Planning out my MK3 Supra swap and I have not yet decided on a manual transmission. Goal is 400-450hp daily driver from a 4.8 or 5.3 vortec engine. Budget for project is about $8k. Disclaimer: this is my first swap. I've spent hours and hours researching this, but I haven't come across a lot of great info.
From what I've gathered, my other options are:
T-56: preferred tranny by LS people. Price is high, though (junkyards say ~$1500 for one with under 100k miles, $1k for 150k+ miles). Another downside is that this would require expanding the trans tunnel. And I am not sure how I would handle the crossmember. Would also need to reposition shifter hole, get a custom driveshaft, and convert the speedo from mechanical to electric (right?), and figure out the clutch hydraulics. Can't find too much information on how bad the tunneling would be, but I'm guessing "not too fun."
TKO 500/600: looks to be $2k+. Hard to justify dropping that much on a transmission for a $500 engine... but maybe that's how it goes? Would also need to do all of the above (I think). Not sure how it would do in the trans tunnel (researching now).
R154: I probably wouldn't be able to find a chassis with this tranny in it (since the turbos are rare). Nonetheless, I'd buy an T154 from a junkyard and swap it in. I've seen a huge variance in reports on what kind of torque it can handle, but 400-500ftlbs depending on how you drive it seems reasonable. I'm guessing I'd break it randomly (could be 10 miles, could be 30k). Another downside is that adapting it to the motor would be difficult and potentially expensive. (But I think this would work: http://www.novak-adapt.com/catalog/kit_gmax15.htm - would I need anything else, though?). Upside is that the trans is less than $300, so even if I blow it up, it won't be too expensive to replace. Provided I don't have to replace the adapter (right?). Other upside includes easier mounting since the car is designed for his transmission. I could presumably keep the driveshaft too.
There are also a bunch of lesser rated manual trans. T5, AR-5, W58 and some others. Most of these aren't rated beyond 250ftlbs or so. These would be nice because they are also ~$300, but I think they would just break. And I'd have the same expenses I'd have with the T-56 (W58 aside).
What am I overlooking or misunderstanding? As mentioned, this is my first build and I still getting a handle on things. Any thoughts or opinions? Additional resources?
From what I've gathered, my other options are:
T-56: preferred tranny by LS people. Price is high, though (junkyards say ~$1500 for one with under 100k miles, $1k for 150k+ miles). Another downside is that this would require expanding the trans tunnel. And I am not sure how I would handle the crossmember. Would also need to reposition shifter hole, get a custom driveshaft, and convert the speedo from mechanical to electric (right?), and figure out the clutch hydraulics. Can't find too much information on how bad the tunneling would be, but I'm guessing "not too fun."
TKO 500/600: looks to be $2k+. Hard to justify dropping that much on a transmission for a $500 engine... but maybe that's how it goes? Would also need to do all of the above (I think). Not sure how it would do in the trans tunnel (researching now).
R154: I probably wouldn't be able to find a chassis with this tranny in it (since the turbos are rare). Nonetheless, I'd buy an T154 from a junkyard and swap it in. I've seen a huge variance in reports on what kind of torque it can handle, but 400-500ftlbs depending on how you drive it seems reasonable. I'm guessing I'd break it randomly (could be 10 miles, could be 30k). Another downside is that adapting it to the motor would be difficult and potentially expensive. (But I think this would work: http://www.novak-adapt.com/catalog/kit_gmax15.htm - would I need anything else, though?). Upside is that the trans is less than $300, so even if I blow it up, it won't be too expensive to replace. Provided I don't have to replace the adapter (right?). Other upside includes easier mounting since the car is designed for his transmission. I could presumably keep the driveshaft too.
There are also a bunch of lesser rated manual trans. T5, AR-5, W58 and some others. Most of these aren't rated beyond 250ftlbs or so. These would be nice because they are also ~$300, but I think they would just break. And I'd have the same expenses I'd have with the T-56 (W58 aside).
What am I overlooking or misunderstanding? As mentioned, this is my first build and I still getting a handle on things. Any thoughts or opinions? Additional resources?
