Terminator Tremec's T-56 New Six-Speed Transmission Upgrade

Room for the Magnum's wider, stronger gears comes partially from its slimmer syncro sliders (left), which also feature fine-pitch tooth angles to decrease the amount of travel for engagement, meaning shorter shifts.

Shift effort is also reduced, due in part to the synchronizer support system's new spring-loaded, ball-type inserts (arrow) that offer less friction than the hoop-style strut seen on the original T-56 slider. The Magnum also utilizes triple-cone synchronizers with sintered-bronze lining on the 1-2 and 3-4 sliders (the T-56's were dual-cone with carbon-paper lining), helping contribute to both its shift quality and much higher torque capacity.

Shift forks are also revised on the Magnum, with perhaps the most significant improvement being the integrated (cast-in) shift links (Z-bars) in place of the separate links found on the original T-56 (right). As you can see, the old links fit into a keyway machined right into the shift-rail bore, and it was this keyway that could lead to a bending or deflection of the shift rail or fork, and the subsequent issues with speed shifting. The shift pads on the Magnum forks are also enlarged for better control and longevity.

This comparison of Magnum (left) and original T-56 input shafts highlights the Magnum's much larger bearing diameter and gear face width. What it doesn't clearly show is the larger diameter of the Magnum's 26-spline shaft. A 10-spline input won't be offered, so you may need to think about a new clutch disc. The length of input splines is also much greater on the Magnum in order to easily accommodate dual-disc clutch setups.

Grips For Your MagnumA shifter with a reversible die-cast aluminum base (as shown in our tailhousing comparison photo) will be included with the Magnum. Like the setup on this standard base shown here, all but the first batch of Magnum shifters will have a side-to-side biasing adjustment by way of the screws on either side of the lever.

Tremec will also shortly offer an offset shifter that is adjustable for lateral and fore/aft positioning through the splined ends of an offset link.

Thanks to a revised manufacturing process, the clutch teeth on the Magnum's wider driven gears (left) are of a more intricate design than previous versions, having a finer pitch as well as machined-in positive stops. This not only contributes to shift quality but also virtually eliminates the possibility of over-thrown shifts.