Hey everyone,

I am in the process of looking for a car to do a swap in (not sure exactly which engine to use, pro'lly a N*) and I an trying to figure out the tranny situation here...

I want a manual, and from what I gather:

5-speeds - stay away, weakest of the bunch

4-speeds - I know there are several variants (at least 2) of the 4 speed tranny's used in teh Fieros but I don't know which years and models have which tranny's. Also, is one 4-speed from a certain year/years better than the others??

How can one tell which cars have which trannys when someone has a car listed??

Getrag - I've heard these tranny's mentioned, is there a specific year/model which uses them, or are they swapped from another car??

Is there an even more perfered/stronger GM tranny that swaps into the Fiero from another model? If so what is it/which car did it come in?

I know this is a lot of questions, but I would like to try to purchase the right car with the right tranny if at all possible.

thanks!

VTfiero
www.eckertmotorsport.com

Personally, I think you will find the 5spd getrag to be quite tough enough to take anything you are apt to throw at it. The N* should be fine with this tranny. Good luck and peace.

Phil

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I am always available to help those that need help. Since my back injury, I cannot work on many of the aspects of the cars, but I can offer the knowledge of my 27 years as a GM technician. Bring the questions on................!

Thanks Dude! Is it right that the '85 to '88 4-cyl's are the Isuzu 5 speed?

If so, which model came with the Getrag 5 speed?

I in no way intend to beat the car or drag race, I am not hard on equipment. I just want to be sure the tranny I use does not have any inherent issues (like the shift forks on the Isuzu 5 speed).

Thanks,

VTfiero

Believe the Getrag 5 spd started with late 86 GT's and also went into Formulas' The trans can be easily identified by using a magnet on the tailstock cover plate, Getrags are steel, all others are aluminium.

Cool thanks - that's the kind of info I need to make an informative decision!

How about the 4 speed's - what's the story with those? I am looking at a few cars with 4 speeds.

The 85-86 V-6 4-spd's are as strong as the getreg's. The 84's are weaker. The getreg's are better for highway driving so if you do a lot, they would be better suited.

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Happiness isn't around the corner...
Happiness IS the corner.

quote Originally posted by VTfiero: Cool thanks - that's the kind of info I need to make an informative decision! How about the 4 speed's - what's the story with those? I am looking at a few cars with 4 speeds.

The four speed can handle the most power. It's also nice to have longer gears from time to time (ex: racing, less shifting or when you feel like being lazy on the road). There are a few variations out there. First are the 84 and 85+ brackets. The 85+ are stronger, as oreif said. Different 4 speeds (I’m not sure if this is year related) have different final drives (lower gear = higher rpm output but a little more umph). I think that there was a 4.10 available at one point on a four speed?

quote The getreg's are better for highway driving so if you do a lot, they would be better suited.

I'm not sure where you got this information from (not flaming, just curious)? In 86 the 4 speed was rated at 27 mpg highway (I get around 28ish on the highway) and in 88 (the year you would suspect to have the best 5 speed trans) the 5 speed was rated at the same 27 mpg. So unless you’re talking about drivability (I have no idea how a getrag feels compared to my 4 speed) they should be the same.

I'm using a 4 speed from an 86 behind 425 HP sbc with no isues. 84 is weaker and can be ID by its lack of ribs on the case. The 85 and early 86 (very late 86 used getrag 5 speed) V-6 trans have ribs on the case and are very strong. 4th gear is also slightly overdriven like the 5 speeds btw.

cheers,
Russ

quote Originally posted by Russ544: I'm using a 4 speed from an 86 behind 425 HP sbc with no isues. 84 is weaker and can be ID by its lack of ribs on the case. The 85 and early 86 (very late 86 used getrag 5 speed) V-6 trans have ribs on the case and are very strong. 4th gear is also slightly overdriven like the 5 speeds btw. cheers, Russ

the 4speed is my trans of choice for the fiero build up - but i'm still looking for a 3.32 final drive to swap into my 86 housing..

Is the Fiero itranny's their own unique design, or are they the same as any other FWD GM cars?