Borg Warner (Tremec) T-56 in a 73 Electra?

I recieved a 73 Deuce and a Quarter, as payment on a loan. Rebuilt the engine and serviced all the other components, only to find that nobody is interested in purchasing the car. So, I've got a brand new, early Borg Warner T-56, laying around.......................you know what I'm thinking! Has anybody done this, in an Electra? My main concerns are which pedal assembly will work and which bellhousung to use. I'm assuming an A body pedal assay will do the job. If someone has installed a manual transmission in the big body car, I'd like to know how it went. I very much enjoy building the oddball, but cool factor cars.
 
I'm thinking the same. People will look inside, see the shifter hangin over the bench seat, and wonder if they ever came that way.
 
The car does have some value and will sell eventually, posting it on the right venue is important. These are not like the downsized ones that came after which are worthless. You have to realize that anyone who is looking for an Electra isn't looking for a stick. Advertise properly it will sell, convert it and it will most likely be yours forever. My $.02!
 
I do agree, Olguy. It will limit my audience. I was just trying to determine how difficult it would be, or if other Buick parts are interchangable. My goal is to sell it, but if that doesn't happen, then I would like to have performed the necessary research, so I could go forward with it, as a keeper. Thanks for the input. It does help.
 
Try running an ad on the Hemmings Motor News website, or any other classic car specific media in your area. Even the regular used car websites have classic car sections.
I believe stick shift Buicks have a specific crankshaft. There would be an enormous amount of fabrication needed to set up a car with a stick shift where one was never available. Clutch linkages in particular will be very expensive to mock up. The pedal setup will be difficult also as there's nothing on the shelf for this application.
 
There are some conversion companies that sell all the parts to convert to a T-65 manual. You will need a specialty BOP to T-56 bell housing or a mounting plate adapter that will allow the T-56 to fit a BOP bell housing. They have kits for the larger chevys that will share some of the parts you will need. Some kits involve cutting the trans tunnel out and replacing it with a larger one as part of the kit. You may also need a longer or shorter driveshaft and a different trans yoke. I would talk to someone at American Drivetrain to see what else you will need and the cost associated (the quicktime BOP to T-56 bellhousing was over $700 itself). It may be more cost prohibitive then you think. Your current rear end gear will also be too high to take advantage of the overdrives. You will need to think about a rear end ratio it the high threes or low fours to take full advantage of the overdrives.

The T-56 in my Cobra has .8 and .63 5th and 6th gears. I think the 6th gear in the LS T-56 has a .5 6th gear. That would really lug the OEM Buick high two series or low three series rear end gear, and make 6th and maybe 5th gears all but unusable with the T-56. In my .63 6th gear with a 3.55 rear end gear, it cruises at 75 MPH at 2200 RPM. With a 3.08 rear gear and .5 overdrive, the same 75 mph would be at around 1500 RPM. That is just not not going to work on so many levels.

I don't mean to be a downer. Changing to a manual and the other parts needed with respect to whole combination will result in a tremendous amount of performance and just plain fun over the current combination. But, there are many more changes and costs that will need to be endured then appear on the surface.
 
Lots of great input, folks. It's appreciated. I have considered the items mentioned by the Doctor, so no surprises there. If one stays within the factory tire diameter, then 4.56:1 gears usually solve the final drive ratio issue. Also there is the question regarding a speedometer, as the t56 speedo is driven by wire. I think I'll check out some older Buicks, to see what those pedal assemblies look like. I think shifting makes for a more interactive experience.
 
Back
Top