A tranny story (t56)

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dodgedifferent2

dodgedifferent2

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So i picked up a tr6060 trans from a wrecked 2011 challenger srt8. I want to switch it to a t56 magnum style for shifter location. The challenger input shaft is the one year only 11 spline.

Yes i could of bought a brand new t56 magnum. I have had this trans trapped on opposite side of border since covid started :-(.

I scrounged up most of the parts for this swap. Only thing is the shift rail that i still have to source or machine my own.

Plan is to put it into the dart when i cram the 400 stroker in.


I got an LS t56 magnum input shaft for the 2.97 first gear, T56 magnum mainshaft and tailhousing with shifter. Unsure if i needed the LS midplate but it was available so i jumped on it.
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Alot of people have posted dissassembly procedures before but i will document what i am up to.

Here is the patient. I have already taken the shifter off at this point but photographs always help later.
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So lets get this trans upright to start dissassembly i already removed the driveshaft flange with an 1 1/4 socket. Removethe tailhousing bolts
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Now pull the tailhousing off and all the extras.
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Now start removing those gears and snap rings.

Remember how i said remove all the sensors etc. I forgot one and then she spilt oil everywhere.
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Back to gear removal
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Now i broke my phone so i missed a few steps, but the giant 18-20 inch gear puller was created to remove 5th, 6th and synchro.

Now i had to remove the midplate bolts to take main case off to get to the mainshaft.
So i rotated the trans to access the bolts. Remember how i had leaking oil. This is when super mess was created as all the oil puked out like a pail of water. Yup, i forgot to drain the oil.
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Here you can see all the gears were removed.
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Remember the split ring on the one gear because the puller will not win
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This is how the trans is sitting at this moment. More to come as part swapping and gear removal continues.
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I found this piece today
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Its what they call the dogbone for the shift rail.

Hanlon motorsports in PA helped out alot with the stuff i was not aware of. So i got the entire shift rail, rebuild and upgrade kit.
Waiting on it to arrive now. Then i can start assembly.
Bob Hanlon has notes for all the transformations of tr6060's to magnum conversions. The Tremec 5 & 6 Speed Specialist | Hanlon Motorsports - An Elite Dealer
 
Got some of the mainshaft gears and synchros transfered over to the new mainshaft
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Now i realized my mainplate is missing its shifter bearing
20211220_155430.jpg


Here is the bearing in the challenger mainplate. It slides back and forth in the bearing collar as you shift. I could not remove it easily so i ordered a new one. Should arrive during christmas holidays. So looks like this is on hold till after the new year.
20211220_155828.jpg
 
So installed the shift rail bearing.
Started assembly today.

Got to the shift rods and found out now i am missing the 5-6 shift rail lever shift pad.
So ordered that. Now sit and wait and hope its the correct one.
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dodgedifferent2 said:
I scrounged up most of the parts for this swap. Only thing is the shift rail that i still have to source or machine my own.
Click to expand...

Mind sharing what the swap parts cost? Been bouncing off the walls with ideas and thoughts and haven't found a source for those parts to see if it makes sense to follow in your footsteps.
 
Most of these parts were bought just as the t56 magnum F was being introduced. Parts from the magnums were readily available at the time.

Used tr6060 from auto wreckers ‐--------$1000
Magnum output shaft ‐‐------------------------$308
Ls Input shaft ----------------------------------------$250
Ls magnum midplate-----------------------------$320
Magnum tailhousing------------------------------$225
Shift rail bearing------------------------------------$15
Rebuild kit with bearings and magnum shift rail ----$1011

Total of $3143

At this price. Someone could buy a new t56 magnum direct from Tremec. $3295. Unless they find other bargains for the pieces needed. I could of stayed with the challenger midplate and input shaft, but the one year only clutch splines worried me.

In the end I love tearing into stuff and making work what i want. I probably had more fun than going on a vacation somehwere.

I should also state that the wife didnt see one big purchase she only saw small purchases spread out so it didnt hurt as bad ;-) (funds came from scrap metal collecting so no bank accounts were hurt in this fun)
 
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dodgedifferent2 said:
Most of these parts were bought just as the t56 magnum F was being introduced. Parts from the magnums were readily available at the time.

Used tr6060 from auto wreckers ‐--------$1000
Magnum output shaft ‐‐------------------------$308
Ls Input shaft ----------------------------------------$250
Ls magnum midplate-----------------------------$320
Magnum tailhousing------------------------------$225
Shift rail bearing------------------------------------$15
Rebuild kit with bearings and magnum shift rail ----$1011

Total of $3143

At this price. Someone could buy a new t56 magnum direct from Tremec. $3295. Unless they find other bargains for the pieces needed. I could of stayed with the challenger midplate and input shaft, but the one year only clutch splines worried me.

