LS3 and clutches

[Dennis]

For anyone who has put an LS3 in their roadster, I would like your advice on a clutch. I am leaning toward a cable rather than hydraullic. But a salesperson at Blueprint said that connecting a Ford clutch cable to a Chevy transmission is pretty challenging. Has anyone tried that?

[Hoooper]

Why go cable? Usually people spend money to go the other direction. What trans you are using?

[Dennis]

Thanks for the response. I know there are not a lot of guys here using a Chevy engine. Are you?

The money is one consideration and it seemed a lot simpler.

I'm looking at the Blueprint combo of the 376 c.i. LS3 and the Tremec TKO 600.

[Bob Cowan]

The stock chevy hydraulic throw out bearing is extremely reliable. Chevy put it in millions of cars without problems. The aftermarket parts can be a bit unreliable, though.

Cable systems work well, and last a long time. But they do tend to require more pedal effort.

[Hoooper]

Thanks for the response. I know there are not a lot of guys here using a Chevy engine. Are you?

The money is one consideration and it seemed a lot simpler.

I'm looking at the Blueprint combo of the 376 c.i. LS3 and the Tremec TKO 600.

Why not run a T56 magnum/TR-6060 like what the LS3 came with from the factory? For the almost $6k blueprint wants to charge you for a tko600 you could have a brand new t56 magnum with hydraulic clutch, sfi bellhousing, a nice lightweight flywheel, excellent clutch, and the extra gear

[HerculezJT]

Why not run a T56 magnum/TR-6060 like what the LS3 came with from the factory? For the almost $6k blueprint wants to charge you for a tko600 you could have a brand new t56 magnum with hydraulic clutch, sfi bellhousing, a nice lightweight flywheel, excellent clutch, and the extra gear

This is accurate, you can pick up a whole new Magnum with everything for around 5 grand. The hydraulic slave is the way to go in my opinion. it is easy to maintain by bleeding the system and no adjustments required as long as your measurements are on point, which most of the kits do it for you. As the clutch wears, the slave is spring loaded for that reason. A buddy of mine who has a fox body with a t56 thats cable is a PITA compared to my vehicles that have the hydraulic system. he drove one and immediately ordered a hydraulic master/slave kit.

If you ever want to learn how to rebuild a transmission, T-56/Mangums and TR-6060s are super easy as well. Just be prepared to mock up some super long arms for the gear puller

The negative that i can tell with a roadster is bell-housing size, the Magnum is larger so you might loose foot box room, but the Magnum also gives you more flexibility on where to put the shifter

I have a driven and built both, the triple cones in the T56/60s just feels so much better IMO and the price for everything vs just the TKO would be a win

[Hoooper]

The negative that i can tell with a roadster is bell-housing size, the Magnum is larger so you might loose foot box room, but the Magnum also gives you more flexibility on where to put the shifter

I just recently put one in here, height causes some trouble just squeezing it in and not hitting the top cross bar or dropping below the frame rails. Width is no problem at all in the MK4 footbox, not really close at all to either footbox.

[Dennis]

Thanks for the info on the T56. I will check it out. Blueprint has combos with both the TKO and the T56. Both come with the flywheel, the clutch, bell housing and a starter. I'm not crazy about having 6 gears, but I will look into it. I guess no one puts in a cable clutch any more.

[GoDadGo]

Dennis,

If you want to go with a TKO then this bellhousing will likely be what you need.

https://www.holley.com/products/drivetrain/bellhousings/chevrolet/parts/RM-6036

Contact Holley's Quicktime team to see what solutions they can offer regarding your proposed combination.

Steve

[Dennis]

Steve,
Do you think the bell housing in the Blueprint combo will not work?
Dennis

[Hoooper]

The bellhousing that blueprint would get you will work fine, especially if it is a hydraulic clutch bellhousing as then you wouldnt need to worry about where the end of the fork will sit, but it should work fine with either type of throwout. An SFI bellhousing or aluminum should both be essentially the same size, and Im sure on the TKO600 arent any bigger than the T56 magnum/tr-6060 bellhousing which is massive but still fits fine in the car behind an LS3