The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post - anybody have a manual tranny w/overdrive?

Willy Prost · 12-04-2003, 12:38 PM

I have a 250/6cyl in my 71 shortbed stepside.

I replaced my Saginaw 3-speed with a Tremec 3550 5-speed in April after the syncros went south in the 3-speed. Bought the Tremec with the mid location shifter from Forte's parts.
http://fortesparts.com/index.html

Didn't like the mid location shifter that Forte's provides. The handle lever is just too short and angled back to nearly hit the bench seat.

Found out that Hanlon Motorsports
http://hanlonmotorsports.com
is the exclusive dealer for a mid location Pro 5.0 shifter that allows use of a bolt on Hurst shift lever. I needed to make a spacer to fill the difference from the 6mm bolts that the Pro 5.0 shifter uses and the 3/8 in. bolt holes in the Hurst shift lever. Used brass tubing to make up the difference.

I used my original bellhousing, flywheel, and clutch linkage. The clutch is a 10.4in. centerforce I for a mid 80's camaro V8 w/ T5 tranny. The throw out bearing is the one for the 71 truck V8 with manual tranny.

I had a local machine shop press fit a spacer to make up the difference in the diameter of the throwout bearing retainer to the diameter of the bellhousing hole in the truck bellhousing (4.685in. vs. 5.124in. on the truck bellhousing).

I needed to use a high hump tranny cover because the Tremec rested up against the low hump cover when installed. I used a auto tranny rear crosmember from Early Classic Enterprises to support the rear of the transmission. I had a new shorter driveshaft made by Denny's Driveshafts.
http://www.dennysdriveshaft.com/

In retrospect I should have bought the transmission from Hanlon Motorsports. They would have sold me the better shifter and a TKO instead of a 3550 for the same price.

Everything works well now. I get another 3mpg highway. Around town is the same mpg but acceleration seems improved.

12-04-2003, 12:38 PM	#7
Willy Prost Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 398	I have a 250/6cyl in my 71 shortbed stepside. I replaced my Saginaw 3-speed with a Tremec 3550 5-speed in April after the syncros went south in the 3-speed. Bought the Tremec with the mid location shifter from Forte's parts. http://fortesparts.com/index.html Didn't like the mid location shifter that Forte's provides. The handle lever is just too short and angled back to nearly hit the bench seat. Found out that Hanlon Motorsports http://hanlonmotorsports.com is the exclusive dealer for a mid location Pro 5.0 shifter that allows use of a bolt on Hurst shift lever. I needed to make a spacer to fill the difference from the 6mm bolts that the Pro 5.0 shifter uses and the 3/8 in. bolt holes in the Hurst shift lever. Used brass tubing to make up the difference. I used my original bellhousing, flywheel, and clutch linkage. The clutch is a 10.4in. centerforce I for a mid 80's camaro V8 w/ T5 tranny. The throw out bearing is the one for the 71 truck V8 with manual tranny. I had a local machine shop press fit a spacer to make up the difference in the diameter of the throwout bearing retainer to the diameter of the bellhousing hole in the truck bellhousing (4.685in. vs. 5.124in. on the truck bellhousing). I needed to use a high hump tranny cover because the Tremec rested up against the low hump cover when installed. I used a auto tranny rear crosmember from Early Classic Enterprises to support the rear of the transmission. I had a new shorter driveshaft made by Denny's Driveshafts. http://www.dennysdriveshaft.com/ In retrospect I should have bought the transmission from Hanlon Motorsports. They would have sold me the better shifter and a TKO instead of a 3550 for the same price. Everything works well now. I get another 3mpg highway. Around town is the same mpg but acceleration seems improved.