Hello,
Has anyone out there had any experience with a Richmond 6 speed in a first generation Camaro. I wondering what the fit is like and how well the Longs Machine shift linkage works (since its the sole source).
In case anyone is wondering why I'm avoiding the T56 it's because of the speedometer issues (I want to keep the stock speedometer).

Thank you

-DEC

I put one in my 68 in 1998-- not a direct drop in but well worth the effort. I made a tranny crossmember, see the scanned drawings posted below. The tranny will fit right in, no big deal... also the clutch linkage is a no-brainer... I used a Lakewood explosion proof bell housing for safety, along with the stock clutch linkage. (actually updated it with heim/rod ends this year, but stock works fine). The problem comes in the shifter and linkage. The shifter is further back on the tranny, but uses a 'straight up' shifter handle which fits in the stock console fine... I did move the console back a touch, maybe 1" or so, 2" at max. To fit the shifter mechanism and linkage, I had to make the tranny tunnel sheet metal wider on the drivers side by about 2" at the top of the tunnel. I cut the top of the tunnel from the front of the driver's seat to the gas pedal, then cut down to the bottom of the floor, leaving the bottom of the floor seam alone (cut the tranny tunnel side in 3 places) This let me bend the exiting sheet metal back and add a couple fillers to tie it together. I then made up a new top piece for the tranny tunnel to clean it up.

The shifter feel is good, but a bit notchy compared to a ZF or T56-- but it's a very possitive feel.

http://home.comcast.net/~danieltonn/tranny0001.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~danieltonn/tranny0002.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~danieltonn/tranny0003.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~danieltonn/bracket1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~danieltonn/bracket2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~danieltonn/xmember.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~danieltonn/camaro.jpg

Good luck - Dan

Dan, great work with the floor mods......compared to yours, mine looks like a hack job! graemlins/clonk.gif

Also, nice work with the drawings. :cool:

Just to add to what was posted, you will need a TH400 yoke, shortened 1 1/2", for internal clearance of the speedo gear.

The Long shifter is a quality piece! It is used on many "pro" applications.

I also used the Lakewood scattershield, and it is VERY important to align it per the instructions. If not done correctly, shifting can be hard, and it might even jump out of gear in extreme cases. I spent about 2 days messing with offset dowels and a dial indicator. It was worth it.

Often, I hear complaints about the R.O.D. shifting being "crude" compared to the other 6-speeds out there. Then I hear they just bolted it in and went.....I can say however, that mine shifts like a dream. I attribute this to the dialing-in of the bellhousing. No, it won't feel like the wife's 4th gen Camaro, but still very nice.

It makes the most pleasing gear sounds a gearhead could imagine ;)

I'd recommend Red Line "NS" synthetic gear oil.

I was able to use the stock crossmember because I have an aftermarket subframe> http://members.aol.com/zz430droptop67rs/images/trans2.jpg

Guy's
Thank you so much for the great responses, drawings and car photos. Team Camaro is tops. This swap will be the next thing on my project list.

Regards

-DEC

Good luck-- just remember, any project that involves a plasma cutter can't be all bad! -Dan