T-56 Transmission
Introduction
When the Dodge Viper was about to come out to the market with a V10 to deliver a widow-making torque, somebody had to make a transmission that could handle such power. Long story short, Borg-Warner made a transmission known as the T-56 in 1992, and it delivered. General Motors was in fact very impressed with the performance of the new transmission that the automaker allowed it to be a non-cost option for the 1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and Pontiac Trans Am.
Later on the same transmission was fitted to other GM’s high performance cars including Cadillac CTS-V and Ford Mustang Cobra. There were some differences indeed, but all the major components were the same things.
The T-56 is a six-speed manual transmission and versatile enough to be used in many different vehicles. Originally designed for the first generation Dodge Viper, General Motors also used the transmission for the second generation models as well as future engines; and they did all that without altering anything in the original transmission.
Borg-Warner to Tremec
Even after Borg-Warner had stopped producing the transmission in 1998, Tremec took over the manufacturing process without making any internal changes to the transmission. It was eventually replaced by Tremec TR-6060 transmission both in applications formerly fitted with T-56 and other applications that required greater strength than what the T-56 could deliver. If you are looking for a brand new T-56 transmission for sale, unfortunately it is not available anymore. However, you can still get a rebuilt one taken from high performance vehicle. Some of the most popular vehicles equipped with T-56 transmission:
- 1999–2003 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage
- 2001–2006 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
- 1997–2007 Chevrolet Corvette
- 1993–2002 Chevrolet Camaro,
- 2004–2006 Dodge Ram SRT10
- 1992–2007 Dodge Viper
- 2003–2004 Ford Mustang Cobra
- 2000 Ford Mustang Cobra R
- 1998–2008 Holden Commodore
- 2001–2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
- 2004–2006 Pontiac GTO
- 2004–2007 Cadillac CTS-V
- 2004–2007 Chevrolet Corvette
- 2005–2006 Chevrolet SSR
- 2006–2008 Holden VE Commodore
- 2005–2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z51
- 1993–2002 Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am
Gear ratio varied depending on the applications, but the original one used for the 1992 Dodge Viper came with the following gear set:
T-56 Gear Ratio | |||||||
Gear | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | Reverse |
Ratio | 2.97 : 1 | 2.07 : 1 | 1.43 : 1 | 1 : 1 | 0.8 : 1 | 0.62 : 1 | 3.28 : 1 |
Except for the Ford Mustang Cobra in which the clutch is mechanical, all versions of the transmission are hydraulic. There is always a chance that you come across a T-56 Manual Transmission for Sale that is formerly used in the Cobra, so be curious and ask the seller if everything is compatible for your needs. It is worth mentioning that the Cobra version should come with 11-inch clutch disc.
T-56’s entire case including the bell-housing is made of aluminum.
The synchromesh for the GM and Ford was made of brass, while the Dodge application uses stainless steel material. It also has an internal stop so there is no need for stop bolt shifter mechanism. T-56 is known to be very quiet and reliable when used in demanding applications.
It had been manufactured for 16 years before production ended in 2008.