My El was factory 267 cu.in with a 4 speed(I think). Now it has a 305 cuin with a TH250. I want to convert it back to a standard. My problem is finding the clutch linkage needed. Either they want an arm and my first born or there were more parts than I need (have pedal arm and pivot bushngs). So I am looking at converting using hydrolics. Am I better off price wise to go used from a wrecking yard and if so what years and models am I looking for. The tranny I have is from a mid 80s Monza with a V-8 and I snagged the drive shaft with it. Can an original bell housing and fork be used? Help me see the light! :?

Well your best bet is with hydraulics anyhow.. F-body camaro make good donor cars and with some fabrication skills could be make to work as good as factory new! I would recommend a t-5 from a camaro as well as the bell housing etc... The only other modification you would have to make would be shortining your factory driveshaft 3".. I've put a Tremec TKO 5-spd in my 80' with a hydraulic clutch and LOVE it! :cool:

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/355879

I also am going to swap to a 4 speed manual (Borg Warner Super T-10). I now have all the stock linkage, the bellhousing with fork and pivot ball, and the trans. I bought everything used and yes everything was more than I wanted to pay. I had originally planed on using a Lakewood bellhousing. Lakewood does not make a bellhousing for a G-body. I contacted them and they recommended using their F-body bellhousing with the F-body hydraulic clutch system. I'm still considering using the hydraulic clutch linkage because the original G-body linkage wears prematurely due to it's geometry (pedal rod elongates hole in Z bar). I am also thinking of cutting off the rod ends, threading them, and installing Summit rod ends to solve the wear problem on both ends of the pedal to Z bar rod, and on the Z bar end of the rod to clutch fork. Anyone else have some ideas on this?

One thing to keep in mind using the stock linkage is your body mounts have got to be in good condition or they will allow for enough flex to keep your clutch from releasing properly or even at all! I had this problem when I first did my swap.. I went to hydraulics some time later for an easier more reliable peal...

The salvage yard closest to me is well stocked with F- bodies, so when it warms a little I'll be a stompin through the weeds and see what can be found. Thanks for all the information and have a happy holiday and a solid new year. :)

I have a factory 1980 SS with stock 305 and had a 4 speed. I got fed up with the 4 speed's really short gears and high RPM's on the hyway and I was looking at a rebuild because of wear issues. So I had a consumer tranny shop install a T-5 and I'm telling you that if it's not done right you get all kinds of grief. I wish I had the hydraulic clutch system. Yeah they had to cut the drive shaft. I don't think they dealt with the mounts properly and the shifter came up right through my console. All in all, a real sloppy job. Lesson learned: don't just hand off this mod to the "National Chain" tranny shop 'cause you know them (my brother used to work there). I wish this forum was around when I started this project. Next time I'm spending money on my ride, I'll be looking at a speed shop that's done this already and get the job done right (or maybe tackle the fix-up myself). The tranny swap is a great idea and you will enjoy the final product. I'd appreciate hearing exactly how others have done this mod and what to keep my head up for. And where did the shifter come up relative to the console?

Cheers and Happy Holiday! ...P

Just because the 3rd gen fbodys were not a rare item to see in a junkyard, do not let that fool you. A 3rd gen fbody with a 5 speed however was infact rare. I had one, and when i bought it, it had a blown transmission. It took me 3 weeks and a lucky joke for me to find one under 800 bux.

Also, will the hydrolic clutch linkage from a fbody work on our elkys? I know that the clutch hose *witch like a dumbass, i cut, because i could not get it out of the slave cylander* is formed from hard plastic, and its not a flexable or universal part. I tried to use diffrent items, and finaly broke down to spending 50 bux for a new one.

Now, i had the t5 behind my 305 h.o. firebird, and had 3.23 rear end gears, and i managed to chip 4 teeth the input shaft. I found this out when i was rebuilding it after shattering the 3-4 shift fork.

The point? hmm, let me think. The firebird was tons of fun with a 5 speed, but i was able to break it. And when it broke, it was hard to find a replacement. I guess thats my point.

If you want to bang thru the gears and not have to worry about breaking anything.. Invest in a Tremec TKO! It pretty much bullet proof up to around 600hp! It's rated at 525 ft lbs and has been regularly put thru more without fail... I couldn't live without overdrive and am thoroughly fed up with "performace" 700r4's, I don't think there is such a thing... And I love shifting gears so that was my choice! I've put 10k miles on mine and they weren't grannny driven miles either, unless your grandma' power shifts regularly!! 8O www.fortesparts.com is where I got mine from.. Mike has bolt in Tremec's for F-body! Money well worth spent! :cool: