Going Magnum... anyone have advice

[oldmodman]

The main reason that the Magnum T-56 is so popular is the much, much easier shifting it gives you. As so many have said before the two to three shift is everything it should be, buttery smooth. Very few purchasers actually need the extra strength.

I just regret not buying it when I could actually have gotten it for $2375.00 delivered. Now it seems like every stocking reseller thinks that they are gold. Plus I am always getting quoted inflated list prices that they will then be discounting from. Creating an even higher actual delivered price.

Why when the real list price was $2795.00 could you get many resellers to give you at least ten percent off. And now that the list price has been raised to $2895.00 suddenly everyone is asking three thousand for it?

 

[MalcolmV8]

If one chooses to get the T56 rebuilt nice and strong instead of getting the Magnum can the shifting issue be resolved? Or is that just the nature of the T56 and you're stuck with it? Mine's actually not bad at all. In fact it works very well. 2nd to 3rd is a breeze and goes in every time nice and smooth. Of course that took a lot, fiore firewall adjuster, multiple quadrants till the right combo was found, RXT clutch, MGW shifter, and penzoil syncromesh, indent bolt raised with a couple washers. Mine shifts dang near perfect.

 

[Dilley]

This is a valid point. The T56 is a pretty tough tranny and is actually less drag on the engine compared to the Magnum due to the narrower gears (try turning the input shaft to both transmission side-by-side and see what I mean). The trick with straight cut motorcycles gears was to bevel the outer corners of the gears to reduce drag. For a drag racer I might not be so quick to replace the T56. For sustained high speed the Magnum is probably a better choice.

So as a fun street car/part time track rat/summer cruiser I'd rather have the shorter gears then just upgrade the synchros, shift pads and forks as well as rem polish the gears.

If one chooses to get the T56 rebuilt nice and strong instead of getting the Magnum can the shifting issue be resolved? Or is that just the nature of the T56 and you're stuck with it? Mine's actually not bad at all. In fact it works very well. 2nd to 3rd is a breeze and goes in every time nice and smooth. Of course that took a lot, fiore firewall adjuster, multiple quadrants till the right combo was found, RXT clutch, MGW shifter, and penzoil syncromesh, indent bolt raised with a couple washers. Mine shifts dang near perfect.

What quadrant did you decide on?

 

[SlowSVT]

If one chooses to get the T56 rebuilt nice and strong instead of getting the Magnum can the shifting issue be resolved? Or is that just the nature of the T56 and you're stuck with it? Mine's actually not bad at all. In fact it works very well. 2nd to 3rd is a breeze and goes in every time nice and smooth. Of course that took a lot, fiore firewall adjuster, multiple quadrants till the right combo was found, RXT clutch, MGW shifter, and penzoil syncromesh, indent bolt raised with a couple washers. Mine shifts dang near perfect.

All those upgrades I mentioned are available for the T56 (sycros, bronze shift fork thrust faces, steel shift forks and misc parts). D&D and Liberty sell the upgrade parts as a kit last I saw for around $600 and you can install them yourself.

Ford spec out a bottom dweller T56 for the Cobra but the main thing to address is the input shaft and the shifting mechanism. It's a pretty tough tranny regardless considering the abuse they've been put thru and how few problems they have. I'd love seeing what a Terminator engine would do to a Muncie M22 :-D

Now if they could only make a decent throwout bearing :nonono:

 

[SlowSVT]

So as a fun street car/part time track rat/summer cruiser I'd rather have the shorter gears then just upgrade the synchros, shift pads and forks as well as rem polish the gears.

The fat torque curve of our engine is better suited for wide ratios. If it was close ratio you would saw thru all 6 gears in short order. I don't think polishing the gears will buy you much they tend to polish each other.

 

[Dilley]

The fat torque curve of our engine is better suited for wide ratios. If it was close ratio you would saw thru all 6 gears in short order. I don't think polishing the gears will buy you much they tend to polish each other.

I can get it done for cheap and everyone I talk to about it says the wish they'd had it done sooner due to how smooth it makes shifting.

 

[SlowSVT]

It's a constant mesh transmission polishing the gears won't improve the shifting action. Polishing a brand new shift drum might but again it will get polished internally anyhow. Either way polishing can't hurt but it's not something I would bother doing.

