t56 hp and torque limits

viperstang

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Hi guys....

I have an 04 cobra. I would like to know what the t56 can handle torque and hp wise. Besides installing a 26 spline input shaft, can a stock t56 handle 800 hp or more?
 

snakeraper11b

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Hi guys....

I have an 04 cobra. I would like to know what the t56 can handle torque and hp wise. Besides installing a 26 spline input shaft, can a stock t56 handle 800 hp or more?

Short answer, no. Long answer...Some have them live in that hp range for a while, but honestly, I think those guys must be dyno queens or something. aybe just doing a 4th gear pull from 60-100 and letting off once a month type driving. Extended pulls over 700rwhp has been the culprit of crumbling input clusters and overall toasted T-56 transmissions. By extended pull, I mean accelerating long enough to heat the gears up beyond what they can tolerate. Generally 3-4-5 to redline would get you there.

To answer your other question, contrary to what 99% of guys think, a 26 spline input doesn't really add any strength to the transmission. You can upgrade the main shaft and blah blah blah, the pitfall is the width of the gears, which can't be upgraded. I spent over $3,000 on a completely custom, one of a kind T56...now I have a T56 Magnum Tranzilla from Rockland Standard Gear. Yeah, it was almost $5,000, but it's also good for over 800ft/lbs and 1,000 hp in a stock weight 04 cobra, and my car is just over 3100 lbs. If you want to put down big power through a manual and intend to actually drive your car, instead of measure your dick on forums with it, you'll want a Tr-6060, T-56 Magnum, or some other variation. There's no other way around it.
 

snakeraper11b

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Thanks for the info. I was told that the tranzilla t56 is not ment for daily driving. I guess I'll be looking for a magnum

Don't confuse a T56 Tranzilla with a T56 magnum Tranzilla. The T56 Tranzilla is a $6,000+ unit built for racing. Custom gears, billet everything, good for I think 1200rwhp. The T56 magnum Tranzilla is TR6060 internals, everything internal is upgraded to the max, then it is all machined and stuffed back into a custom T56 case once everything is blueprinted. So, I have all the benefits of a TR6060 (gear width, larger bearings, input and mainshaft), with a billet retainer, MGW shifter, and none of the fitment issues of a T56 magnum. You could always just do a magnum with the synchro upgrade, I think those units run $3700 before shipping. I just wanted to be different, and have something stronger than an off the shelf magnum.
 

Mystic03

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Good info..ill be testing the limits of my t56..its held over 650rwhp hard drag and highway racing..fuess well see how it foes with a turbo
 

SlowSVT

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I guess I did have them confused. So a regular of the shelf magnum will be able to handle 800-900 hp?

Scores of Cobra's with the T56 have been running around with 1000 hp engines in front if them long before they invented the Magnum and has proven to be a pretty tough gearbox as long as it's wearing a 26 spline input shaft (which I hear are suddenly hard to get). If this is a street car and you know how to shift gears correctly, don't powershift and don't hop the car chances are you will have no problems with what you have. The Magnum is nice upgrade but keep in mind chances are the driver is likely to be the culprit when something goes wrong regardless of what transmission you chose.

I would say the biggest compelling reason getting a Magnum is it will handle extended high speed runs better due to the wider gear set but it also produces more drag as I found out turning both input shafts. The heat produced is just too much for the gears causing them to bind just before it blows the teeth off the hub. For drag racing I might favor the T56 with some upgrades if I wanted to reduce driveline losses. Heat is not as much of a concern on a strip car.

If you have $3700 to blow on a Magnum with upgrades go for it. If $3000 of that can be put to better use elsewhere I say get the T56 upgraded chances are you will never know the difference.
 

Notsoslowbowtie

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Hit up Steve from Tasca! He's who I went through for my magnum and the process was very smooth. And I was under 3k shipped.
* on another note. It will be easier for you to sell your unmolested stock trans and put towards a magnum instead of killing a trans you will only get 500$ for when it's in pieces.
 
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Lstruck03

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Mine is alive and well, and my car currently makes 876/861. Dyno jet numbers though.high 700s mustang dyno. All it has is a 26 spline input from liberty with thd steel tob sleeve. I put those on 6 years and 35k miles ago when the car was only a upper pulley. Now the car has 96k on it and I hsve never been into it again. I have been through 2 engines, and numerous setups. Port, port and spray, whipple, turbo and spray, etc. I cant tell you how many 1/4 passes the car has on it, numerous dyno pulls, and a ton of trips to "el mehico" over the years. Also, I am not exactly easy on it. I drive it hard. It has a spec stg5 clutch witch is rated to 1150 ft/lb so I figure the trans will give up before the clutch. And it has always had a mgw shifter.

what a lot of people might not know is the number 1 killer isnt tq, it is a clutch that is not adjusted correctly. And the lighter the vehicle, the longer the drivetrain will last
 

Fox Fan

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Old thread, but I'd be interested to know if the Tranzilla T56 is stronger than a stock Magnum or 6060. I have the same 1-4 g-force gears in a custom T56, and I paid good money. More than I could've gotten a Magnum for. I know that RSG advertised the old T56 Tranzilla at 1000 ft-lbs and only advertise the new Tranzilla Magnum at 850 ft-lbs, but I'm still curious as to which is stronger.
 

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