Tee Fiddy Sicks Waggin Numbah Dose!

Okay, so I picked up another M28 trans... just in time for my '94 DGGM to poop a 4L60E. Well, it still works, but if I turn right on the way up a hill and accellerate hard it'll slip like crazy. I might take a look at the filter install... but it's been acting funny for a while so it's probably toast.

Anyway, I put an M28 trans in my '95 DCM (T56 Wagon #1 for me) about three weeks ago. After driving it for a while with the 4.10 gears, I gotta say it's a blast to drive! It's just like driving the "regular" T56 with 4.88 gears. Now that's some accelleration, son! Here are my RPMs with the M28 and 4.10 gears. I also included calculations for 3.73 gears:




Compare those numbers to the "regular" '94 - '96 trannies:




I plan to build the '94 DGGM with 3.73 gears and the second M28 trans. This way I can *fingers crossed* run a stock driveshaft. This is my beater, so I don't want to buy an expensive driveshaft.

I'll keep y'all posted. I'll post details and pictures in the drivetrain section. Really I just wanted to brag about my M28 find... those suckers are basically unobtanium these days!

Sweet deal. Cool charts, too!

I hate you.

"meh,.. what kind of an idiot would want to run 4:88's??"

Nick

part of the reason I haven't put in a T56 is because there are so many engineering compromises. I'm not interested in having a 54" driveshaft spinning at 6000rpm beneath my floors. The M28 is the right trans for these cars; a 3.42 in the back (IMHO) and you're set. I think there are other T56s that had a 2.97 first gear and I *think* the SSR got a 3.36 first gear, although there weren't many made and probably only a handful that have been wrecked.

phantom 309 wrote:

"meh,.. what kind of an idiot would want to run 4:88's??"

Nick

Yeah... I hate to say you were right... but 4.88s would be very nice with the 2.66/0.50 trans. I would think 4.56s would be nice, too... but after about 12,000 miles with the 4.10s, I gotta say they are just not the right gear for these heavy cars with that trans.

sherlock9c1 wrote:

part of the reason I haven't put in a T56 is because there are so many engineering compromises. I'm not interested in having a 54" driveshaft spinning at 6000rpm beneath my floors. The M28 is the right trans for these cars; a 3.42 in the back (IMHO) and you're set. I think there are other T56s that had a 2.97 first gear and I *think* the SSR got a 3.36 first gear, although there weren't many made and probably only a handful that have been wrecked.

Yes, the M29 trans (identified with a -007 on the tailshaft tag) had a 2.97 first gear and a 0.62 sixth gear. Those would be very cool, too... and would be close ratio. I would think that trans with 4.10s would be very good. Maybe 3.73s.

These things really need at least 4.56's with the later trans, IMHO.

Moving along... got the 3.73s installed at Charlie Costello's shop this weekend. They are dead quiet and smooth on the highway, even with the stock driveshaft! I did spring for a neutral balanced machined yoke from Denny's Driveshaft, though. Actually I had it laying around, can't remember why I bought it.

So right now I'm enjoying the hell out of the auto and 3.73 posi setup, even with a sluggish all-stock motor. Still gotta figure out why this thing is slow. Seems to take forever for the revs to build!

I'm thinking end of September / early October and I'll be cutting the holes for the T56. Can't wait to have a daily driver 6-speed wagon!