Chevrolet 305 CI Engine Build - Trans-Mission 305 Part 1

As we created a tire-smoking 305 Camaro in our "Mission 305" articles (June and Sept. '04), we were also exposing the '92 RS' weaknesses. We churned out 257 horsepower/295 lb-ft at the wheels right before the Camaro's original 700-R4 decided it was kaput--permanently. Disappointing, to be sure, since we felt like there was more power to be found. Unwilling to let the issue lie, we evaluated our transmission options and decided to go top-drawer by backing our potent 305 with a T56 six-speed.

Do we have to convince you that putting a six-speed into a hot third-gen is cool? We didn't think so. The T56 is strong enough to handle whatever power we get out of our 305; more of that power will get to the tires through the manual box, and the double overdrive will make The Bitchin' Camaro an open-road warrior. Best of all, we'd get to stir our own cogs.

Our first thought was to find a T56 from '93-97 F-body. These gearboxes are becoming more difficult to find, though, and when unearthed often need rebuilding. Other necessaries are also getting harder to locate, so we went the "new" route and installed a Tremec T5 replacement T56 as prepared by Rockland Standard Gear. The advantages? We got a new six-speed, ready to replace a factory five-cog box and able to incorporate the factory speedometer drive. Rockland also sent one of its blueprinted "Race Ready" boxes, making this one stout, slick-shifting outfit.

In the same vein, Spohn Peformance's Adjustable Torque Arm and Crossmember kit, along with the company's Extreme Duty Driveshaft, were bolt-in installations. As a bonus, Spohn's setup connects the torque arm to the crossmember rather than the transmission. According to Steve Spohn, this removes large amounts of stress from the tailshaft housing. Another advantage is that the pinion angle stays where you set it (1 degree down in our case). Spohn says that the stock mount and bushing can allow pinion angle to move as much as 2 or 3 degrees "up" under hard acceleration--with this setup, he told us, the pinion angle is "going nowhere."

On the other hand, we were replacing an automatic trans, not a T5, which immediately turned this into a custom job. Let's be clear on this: Even if you manage to find a complete T5 pedals/hydraulics/bellhousing/clutch setup, custom work is required to make the T56 fit. The owner of our guinea pig RS, Ryan Rivers, is a fabricator and street rod builder by trade, so none of this dissuaded him. We decided to go one-stop clutch shopping at McLeod Industries. There is, of course, more than one way to skin a Camaro. But we will tell you this--our setup works. McLeod's master and slave cylinders are great improvements on the plastic factory pieces; the scattershield could repel light artillery fire (McLeod also provided the correct adapter plate to mate tranny and bellhousing), and the 12-inch Dual Performance Clutch McLeod's Red Roberts prescribed is exceptionally smooth on the street and bites like a piranha when you nail it--perfect for an aggressively driven street car.

Was this an easy job? No. Was it worth it? We say yes. The Bitchin' Camaro sports the best of both worlds: a tranny and clutch combo that provides low-effort shifting and clutch action during daily driving, and also handles the rough stuff with aplomb. At a nice and legal 70 mph, the 3.42:1-geared RS turns a paltry 1,942 rpm in sixth--and at 100 mph, it's still only turning 2,775 rpm. And one more thing--there's no doubt that we're getting more power to the wheels (the words "it hauls ass" were used). As for how much more power, well, that's a tale for another day. With that, here's Part One, taking us as far as the clutch. Next month, we'll show you how to get that six-speed in its proper place.

(The author would like to thank Barry White's Street Rod Repair Company, 1640 Commerce St., Corona, CA 92880; 951/273-9284, www.barrywhitesrrc.com, for the use of the shop and for letting us burn lots of midnight oil while completing this story.)