 

[timspony]

$2995.99 at American Muscle ... and I have a 6% discount code = $2816.23 to your door!

http://www.americanmuscle.com/frrpp-tremec-t56-266gear.html

 

[TRQJUNKIE]

$2995.99 at American Muscle ... and I have a 6% discount code = $2816.23 to your door!

http://www.americanmuscle.com/frrpp-tremec-t56-266gear.html

Great news Tim! Only thing is I live in PA so I'll be charged 6% on sales tax haha I can't win here... Anywhere else offer a discount and sell these?

 

[c6zhombre]

Mine too, very similar mods. Shifts awesome.

But I do think the FRPP t/o bearing is on it's way out. I think it has about 5000 miles on it. The rxt is hanging in like a champ, tho.

 

[TRQJUNKIE]

Actually anyone in MD could help me out and order it for me with the discount code! I work in Baltimore but live in PA

 

[timspony]

What about having it shipped to your work in MD?

 

[TRQJUNKIE]

What about having it shipped to your work in MD?

AM said the tax is added because of the billing address not the shipping address

 

[Notsoslowbowtie]

AM said the tax is added because of the billing address not the shipping address

sent you a pm. Call me as soon as you get it. THX I'm also heading to Carlisle on the 7th/8th. Doubt it would be here by then but it's a long shot

 

[sonicblew]

i got mine from american powertrain because it had their 2 year warranty although you probably won't need it.
I had a completely straight install. no banging out sheet metal or grinding tabs etc. it was super easy.
i got a new yoke, packed it and sent it to a place in illinois to have the DS shortened, balanced, and yoke installed ($100-125 IIRC)
i did also order a specific plug that goes on the side where there is a rubber plug for a speedo gear. they sell that too very cheap and easy to put in (one bolt)

shifts like a new car

 

[CompO_Eric]

I got mine from D&D Performance along with a new Dynotech driveshaft after my stock T56 started grinding 4th. Be sure you get the revised output shaft seal as mine kicked out after 38 miles....

Everything went in smooth, I ordered a Steeda tri-ax handle and had to open up the bolt holes on a drill press but all and all I'm happy with mine... Also ordered it with the 2.97 first gear. Shifting is smoother with Royal Purple ATF vs Amsoil ATF OE series too, btw. (Had both in, night and day difference).

 

[CompO_Eric]

That's silly, you spend that much on this thing yet still needs upgrades... What's the reason for removing the fork weight? Thanks



Ok will do! I seen you had to modify the DS tunnel some?

No need to modify the tunnel just got to jank the shift lever in the opening.

FYI: There are 2 ears on the right side of the Magnum you will have to remove...In my case a 3" cutting wheel work great with a file thereafter!

I never took a pic of the finished product, but the ears are right near the plug...also, if you look at your stock t56, looks like Ford did the same cutting!! (otherwise, those ears will hit the tunnel of the car)

I didn't have to grind these off to get mine in...

I also didn't modify the clutch fork or grind any of the face off, but I'm not running a twin disc. Spec stage two plus went in happily.

Also everything was plug in play (speedometer, reverse lock out, etc).

Only thing I had to do was get a new shift handle. :beer:

 

[TRQJUNKIE]

No need to modify the tunnel just got to jank the shift lever in the opening.



I didn't have to grind these off to get mine in...

I also didn't modify the clutch fork or grind any of the face off, but I'm not running a twin disc. Spec stage two plus went in happily.

Also everything was plug in play (speedometer, reverse lock out, etc).

Only thing I had to do was get a new shift handle. :beer:

Where did you buy yours from? Are these trans cases a little different between each other or what?

 

[CompO_Eric]

Where did you buy yours from? Are these trans cases a little different between each other or what?

I got mine from D&D Performance. I didnt have any install issues involving grinding, banging out the drive shaft tunnel or anything else... I can only speak for myself.

 

[MalcolmV8]

What quadrant did you decide on?

It was dictated but how much the quadrant would pull the cable. See this thread. Specifically post #38 on page 2 which I believe this link will take you directly to.
http://www.svtperformance.com/forum...RXT-clutch&p=14025722&viewfull=1#post14025722