In the end I love tearing into stuff and making work what i want. I probably had more fun than going on a vacation somehwere.

I should also state that the wife didnt see one big purchase she only saw small purchases spread out so it didnt hurt as bad ;-) (funds came from scrap metal collecting so no bank accounts were hurt in this fun)
Click to expand...

Thanks!

I have toyed with the idea of a used trans for just the reason that I wouldn't have to shell out $3.5K all at once for the trans.

But in the end I don't think I can make it pencil out. I was thinking that a $2K trans and a couple of parts to convert it so I could use an LS to Mopar bellhousing might work out. Then I realized, why not just use the Camaro trans from the start? Saves the need to swap the input shaft, and I was thinking to use a different shifter and a Sonnex output adapter either way.

But the numbers with a used LS trans, aftermarket shifter and expensive driveshaft ended up being within $50 of a new trans. And then I discovered that the tail housing on the Camaro trans won't accept a shifter like the Challenger one would. So a used Challenger TR6060, plus an LS input shaft and midplate would add a significant amount over just buying the trans new.

Unless you know of a bellhousing that allows an unmodified TR6060 out of a Challenger to bolt to a MSB or MBB, feels like a dead end for me.

Unless I trip over a really good deal on a Challenger TR6060. That cost is the pin that everything else would pivot on.

Not critiquing what you are doing, I would have done the same thing. Thanks for the info!
 
There is no bellhousing for the challenger input shaft length. The midplates are the same. Challengers midplate is .400 thousandths thicker

My original idea was to make a spacer to make the challenger trans work, but then the shifter was an issue.

The remote shifter with the tr6060 is the challenge. However there is an adapter to use the mid shift location. (I did not know of this at time of tailhousing purchase)
Either way building a driveshaft for the flange or the slip yoke is a wash. If you swap the tailhousing and mainshaft it is near the same cost of the "special driveshaft"
 
dodgedifferent2 said:
The remote shifter with the tr6060 is the challenge. However there is an adapter to use the mid shift location. (I did not know of this at time of tailhousing purchase)
Click to expand...

I was going off this post and picture:

img_1053-jpg.jpg


The OP of that build said it was a White Lightning shifter from American Powertrain. The pictures I've seen of the LS trans don't appear to have that mount, only the forward (mid shift?) one. Don't know if that shifter could be used on the forward location or not, but based on the build pictures later in that thread I would guess it wouldn't make for a clean install.

Between the driveshaft, flange adapter, shifter, input shaft and midplate, the additional cost comes out at more than $1500. If I could get an $1700 or $1800 Challenger TR6060, it would be a wash.

dodgedifferent2 said:
If you swap the tailhousing and mainshaft it is near the same cost of the "special driveshaft"
Click to expand...

Good point.
 
Ouch. Found a place selling most of the parts and even without the main shaft I am at $1200. Even just the mid-plate and input shaft are $700. Tailhousing was $500 by itself.

Even with the cheapest (and most reasonable) used TR6060 I can find for $1515, I am $125 more than a new T56 Magnum. That's with just doing the input shaft conversion so I can use an off the self bellhousing and after I add in the additional parts due to the shifter and output flange.
 
I know a guy who has one out of a 2011 Challenger who wanted me to buy it but I looked at all the hassle of making the swap so I decided not to pull the trigger. I just went with the TKX kit. $3500 shipped from Silver Sport Transmissions. Already had Quicktime bellhousing , and release bearing from Powertrain Technologies. Haven't started the install yet though.
 
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The missing piece finally installed.
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Now more assembly can begin. Put the case back on. Beginning to look like a transmission again
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Lets see what i can accomplish today....
 
So the two torx bolts are alignment bolts that go to the shifter interlock system. Never understood what they were for so here we can see what they are doing
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Here we have the midshift position setup
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The unobtainable dogbone for the other two positions
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And all the gears installed
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Speedo for electronic and mechanical. Ope s options
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And tail housing setup for a viewing

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These are the part numbers i used for all the main ingredients.
Mainshaft TUFP 7308
LS input shaft TUFM 8203
Rear magnum tailhousing TUET 11009.
Midplate TUEP7311
 
dodgedifferent2 said:
These are the part numbers i used for all the main ingredients.
Mainshaft TUFP 7308
LS input shaft TUFM 8203
Rear magnum tailhousing TUET 11009.
Midplate TUEP7311
Click to expand...

Can you verify the p/n for the tail housing? All I am turning up is a full trans.

Thanks for the numbers!
 
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