be fine. Just not as strong as the later 6 bolt ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSQuest88 Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 If you go different trans are you wanting to stay manual or you open to automatic? You could do a th350 or th400 trans alot cheaper than most manual options and they'd hold up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03CL55AMG Posted January 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 I would not be opposed to a TH350 OR TH400...how much tranny tunnel changing has to be done to get them to fit correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSQuest88 Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 (edited) I nnever have run one behind my ls1 but when I bought my car it had a 406 sbc and a th400 trans and looked like all that was needed was a hammer to make a few dents. I have a tko 600 trans in there now and I did the same thing. Just hit a couple spots for clearance and it fits in there nice. All my interior is stock around the tunnel so what dents had to be made didn't interfere with anything not fitting inside. Personally I'd go with a th350 if you decide on one of these. They are lighter and take a little less power to turn and can probably find one cheaper than a th400. If you go this route you'd either need a swap torque converter or (cheaper route) crankshaft spacer or swap flexplate. The flexplate and spacer are available through jegs or summit. A local converter shop can make you a converter or csn probably be found online as well. The trans itself will bolt right up to the LS1, only 5 out of 6 bolts line up which is perfectly fine. Only downfall is that these transmissions don't have overdrive. Your stuck with 3 gears Edited January 9, 2015 by LSQuest88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03CL55AMG Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 How about a 700r4 tranny, do you know if those have been tried in a quest before... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSQuest88 Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Not sure someone may know. Idk how they compare in size to the th350. May be bigger with the overdrive. More expensive I'm sure but worth the price to have overdrive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GINASQ Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 How well does a t-56 fit in the transmission tunnel of a manual SQ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasQuest Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Contact convette. He's running one I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chromedome Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 The LSx series of engines uses a different bellhousing bolt pattern than the older generation chevys. Only 5 of the six bolts line up. Also you will need a flexplate to torque converter bushing as the depth of the flexplate is different. The easiest route for an auto is to get the trans that came with the engine and run that. The 4l60E trans is essentially an upgraded version of the 700r4 which is electronically shifted. They are an excellent transmission. I mocked one up in a manual car and it will take a good bit of clearancing to fit the tunnel. http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids/1255185-what-all-required-mate-th350-5-3-a.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autotr8er2 Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I've seen numerous swaps involving older blocks. 5 out of 6 bolts are just fine for typical HP applications. Regarding the swap into the quest, you will have to fabricate a larger tunnel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSQuest88 Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 The easiest route isn't always the best in a swap. 4l60 is electronic which adds initial cost to a build. Heavier and might be longer than like a th350 which could also open another can of worms with modifying the tunnel. The spacers and adapter flexplates are cheap and is easy. The flywheels to adapt an old style manual trans to an LS on the other hand is not cheap. $400+ for a flywheel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elkidmino Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 (edited) So instead of shutting this down immediately with "it'll never work," let's have a more open discussion about it as a subject, because in the end, anything is possible. I'm hoping once this starts to develop that someone with a little more experience than I can chime in and fill in the blanks. A 5.3L around the 2000s made 285hp/320tq in various truck applications. My own Conquest made 240hp/312tq on MPI which was turning an '89 transmission with no grinds, squeeks, rattles, groans, or signs of failure in the pan. I know other members on this board have run over 300hp through the stock transmission and they live, so long as you're not launching on sticky tires it should be fine. I'm not convinced that a 5.3L is going to suddenly grenade the transmission as soon as you hit the key. Let's talk about the potential ways we could mate these two entities. The stock Starion transmission has a lower bellhousing bolt spacing of ~13.25" while the LS series motor is around 15.49" so an adapter plate needs to be made to physically bolt the two together. Next, the LS1 flywheel has a bolt circle of 12.625", and the LT1 is around 11.625" and the G54B is 9.44". The LT1 and LS1 have the same crank bolt circle, but the crank heights are different so this will need to be checked to determine which bellhousing will be used. A simple check would be input shaft protrusion beyond the bellhousing flange between a t56 and a Starion trans. Pilot bushings can be had in any diameter with extensions to support the input shaft. The LS crank flange is .400 closer to the block than an LT1 so a spacer could be machined to make up the difference in case the LS flywheel diameter is too large for the Starion transmission. In theory, a Starion pressure plate and clutch disk could be used and the LS/LT flywheel drilled for the Starion's pattern. I'm planning to check fitment of the two combos in the coming weeks. My initial idea is to use a 1/4" adapter plate drilled for the two bolt patterns, LS/LT flywheel redrilled on a rotary table to mate to the Starion pressure plate, stock hydraulics and check starter placement at the end. Those Summit mini-starters can be mounted basically anywhere and would be drilled and mounted to the adapter plate. Couple measurements I don't readily have:Starion input shaft diameter: 0.590"Starion pilot bearing bore diameter: 0.5906"LS pilot bushing bore diameter: 0.591"Starion input shaft protrusionOverall 240mm flywheel diameterStarion inner bellhousing diameterGoal: Drop in LS/LQ capability for epic drift stuffs. Edited February 3, 2015 by Elkidmino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebird Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 yep, when you put your mind to it......anything is possible. But in the long run was it cheaper and easier to just open up that trans tunnel?It's really not a big job....for us fabricators. I spent a total of a day on the ones i have finished. And maybe $80 in materials. and never took the dash out But.... if you can make your own adapter plate figure out that starter...make the clutch work good without slipping....$$$$ and time later yes..i think the 2.6 trans is a beast!I would love to see someone do it.That would make me smile big! if it actually worked. But would it make that trans a $1,000 trans or more?Just being realistic. Especially if you involve other fabricators and their time....time is money Anywho....Elkidmino good to see you still around man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elkidmino Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 (edited) Sup man, good to see you too! It's just like when I did the bags. Took a lot of research and some mock-up before I went through with it. Is it worth not spending the $1200 for a trans? Yes. But then again, I don't know how far in I'll have to go if the flywheels end up being my biggest issue. A new, custom flywheel is around $600. I live in the motor city tho, so fabrication time is paid in beer. Edited February 3, 2015 by Elkidmino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebird Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Motor city.......where tools where invented! Those bags where a great idea....most likely the first ever made?I wish I ended up with those bags back then.....Just too much going on at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cogquest Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 i have a 4l60e in my lt1 swapped quest, it fits the trans tunnel of a factor equipped automatic car with a little hammer luv, the factory tunnel on a manual car is smaller and will need to be modified. the 4l60e will require a conversion box from Dakota digital ($300) to convert the vss pulses to cable drive, the later 700r4's are simpler and cheaper and just as strong (strong might be a reach), just a add deeper pan, cooler & corvette servo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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