• From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Topic: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

http://images.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/11/02-1941-Plymouth-Special-Deluxe-Down-On-The-Junkyard-picture-courtesy-of-Murilee-Martin-450x337.jpg

I've decided to go with a Chrysler 5.9 Magnum V8 and a manual overdrive transmission with adapter bellhousing for my '41 Plymouth sedan project. I'm going to start out with a reasonably stock engine, but the long-term plan is to add forced induction so that it will be able to breathe at 14,115 feet, and so the T-5 and other inexpensive overdrive 5-speeds won't survive. That means I'm about to start combing flake-o Craigslist and eBay ads for a suitable transmission... but first I'll try the very reliable and trustworthy Lemons community. Do any of you, or anyone you know, happen to have a decent T-56 or TR-3550 (aka TKO 500/TKO 600) that you want to sell for this ridiculous project? If so, email me.

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  • Baron
  • Baron
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  • From: DFW
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
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Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

Phil, you might also look into G-force geared t-5s. They hold better than a 3550 and are a bit lighter as well. .

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  • Marc
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  • From: Fort Wayne, IN
  • Registered: 2009-10-06
  • Posts: 1,378

Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

i got your solution right here:

rear mounted GTV6 transaxle:
http://www.hiperformancestore.com/images/gtv6trans.gif

will put up to 300hp, probably more if you don't drag race it. can be had in good shape for about $1k, or you can buy one with a car wrapped around it for Lemons money.

but the neat thing is that it holds the clutch assembly in the rear so you can hook up any engine of your choice with a simple crank to driveshaft adapter. it may be custom, but not cubic dollar custom.

then, as for engine selection i'm a huge fan of modern motors so my opinion may be biased but it sounds like you can't fit a DOHC motor. and you don't want an LS motor (can't blame you on that one). the viper V10 is narrow but outside of the $1500 left for the motor.

the Audi 4.2L is cheap as chips and has a bulletproof bottom. it's narrow for a DOHC, but it's still wide. here it is in a 944 that i'm working on:
http://frankensteinmotorworks.com/944/IMG_0050.JPG

they can be had for $500 if you're in a hurry. $200 if you aren't. the 300HP version is the cheapest. the 340HP is available also but harder to find and anything bigger than that is direct injected so stay away.

the ECU is a pain to wire (and keep in mind who that comment is coming from) the immobilizer is contained in the cluster on most of the potential ECUs. so you can hack a GM or a Ford ECU to run it or just go to an aftermarket setup. even with a $900 Megasquirt 3 with expansion board you're within your $2500 budget by $100 and you're just missing a crank to driveshaft adapter and a driveshaft.

can you give us engine bay dimensions

  • Marc
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  • From: Fort Wayne, IN
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Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

oh, and the 4.2 is short enough you could put a pair under that hood. but you'd need a different trans

  • Marc
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  • From: Fort Wayne, IN
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Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

what's your HP goal? i've got lots of other thoughts on motors but i don't know if they are appropriate or not.

  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

HP goal is about 400. Probably a Detroit pushrod V8 with non-insane turbocharging. The GTV6 transaxle sounds great for a future Maserati V8-powered '38 Fiat project I'd like to do.

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  • Marc
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Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

yea, 400hp gets you out of the range of that gtv6 transaxle since you want reliability.

at that horsepower and desire for reliability i'd normally be screaming Ford Coyote. but in your case it fits the budget but not the car.

what about something like the Ford ecoboost 3.5L? it makes 365HP from the factory and there are chips out there already that crank it up to 400hp.

direct injected twin turbo will get you good power, great reliability and fantastic fuel economy. all of which are important for something like the Carrera Panamericana.

and by the way, if you need a co-driver/mechanic for the Carrera Panamericana, feel free to get a hold of me.

  • Marc
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Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

I was doing some more thinking about this and remembering the time i've spent in Mexico.

fuel quality is somewhat questionable and that should play into your engine decision.

a modern engine with it's factory ECU at factory power levels will cope quite well with a very good knock strategy. alternately, an old boat anchor of an engine that is only making 50hp/L at a low compression ratio isn't going to be stressed either.

the old engine will sound better which i suspect is more important to you than fuel economy.

that said, why not reach your power goal with something in the 427+ cubic inch range? maybe a Cadillac 500?

fuel injecting such a beast isn't hard, i'd be happy to help you. supercharging and/or turbo charging won't be necessary, but could be done instead of porting.

or you can even keep it in the family and go for a 440. they can be had for about $500 in "not seized" trim. $1000 worth of stuff to get megasquirt running on that thing (including the extra sensors, injectors and required bungs). just modify the carb to become a simple throttle body only and keep the old carb & air cleaner look

  • From: place of bad smells
  • Registered: 2012-03-14
  • Posts: 334

Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

Hughes Engines did a build for a centrifigal blower 360 not too long ago.  Details are in the tech section of their website.  400hp from a turbo 360 is really soft, you can do that without much difficulty NA, but I understand the desire for altitude proofing the engine.  You're probably going to wind up going megasquirt to make the EFI work, a lot of people are going blowthrough carb because they're not comfortable with EFI.  Seems the people comfortable with EFI tuning are not running old mopars:-)  E85 is the fuel of the Gods for turbo motors, most of the benefits of methanol without the poison exhaust and skin rot. 

You're going to do the Lakewood bellhousing for the swap?

http://lakewoodindustries.com/drivetrai … o-t56.html
http://lakewoodindustries.com/drivetrai … ko-t5.html

S/F....Ken M

  • Mulry
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Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

I love it that Marc is coming into this thread after Phil says "I'm using this engine" and suggests all kinds of other engines. Sort of reminds me of what happens when Marc says "I'm using this turbine and no I'm not running an electric hybrid" and then a thousand people pipe up about what kind of electric hybrid he should be running smile Just tells me that this is an irresistible LeMony urge on somebody else's engine swap project.

Marc, I had no idea the Audi was so cheap. I don't even have a project that needs one of those and suddenly I want one. I wonder how the SIMCA would take to a chassis-stretch to fit that in there...

Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67

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  • From: Choctaw, Oklahoma
  • Registered: 2009-11-12
  • Posts: 2,144

Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

that said, why not reach your power goal with something in the 427+ cubic inch range? maybe a Cadillac 500?

472/500 Caddy is quite wide and tall.

12 Reply by MikeZilla (edited by MikeZilla 2012-12-07 01:23 PM)

  • From: Santa Rosa, CA
  • Registered: 2010-01-08
  • Posts: 538

Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

How about Copart ?
This may not be what you asked for but it is a sample of whats available....

http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch.htm … CH_RESULTS

Copart even has an I-phone app that allows you to take a pic of your car, Tell them what is wrong & send it to them. They will then make you an offer on it including them picking it up. I have had two customers sell their cars which had  good bodies but bad engines for almost $1000.

Tired Iron Racing, Class A Winner of 2023 Days of Thunder & the Hooptie-Con Engine heat Cooking Competition, otherwise just a 50x loser, which is somehow able to finish in the top ten, if we don't step on our own dicks.
  • Marc
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Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

EriktheAwful wrote:

that said, why not reach your power goal with something in the 427+ cubic inch range? maybe a Cadillac 500?

472/500 Caddy is quite wide and tall.

that's good to know, i hadn't seen one in person.

i just assumed it was about the same size as every other big V8 of the time.

  • From: Choctaw, Oklahoma
  • Registered: 2009-11-12
  • Posts: 2,144

Re: Anybody know where I can find a good T-56 or TR-3550 transmission?

42% more displacement than a SBC, 66% more than a 5.0. All that size has to go somewhere.