Here is the 3650 on the left...
Here is the 3650 on the left with its permanently attached bellhousing, compared to the Viper T56 (the latter without its separate bellhousing.) The separate bellhousing eases installation of the T56; you can bolt up the bellhousing first, followed by the gearbox itself.
The factory hydraulic throwout...
The factory hydraulic throwout bearing is transferred over to the T56, where it will bolt in place on the provided ring. Notice the steel hydraulic line and attachment fitting-this is the reason the new bellhousing required a notch cut out. The throwout bearing assembly is self-bleeding, and it's best to actually squeeze some fluid out of it to allow compression and ease full seating of the new tranny.
Before bolting up the T56,...
Before bolting up the T56, we have to swap clutch discs because of its 26-spline input shaft. D&D's included Super Heavy Duty disc is shown on the left. Notice the increased surface area of its friction material (and its 26-spline hub) compared to the stock S197 clutch on the right.
| Ratios |
| Gear | Tremec 3650 | Percentage Drop | D&D Viper T56 | Percentage Drop |
| 1st | 3.38:1 | | 2.66:1 | |
| 2nd | 2.00:1 | 41% | 1.78:1 | 33% |
| 3rd | 1.32:1 | 34% | 1.30:1 | 27% |
| 4th | 1.00:1 | 24% | 1.00:1 | 23% |
| 5th | 0.68:1 | 32% | 0.74:1 | 26% |
| 6th | n/a | | 0.50:1 | 32% |
Let's Talk Ratios
The above chart compares gear ratios of the S197's stock Tremec 3650 five-speed and D&D's Viper T56. It should be obvious to you racers how much tighter the First-through-Fourth gear spacing is on the T56. It should be equally obvious to you highway commuters how much deeper is its Overdrive ratio.
Because of the thicker new...
Because of the thicker new clutch disc, remember to install the provided 0.040-inch shim plate before bolting the clutch assembly back to the flywheel. Without this shim plate, the new clutch setup would not fully disengage.
With the clutch assembly reinstalled...
With the clutch assembly reinstalled and the new bellhousing in place, now's the easiest time to resecure the starter motor and the two block-plate bolts.
The factory shifter now has...
The factory shifter now has to come out. Inside, this involves snapping the boot/knob assembly out of the console and unscrewing the knob from the shift arm. Then these two bolts securing the assembly to the tunnel are removed and the whole thing drops out. Though having a slightly different thread pitch than the supplied shift lever, the factory shift knob/boot assembly can be reused if desired.