Quote: I know the Tremec T56's made in Mexico from 1998-2004 are somewhat weak on forks and synchros...at least compared to the T56's that were built in earlier years by Borg-Warner. I don't know if the quality has improved since then. If using one of these I'd insure that all the earlier weak links were taken out on the rebuild. To me, T56's can be a litte rattly with various whines specific to each build. I don't know what quality the factory is putting out on these for new aftermarket builds. Other than for highway cruising at >65 mph the 6th gear (with 3.55 or lower ratio) has limited use. I have 3.42's and 1st through 4th covers about 98% of all my driving. With real stiff rear gears 5th and 6th probably become a lot more handy.
The Magnums are made in South America somewhere to this day. I know the GM T56's used lighter duty parts everywhere possible, like the forks in those were pot metal or aluminum and Vipers always used steel. And I agree quality control at BW was probably head and shoulders above Mexico. Im not here to defend T56's, I only own one. But before I bought mine I did a ton of research and got alot of info from a guy who maintained/built the transmissions for the Woodhouse Viper race effort. The biggest thing he kept making a point of is the clearances and setup is crucial to shift quality and the life of them as a whole.
