Easily Back Your LS Swap with The Manual Transmission of Your Choice
Row Your Own Gears in Your LS Swap
I think we can all agree that GM’s venerable LS engine family has been the engine swap darling for the better part of two decades now. It can be found in just about everything from classic GM muscle cars and trucks to race cars and more. It is the “go to” engine for most movie studios when building stunt vehicles due to ease of parts sourcing and its compact size too.
While we may not be shooting a movie anytime soon (but boy do we have some ideas!), we know that packaging an LS swap into the typical hot rod, muscle car, or classic truck has become a near bolt in solution for most applications. From engine mounts and headers to accessory drives and more, getting the engine down on the frame rails is usually just a matter of ordering a few parts. The same could not always be said for mounting a manual transmission for LS swap use.
What Is a Good Manual Transmission for LS Swaps?
The early days of LS swaps your choices were usually an automatic transmission or using the factory manual trans that came with your LS engine. In those early days, finding an LS engine with manual transmission meant a LS1 with manual transmission from a Chevy Corvette or F-body donor, which were not the easiest cars to find in the salvage yard. Much more plentiful were automatic backed LS engines from Chevy trucks and SUVs, thus the need for a solution to install LS manual transmission options.
Even though the LS transmission and small block Chevy transmission share the same bellhousing bolt patterns, adding your original 4-speed or upgrading to a modern 5- or 6-speed transmission was tough early on due to bellhousing depth differences. Unbelievably, in the early days of LS swaps the best manual transmission for LS swap option was the factory Tremec T56 6-speed, as the factory bellhousing was designed for the LS engine platform dimensions. We offer our own version of this T56 aluminum bellhousing to this day for those looking for a light weight mounting solution 6-speed LS transmissions (note this bellhousing will not work for ’92-’97 LT1 T56 transmissions).
The main issue (besides expense) with the T56 LS transmission swap is its size. For many vehicles it is simply a deal breaker trying to fit the large 6-speed LS transmission due to firewall and transmission tunnel modifications required. Therefore, many enthusiasts prefer to either stay period correct with the old 4-speed that their ride already has, or swap to a modern 5-speed with overdrive for long distance cruising and additional torque capacity. These two LS manual transmission swap options usually do not require any tunnel modifications. Their only hurdles are getting the LS transmission bolted to the rear of your LS engine block, using the proper flywheel, and modifying or updating the transmission crossmember.
Are All LS Bellhousings the Same?
You’ll find a myriad of options for LS transmissions when it comes to bellhousings. From OE cast aluminum pieces to steel bellhousings with SFI certification that are required in racing sanctioning bodies. Prices can vary widely too for these LS transmission bellhousings. For street use many say a stock bellhousing is fine, but the stock unit will also limit your transmission choices as well. Speedway Motors has gone one better and crafted non-SFI steel bellhousings that adapt popular LS manual transmission options at a value price that work with a stock or aftermarket flywheel. So, no matter what you feel is the best manual transmission for LS swap applications, we have the parts to fit that transmission to your LS engine and your chassis.
Speedway Motors’ steel bellhousing adapter easily mates your manual transmission for LS swap duties. Designed with the classic GM “Muncie” pattern, it can use your original 4-speed manual if you’re on a budget. This allows your favorite 5-speed LS transmission option, including the venerable Tremec T5, TKO-series, or the new TKX transmissions from Tremec, as well as the line of 4- and 5-speeds from Richmond Gear to be installed as an upgrade later without the need to buy another bellhousing when you need additional torque capacity.
Oh, and we haven’t forgotten those that do want the T56 in their tunnel with its own steel bellhousing offering too. It’s the perfect solution for that LS3 T56 build you have been considering! Many of these transmissions offer alternative shifter mounting locations, or you can find vehicle specific shifter options to maintain the factory shifter opening in the floor pan without having to modify the factory shifter hole.
If you’re leaning towards a Tremec manual transmission we’ve even put together a couple of great installation kits that save a lot of time and hassle hunting down things like the right hydraulic release bearing, bellhousing bolts, and more. We offer both a Tremec T56 6-speed and Tremec TKX 5-speed LS swap kit that includes the transmission, bellhousing, clutch, fasteners and more to make your LS swap go as easy as possible.
Now that you have your LS engine manual transmission bellhousing options spelled out it’s just a matter of grabbing a crossmember for LS transmissions to finish your manual transmission for LS swap project and you’ll be banging gears in no time with LS power under the hood of your ride!
