Not your average Z26... a resurrection

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heavywoody
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by heavywoody »

It’s always something...

So I got the transmission out of the Alero and looked it over closely; hmm, how are those 5spd mounts supposed to bolt to it?

The trans is from a 94 Cavalier, which doesn’t have provisions for the front 5spd mount in the casting. The rear mount bosses are there, but only 1 of the 3 mounting bosses used are drilled/tapped.

Thankfully, I have a trans from a 92 3.1 Beretta, so all I have to do is swap the outer bellhousing. That’s all... sheesh. Talk about extra work for minimal gain.

The trans in front with the green circle is the 92 Beretta one, and the red circled one is the 94 Cavalier.

I did get the fuel/brake lines off the car, finished prepping the new 5spd mounts to weld in place, and have started cleaning/grinding the mount locations to prep for welding. Hopefully I’ll be able to get out to the garage this weekend to get some work done.
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Geoff
95 Z26 Turbo 3400 5spd - R&D Project
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woody90gtz
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by woody90gtz »

The difference you're showing is in the case. So you'll need to swap all the guts over too then. What's special about the Cav trans from the Alero? Was it just the diff?

I've actually got mine going back together now. Did I ever send you that assembly PDF? If not shoot me your email. I think I tried to upload it to bnet once and it would allow the extension.


91 "SS" - WOT 3400/5spd - 13.29@101.6 - World's fastest N/A FWD Beretta
96 "T56" LS/6spd/8.8 RWD swap - 13.45@104.7 lol
GEARHEAD dezign youtube
heavywoody
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by heavywoody »

It’s the diff and upgraded internals - supposedly strengthened to handle 900 HP.

I want to use the Cav trans as it uses the internal slave.


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woody90gtz
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by woody90gtz »

Now I'm confused, I thought 92+ Beretta was internal slave.

I know all Cav trans had the pre-92 mounts and assumed they were also external slave.

Is the trans from that Alero already a bastard?


91 "SS" - WOT 3400/5spd - 13.29@101.6 - World's fastest N/A FWD Beretta
96 "T56" LS/6spd/8.8 RWD swap - 13.45@104.7 lol
GEARHEAD dezign youtube
heavywoody
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by heavywoody »

You and me both...

I bought a 92 3.1 Beretta trans thinking it was an internal slave, sight unseen (it had 45K on it and was cheapish). When I got it, I got the trans pictured above with the green circle, and it had one of the 92+ mounts on it still. This tells me that 93 was the only year V6 Beretta that used an internal slave.

I know less about the Cavaliers, but can only assume that 93 and 94 V6 models used internal slaves, based on what I was told the trans from the Alero is. I didn't know they used the old style mount until the 95 refresh. Doesn't make sense to me as to why GM would bother having two different castings for that side of the trans case, but then again, I'm not running a multibillion dollar company either.

I'm told the trans out of the Alero is originally from a 94 Cavalier. It is a Getrag unit at least.

The Alero itself was a bastard - I have a *growing* list of stuff that was hacked on that car.


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MY91GT(Z)
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by MY91GT(Z) »

Seems odd also that the transfer I bought off ebay which was suppose to be for a 94 3.94 muncie/getrag and i was able to use all old style mounts without an issue. Is their a difference between Muncie and getrag. I talk to Jeff from ep while ago and Im able to swap the diffs from my 3.94 trans to my 3.61 trans without an issue


93 GT cammed 3500 TORSEN, headers,intake,wilwood,poly/delrin mounts, 2.5 S.S,Exhaust,dickman kits,GTUspoiler,Euro headlights-tails-mirrors-fender flares-spoiler,Intrax/Koni,91+blk interior,rr disk swap,s.s.clutch line
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woody90gtz
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by woody90gtz »

GM bought the trans design from Getrag in Germany and built them in Muncie Indiana. Same thing. I believe they used a lot of Getrag parts in the NVGs even.

I'm surprised a diff swaps between ratios without changing the output shaft.


91 "SS" - WOT 3400/5spd - 13.29@101.6 - World's fastest N/A FWD Beretta
96 "T56" LS/6spd/8.8 RWD swap - 13.45@104.7 lol
GEARHEAD dezign youtube
heavywoody
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by heavywoody »

New mounts (92-96 style) welded in - not my best work but not terrible considering the engine was still in the car. I’ll get pictures once everything is cleaned up and painted.

Started pulling apart the Cavalier trans to get the guts out for a case swap.

Torsen love!
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1ACC90F9-D26A-4202-BB09-C7526E4B181A.jpeg


Geoff
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woody90gtz
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by woody90gtz »

I don't see those input and output shafts liberated yet. Get your 12mm 1/2 drive allen socket?


