How is this bolted up to the 3.8 SC. Is it a good match for that motor or is there a better option?

Bolts up, lots of threads here on clutch/flywheel.

Good choice except makes lots of RPM on the highway. Better ratios to take advantage of the 3800SC torque curve than the Getrag.

Can handle as much or slightly more power than the Getrag, but a built 3800SC and sudden loading will destroy it.

This question has been asked many of times. Search is your Friend on anything 3800 related.

quote Originally posted by olejoedad: Bolts up, lots of threads here on clutch/flywheel. Good choice except makes lots of RPM on the highway. Better ratios to take advantage of the 3800SC torque curve than the Getrag. Can handle as much or slightly more power than the Getrag, but a built 3800SC and sudden loading will destroy it.

The HM282 IS the Getrag.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: The HM282 IS the Getrag.

Made by muncie, sorta... I have had fiero guys that dont have the internet harass me about that.

It works sorta fine I guess... Just be nice to it.

Not sorta - made by Muncie, in Muncie. It's a Getrag design. If you look in most parts books it's called the "Muncie 5-speed."

And yes, TEXASGT, it bolts up directly to a 3800SC. You'll need a custom flywheel and matching clutch. There are many thread on where to get them on here.
Another option is the F40 6-speed out of the Pontiac G6. It's stronger and offers another gear, but 1st gear is very low. This requires more custom parts and is not a direct bolt up.

Those are probably your best or most common stick shift choices. If you want an automatic, go with the matching 4t65 that comes with the 3800SC. It's strong and can be beefed up to hold tremendous amounts of power. If drag racing is your goal - it's probably the best option. The manuals are great for street driving, but you are pushing them beyond their design specs, especially if you start modding your engine.

So the Mun and getrag are a nono?

The G6 Tranny to a 3.8. Has it been done?

quote Originally posted by TEXASGT: So the Mun and getrag are a nono? The G6 Tranny to a 3.8. Has it been done?

I didn't say that. Lots of people run the Getrag 5-speed with 3800SC swaps with good results. But if you intend to beat the crap out of it on a drag strip, and especially if you want to run DOT drag tires or slicks, you'll probably break the transmission. These trannies are all 21 years old or older now.

If you want a drag racer, the factory automatic is the safer bet. Lots of people run high power and high torque cars with the Getrag. You just have to be aware that you're putting more power through it than it's designed for. 6000 rpm clutch dumps on drag slicks will shorten it's life substantially.

That said, one of our members here, Tina, had a weaker Isuzu 5-speed behind her 383 V8 and did burnouts trying to blow the transmission and it took her half an hour of constant launches and burnouts to do it. And that's the 4-cylinder transmission.

Also, if you want to mod your engine, even the stock automatic will need beefing up eventually. But it is stronger than the Getrag. It's also heavier and will absorb more horsepower. It all goes back to what do you want the car for? Street driving, drag racing, what? If you want to drag race, then how often and how serious are you?

I have a 2000 Trans Am with the 6-speed. Anyone will tell you the 10 bolt rear end on those cars is the weak link. I haven't had any problems, but I'm aware of it so I don't go around doing clutch dumps and burnouts all the time. I can launch and shift smoothly to reduce the amount of shock loading the rear end sees substantially. Will it ever break? Maybe. Maybe not. Even the strongest hardware will break when abused.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: I have a 2000 Trans Am with the 6-speed.

The T-56 is a sweet transmission...like you said the rear end would grenade long before that tranny would break.

If you are stuck on the manual the G6 6-speed is the way to go. They are brand new, cheap, plentiful, and rated for more torque than the 282 was when it was new. The only drawback is that it takes some engineering to install it in the Fiero. To my knowledge it hasn't been done to a 3800SC but there are at least 2 dozen of them mated to V8s so I think it would hold better than a getrag.

quote Originally posted by jscott1: The T-56 is a sweet transmission...like you said the rear end would grenade long before that tranny would break. If you are stuck on the manual the G6 6-speed is the way to go. They are brand new, cheap, plentiful, and rated for more torque than the 282 was when it was new. The only drawback is that it takes some engineering to install it in the Fiero. To my knowledge it hasn't been done to a 3800SC but there are at least 2 dozen of them mated to V8s so I think it would hold better than a getrag.

Yeah, the F40 G6 transmission is stronger than the Getrag - but it'll cost a lot more to get one in a Fiero.
With the Getrag, you can pretty much bolt up the 3800SC to the stock transmission and use stock tranny mounts. Flywheel and clutch are all you need.
The F40 requires custom flywheel, clutch, mounts, axles, and a Dakota Digital converter to get your speedo to work. I believe Archie has done them on a 2.8, SBC, and 4.9 - no 3800SC yet. If you wanted to go with the 6-speed, just give Archie a call and he can give you the full rundown on what's required.

My bad, thought he was talking about the 4 speed (282 would be the giveaway, though, right?)

quote Originally posted by Formula88: I didn't say that. Lots of people run the Getrag 5-speed with 3800SC swaps with good results. But if you intend to beat the crap out of it on a drag strip, and especially if you want to run DOT drag tires or slicks, you'll probably break the transmission. These trannies are all 21 years old or older now.

There are other getrag 5speeds that bolt up, such as the 287 that cavi guys use to 500+whp.

I am more afraid of running street tires on a manual trans... they hold up much better with a soft sidewall tire that will remove shock loads as much as possible. A full drag slick will give you the best luck keeping a smooth spike free power transfer more so than any other tire. Drag radials have a tendency to stick well, but still have a stiff sidewall giving you broken parts during high power launches... but you will most likely have other problems if you try launching on alot of power, with a getrag (as in clutch not holding up to a gradual engagement).

Street tires have the worst of all worlds, giving you a semi sticky compound, that if it breaks out, it gains and loses traction very quickly, giving you extremely deadly wheel hop. The sidewalls are very very stiff and typically offer no "wrinkle wall" effect. The getrag's number 1 issue is the "slop" the rear diff can develop, and during harsh clutch engagement, there needs to be a period of time to let the diff load up and seat into the bearings, without getting a big shock load to go with it.

If you're gonna be doing donuts and dropping the clutch at high rpm, I could show you a victim Getrag up behind my shed missing a corner of the cast aluminium housing. It's pretty cool though...you can see right inside.

[This message has been edited by fiero815 (edited 11-13-2009).]

quote Originally posted by Formula88: These trannies are all 21 years old or older now.

Mine was built by getrag three years ago.

The one I just this one Thursday and it is brand new. Not rebuilt. Just got delivered Friday. I see some turbo 2.3 quad 4 running 300-450 HP and no problems on this trans. So I can only assume this trans will hold up... I can understand why a 21 year old transmission would grenade itself, but a new one???

Are these new ones HM282 transmissions intended for Fieros?
GM did continue to make FWD 5-speeds that can be used in a Fiero. Later versions used in the Cavaliers were beefed up from ones used in Fieros. I think they were still HM282, though. I believe the Quad 4 had a different designation.

Three shaft ftw....