Tranny durability ?

[Andrew2KRT10]

How much can the stock tranny take?? Guys are doing all sorts of work to the cars (me included) and I don't hear much about tranny work.

Had a friend who just blew his the other day in a cobra. Engine was too strong for the tranny. I know you can't compare Vipers and Cobras, but that is what made me post this question.

Andrew

 

[Anthony - 98 GTS]

Very strong. Almost everyone uses the stock clutch and tranny.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Lost 5th gear on my tranny road racing (had the whole tranny replaced), I know at least 4 others that had the same happen.

 

[Paul Fischer]

9 times out of 10 you'll lose your shafts before you blow your tranny. Pablo had a great post on straight gears in a T-56 last season, interesting mod for those who are looking for a serious if noisy efficiency increase.

 

[WESTCOAST JASON]

Since 98 I have only lost a gear once in my 97 GTS and once in my 98 GTS and both times they were both my fault. I have proven to myself that it is not the HP that hurts the trannys but the way it is shifted. I have never heard of a tranny breaking anytime other than DURING a shift. In both my cases I ruined the 3rd gear synchro speed shifting. Once that synchro was shot, the car would fall out of 3rd under negative torque...

.02

 

[Jack B]

A major cause for failure is riding/racing with the hand applying pressure to the shifter, the non-metallic shift pads wear and allow play/limit fork travel and susequent failure to the sychronizer assembly.

One of the most common upgrades is to replace the stock shift pads with metallic pads. All that being said allow the shifter to float in your hand until a shift is needed. I did not believe this till mine failed in a identical fashion, I in turn traced it back to a bad habit of keeping my hand on the shifter.

 

[joe117]

My trans has 106k miles on it. No problems. Everything else on the car has been replaced.

 

[Andrew2KRT10]

So far so good, guys, Thanks.

Jack B.......Think I have a similar habit....

AC

 

[GaryA]

Paolo Castellano has a line on a guy in NY that is an expert in T-56 transmissions. He sells rebuilt Viper trannys for a pretty good price. I believe he is also working on some hardened gears for high HP applications.

The stock tranny seems to be pretty durable, although I lost 3rd gear in mine. But I'm not complaining given the HP my car makes.