91 "SS" - WOT 3400/5spd - 13.29@101.6 - World's fastest N/A FWD Beretta
96 "T56" LS/6spd/8.8 RWD swap - 13.45@104.7 lol
GEARHEAD dezign youtube
heavywoody
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by heavywoody »

Update:

I'll get pics later but had a very productive weekend!

Brian and Shane (both were in town for different reasons) lent a hand and helped get both of my "projects" in the garage to a point where things will happen much faster now.

Got the trans reassembled with the Torsen LSD and the cryo-hardened gears, put that in the Z26 using the new 92-96 mount setup. The detent balls were a little tricky, but once the first one got in, the rest seemed easier to deal with. Installed the jack-shaft as well (switched over to the solid axle instead of the aluminum housing unit).

Yes I know it’s not “pretty” but I’m in a time crunch mode and just putting it together is all I have time for right now. I’ll clean/paint these things later.
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Reinstalled the subframes too, along with the FE7 bar. Didn't like the fitment of the bushings from Energy Suspension, so the stock rubber ones were put in - for now. I'll be looking to make a set to fit the factory swaybar bushings .

I started cutting out the gaskets for the turbo headers - using Remflex. It's all graphite material and is supposed to seal any imperfections, which I think they'll do. I have a few more to cutout then I can get them bolted to the heads and mock up turbo fitment. I will need to extend the T3 inlet for the turbo to make room for a proper wastegate inlet, but that shouldn't be difficult. Initial placement shows a perfect routing for the downpipe.
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Brian and Shane put the 92+ 5spd brake lines in I got from Cliff - looks like I'll have to change the fuel lines back to my original ones as they are definitely different from his car (89 GT). No big deal.

Did a lot of work on the J-body rear axle - I'm swapping because the J-body ones are a little narrower. I already have rubbing issues with the 245's on my 8" wide wheel, and putting rear discs on will make that even worse, so the J-body axle works out perfectly for that.

Shane and Brian really did most if not all the work on the axle. They stripped it down (I bought it loaded with everything on it still), cleaned it up some, got the bushings burned out and removed the steel from the bushing. Later, Brian positioned and welded in the Wolfe Racing adjustable coilover spring mounts, then we looked at how to mount the 26mm Addco bar to the axle. The "beam" section on the J-body axle is narrower than the L-body axle, so the Addco mounting hardware wouldn't swap over. A trip to Lowes solved that with some 3/8" all-thread for the center mounts over the beam. We reused, but modified, the Addco hardware from my old setup. For the ends of the bar, we again reused the old hardware, but tapped, threaded, and welded in studs for the bar to mount to. Then Brian welded them into place after careful measurement.
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Before Brian left, we threw the F23 transmission up into the Alero so I can get that done and out of my hair.

Brian also helped unload the wood for my deck, which I then worked on after he left.

I really can't comment enough about how thankful I am to have friends that are willing to drive over/down to lend a helping hand. That's one of the things I love about this community! Without their help, I honestly don't know how far I would have been able to get, but now with both cars having their transmissions in, reassembly on the rest of the car should go much faster.


Geoff
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MY91GT(Z)
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by MY91GT(Z) »

Anytime hope to be able to help again def was alot of fun and good laughs along the way too. I really need to plug away at my projects now don't have much time now that another aroused


93 GT cammed 3500 TORSEN, headers,intake,wilwood,poly/delrin mounts, 2.5 S.S,Exhaust,dickman kits,GTUspoiler,Euro headlights-tails-mirrors-fender flares-spoiler,Intrax/Koni,91+blk interior,rr disk swap,s.s.clutch line
heavywoody
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by heavywoody »

One thing to note - if you look at the swaybar mounts that are hung over the axle, you'll see the spacers placed under the hardware - those are there temporarily as I'm going to box in the triangular section of the beam for more rigidity. This will reduce beam twist and also make up for the lack of an internal swaybar on this axle.


Geoff
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woody90gtz
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by woody90gtz »

Those welds looked good one facebook, I wondered if that was you! Haha

Never heard about using a J axle beam. Sounds like a good solution.


91 "SS" - WOT 3400/5spd - 13.29@101.6 - World's fastest N/A FWD Beretta
96 "T56" LS/6spd/8.8 RWD swap - 13.45@104.7 lol
GEARHEAD dezign youtube
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by bonecrrusher »

Interesting going with the J-body rear axle - but if it works it works.

I think Dan (JuicedZ4) went with a Beretta axle in his Cavalier.


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heavywoody
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Re: Not your average Z26... a resurrection

Post by heavywoody »

woody90gtz wrote:Those welds looked good one facebook, I wondered if that was you! Haha

Never heard about using a J axle beam. Sounds like a good solution.
I can weld thicker stuff no problem - it's the thin crap that I struggle with - need more practice.


Geoff
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