Engine and Transmission Tech

Hi all. My first post comes with appreciation for some in depth build posts and threads you folks have on your forum. Searches in the past years and links in Jim's signature over on garage journal brought me here.

As a hobby & sometimes on the side, I play with cars and rebuild T5, T56 and TR6060 transmissions.

My focus at the moment is a friend's 3400 RWD 60 deg V6. It was a GM crate engine, I believe intended for retrofit into some 2.8 or 3.1 vehicles as a pseudo smog legal swap. Now, I don't know these engines as well as I do others, but my understanding at this point is the starter is passenger side, and the wrong wheel drive versions used a "LH of the flywheel / driver side" starter.

We'd like to yank the well-worn early-design T5, replace it with a world-class T5 build-up that I'd build, and have a 94-ish V6 Camaro core. His engine currently has an S10 bellhousing (Muncie bolt pattern) and the core T5 has a Ford pattern case. In the interest of keeping stuff as-is, a WC Muncie pattern case would do it, but adds to the cost.

So I'm researching options on a budget. As far as I can tell, 1993 was a conversion year for the S10 with WC T5, Ford pattern behind the 2.2 (with driver side starter,) and the Muncie pattern behind the 2.8. I come to this conclusion because there is no such thing a a straight-up Ford pattern 60 degree V6 engine pattern, passenger side starter bellhousing that I have seen on the internet thus far. But my question #1 is does such a beast exist? I haven't seen it.

I was thinking perhaps a starter with un-shrouded pinion gear for the 3400 would maybe clear the 2.2 bellhousing if we're lucky. But the passenger side starter and bellhousing driver side starter pocket makes this unlikely and I haven't been hands on to measure.

I'm avoiding the various adapter plate options at engine and trans side of the bell. The vehicle driveline has precious little slip-yoke depth remaining to play with.

Any other options I'm overlooking? I've put hours into searching before making this thread and the 60deg V6 isn't my strong point, so I thought I'd throw this out there since I've seen a lot of good T5 stuff on here and an LS4 w/ 60deg. pattern on here.
Thanks.
-J



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2015 11:33PM by BearingBlocker.

Got this some years ago from Barry Knight:

"If you are talking about the bellhousing for the '83-'86 (???) Jeep 2.5 4-cylinder, I also have one of those. It has the same engine / bellhousing bolt pattern as the GM 60 degree V6's, a vertical Ford bellhousing / transmission bolt pattern and a 4.83" alignment hole. The starter pocket is on the right, so it would only be useful for RWD engines. It uses an "internal throwout fork" setup much like the S-10, but the slave cylinder mounts high and tight on the right side. It is about 1/4" longer than the GM bellhousings, but that should not be a problem. If you want to mount a Ford T-5 / 3550 / TKO in the vertical position behind a RWD 2.8 / 3.1 / 3.4, the Jeep bell would be a good choice. It is compact and the casting quality is excellent."

[s226.photobucket.com]

I have one in my garage.

Greg

What's the problem? The 2.8 was factory-installed in the S-10 and third gen F-body cars with a manual trans. That bellhousing bolts to the 3.4. The S-10 bellhousing has the trans straight-up. I have one I've been trying to sell for years.

Thanks Greg! I am not sure how I didn't see that particular Jeep bell in all the searching I've done in the recent past.

Joe,

The Camaro used the canted Muncie pattern and shorter bell to 92.
It used the canted Ford pattern and slightly longer bell 93-02.
The S10 used the straight up Muncie pattern and longer bell to 92 w/ the 2.8.
The S10 used the straight up Ford pattern and longer bell 93-92 with the 4 cylinder only.

Therefore, of the GM production bells, that last option would be great, but only if it had a passenger side starter. As it stands, it's a driver side starter pocket and the engine is passenger side starter.

-J

You could notch the 2.2 bellhousing for the starter nose also.

JD,

It sounds like your running a 3.4L RWD engine, not the 3400 V6- same thing but just a different name.

So your planning to run a WC instead of a NWC= so what! The bearings and synchro rings are slightly better but realistically, not worth the difference.

I have run WC and NWC and the difference is not worth the difference. Rebuild the T5 you currently have and be done with it. Okay, is it a Camaro T5 or an S10 T5? If S10 and the shifter is in the wrong place, I completely understand!!

The gear ratios can be solved if that is the issue. IF so, please call me and let me go through all the details on the complete engine, gearing and everything that the owner is looking to do.

-BMC.