Question : My z34 needs a new tranny, what do I do?

[Canadian Bacon]

Okay so let's go ahead and have a little bit of story time here. I used to have a 1995 ford escort lx (the 2 door version) and someone t-bones my car so my insurance company wrote it off and gave me some money for it (yay!). I looked around and found a 1991 Chevy Lumina Z34 with a 5-speed manual transmission in it. I purchased the car right away and drove it home. The next day I was driving it and getting used to the shifting as it has a much shorter shift then the escort does and it kept rattling in second. The transmission started to whine a bit so I went to go and park it and take a look at it but as I went to move the car it made a bang noise and wouldn't go into gear. My friend managed to get it in gear to move it off the road (so it can still drive) and we parked it.

Now I am not 100% sure but I believe the tranny may be gone. There was gear oil all over the road and it had small metal shavings in it. The car can still drive but I don't want to drive it for fear of making it worse, also it makes a horrible noise while it drives (a high pitched whinning). Also, it tries to pop it out of second now and will grind hard if you put it back in second.

If the tranny is gone, what can I use to replace it and what all will I need? I have been researching non-stop since it happened and apparently the Getrag 282 (it has a getrag 284 currently) out of a 5-speed firebird should bolt up exactly the same but then I need new clutch lines or something? Has anyone ever had to swap them out?

I need to stay with 5-speed (because it's all i've ever driven as well as its easier that way) so if I do swap transmissions, what else bolts up? No auto wrecker withing 500 km of me has the 5-speed tranny and the guys from autowrecking.ca said they can't find me one either so I am at a bit of a loss.

Any help is appreciated (i'm not very mechanically inclined :P)

[robertisaar]

a 282 will bolt to the engine, but they weren't attached to any F-bodies, the 282 is a transaxle. for absolute minimum fuss, find another 284(good luck, 91-93 3.4 only). if none can be found, then find a W-body 282(good luck with that too, only made in 1988-1990). otherwise, you're going to be doing fabrication, potentially lots of it.

[Canadian Bacon]

Maybe I have been reading wrong but I thought the z34 was still a w-body transaxle?

[robertisaar]

it is. the 3.4 DOHC(W-body only) 5 speed cars got the 284, while the 2.8 and 3.1 A/J/L/W cars with 5 speeds got the 282(there are more applications, but those are the ones i can think of off the top of my head). the case of the W-body version is different than the other applications(though there is a rumor that the A-body 282 is identical) and would require fabrication for both mounting and i want to say the jackshaft.

[Smittro]

The W-body is an FWD car and F-body is RWD..

2 totally different cars, and totally different transmissions.

Nothing from a Camaro or Firechicken drive train will work on your gen1 z34..

[pocket-rocket]

The W-body is an FWD car and F-body is RWD..

2 totally different cars, and totally different transmissions.

Nothing from a Camaro or Firechicken drive train will work on your gen1 z34..

Not without some major modification. RWD Z34 would rock, though. Been on my mind for years...

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[TGP37]

Robertisaar is really smart dealing with this stuff. I would trust his opinion.

As for the W-Body 282, finding the mount and bell housing will be the hardest part. If you can find those items, the 282 itself is a common trans to find. Just swap the bell housing. So you can find a dead W-Body 282 and buy it dirt cheap just for the bell housing.

I recently had to hunt down a w-body 282 and mount. Wasn't easy but is possible.

Or find the rare 284 online and pay a lot of $$$ for it.

Maybe look into the F40 6speed manual trans.


I suspect this may be why the car was sold.

[pocket-rocket]

Maybe look into the F40 6speed manual trans.

When my 284 kicks the bucket, this is the route I'm going mist likely.

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[TGP37]

When my 284 kicks the bucket, this is the route I'm going mist likely.

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So it is possible ehh.

There you go Canadian Bacon, the F40 6 speed just might work out.

But it might come at the cost of replacing axles, clutch system, shifting cables (maybe), mounts....etc.

[pocket-rocket]

I think you have to modify a frame rail on the drivers side too. Not sure on PPM difference for the speedo and ecm.

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[TGP37]

Yeah, the speedometer catble, forgot about that. Fortunately for me Jeff managed to install one that matched the 4t60e. He did very well for my trans. He managed to find a w-body bellhousing, rebuilt the internals and it drives nice. Especially w/ the LSD

Canadian Bacon, look up Jeff Ianitello of Engineered Performance in Florida. Google will turn him up, he browses these forums. He does great work, he rebuilt my trans. He might have what you need.

Could put out a wanted ad here too.

[robertisaar]

there is at least one person on w-body who has a LQ1/282 GP..... it was built by another member, but was partially wrecked, sold, then restored.... the 282 seems to be holding up just fine with a SPEC stage 2 (maybe 2+?) clutch.

[TGP37]

I love the fact I have a car with a 5-speed that never came that way from factory. 96GP L82/282 combo, awesome. As far as I can tell, the 282 is a well built tranny. Fun to drive.

[ga2001532]

Mine is holding up, just alittle whiny.

[Canadian Bacon]

Well i still have my old bellhousing from my 284, i repaired and welded the crack it had myself but all the gears and such are gone now apparently and it wines REALLY bad when I am driving it. The 282 won't bolt right up? So just swap internals from one into my 284? Finding parts for anything in Canada is a pain and theres no other trannys like this one I can use at any wrecker I have checked so putting the f60 in would be a nightmare to find parts. Found a 284 online for sale for $700 but the guy ended up selling it locally If I want to replace my 284 with a 282 what should I do to do that... :3 thanks