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PolarBear · 06-08-2013, 08:20 PM

OK, so with the "new" transmission I have to move things around a bit, or buy another driveshaft. Considering that I bought this driveshaft and I dont really want to buy another one, I decided that since the LS T56 bellhousing is ~1" shorter than what I had in there I will just move the engine back the necessary amount. I pulled the LR4 and T56 out and put them to the side and put the LS1 T56 on my mockup block with the adapter plates and clamshells attached, also with the heads, intake and headers on and put it in the car to see how everything is going to work. Since the shifter sits about 3" rearward on this transmission I knew I was going to have to cut the shifter/tunnel hole larger anyway, plus the shifter base is longer on the LS1 T56. I just had to cut into the body brace in the transmission tunnel, if I wasnt moving the engine I wouldn't have gotten into it at all.

Here is how the front of the engine sits now, it is a little difficult to tell since I dont have a front cover for this engine, but the front of the engine sits about even with the centerline of the front wheels now. Moving the engine back a whole 1.25" and the LS engines are ~1" shorter than Gen 1-3 SBC's I should have a good line on space and weight distribution. When I had the BBC in the car I had about 3/4" or less between the water pump and fan, now I am thinking it will be close to 4" space

There is still about an inch of space from the firewall to the back of the heads, the back of the intake sits about 1/2" to the firewall, the headers are in no danger of hitting the floor or firewall. I think this is going to work out fairly well.

Tomorrow I need to put the transmission crossmember in and make sure that I have enough tunnel room all around the transmission. I have the trans jacked "into place" but I want to make sure the crossmember goes in properly. It is fully adjustable front-to-back so I just need to loosen the bolts and slide it back, if at all. I am only worried about tunnel clearance because Scott had interference issues at the front of the transmission in his '77, but I think the consensus was that the later cars have different tunnels than early cars.

06-08-2013, 08:20 PM	#123
PolarBear Ebearnezer Scrooge/Power Member/Lips Join Date: May 2006 Location: Hamilton, Mercer county Posts: 4,141 iTrader: (16)	OK, so with the "new" transmission I have to move things around a bit, or buy another driveshaft. Considering that I bought this driveshaft and I dont really want to buy another one, I decided that since the LS T56 bellhousing is ~1" shorter than what I had in there I will just move the engine back the necessary amount. I pulled the LR4 and T56 out and put them to the side and put the LS1 T56 on my mockup block with the adapter plates and clamshells attached, also with the heads, intake and headers on and put it in the car to see how everything is going to work. Since the shifter sits about 3" rearward on this transmission I knew I was going to have to cut the shifter/tunnel hole larger anyway, plus the shifter base is longer on the LS1 T56. I just had to cut into the body brace in the transmission tunnel, if I wasnt moving the engine I wouldn't have gotten into it at all. Here is how the front of the engine sits now, it is a little difficult to tell since I dont have a front cover for this engine, but the front of the engine sits about even with the centerline of the front wheels now. Moving the engine back a whole 1.25" and the LS engines are ~1" shorter than Gen 1-3 SBC's I should have a good line on space and weight distribution. When I had the BBC in the car I had about 3/4" or less between the water pump and fan, now I am thinking it will be close to 4" space There is still about an inch of space from the firewall to the back of the heads, the back of the intake sits about 1/2" to the firewall, the headers are in no danger of hitting the floor or firewall. I think this is going to work out fairly well. Tomorrow I need to put the transmission crossmember in and make sure that I have enough tunnel room all around the transmission. I have the trans jacked "into place" but I want to make sure the crossmember goes in properly. It is fully adjustable front-to-back so I just need to loosen the bolts and slide it back, if at all. I am only worried about tunnel clearance because Scott had interference issues at the front of the transmission in his '77, but I think the consensus was that the later cars have different tunnels than early cars.