stock t-5
 

Ive been hearing alot of bad things about the t-5. Im almost to the point that I wont take it to the track now because I cant afford to be replacing it right now. Anyone have any bad experiences with t-5's.
The problem I have right now is I cant hook. Ive been looking into suspension parts, but than again it comes down to the tranny. I dont want to hook so good that I ruin my tranny. Should I save for a tremec before I do any other upgrades?

Mike

A stock T5 is pretty much the weak link in the driveline. '90 and newer Mustang V8 T5's had stronger nickle steel gears and better synchros, FWIW.

Take care,
-Chris

Is your 306 making serious HP? If not, I wouldn't worry about your T5 - they are much stronger than people give them credit for.

Now, having said that, if you're making 350+ HP and dropping the clutch at 5000 on slicks...well you're going to break something sooner or later (T5, shear an axle, etc.)

3rd gear seems to be a weak area of the T5 too.

Are you planning on running slicks? If not, the T5 should hold up fine.

How many miles are on the tranny?

E

Well Im not sure of the hp, I havent had it dyno'd yet. He told me 300 rwhp but I doubt that after reading these forums. Unless he did other mods that I dont know about. I just bought the car a few weeks ago. The motor was just rebuilt 10,000 miles ago, I dont know if the tranny was also rebuilt. If it hasnt it has around 95,000 on it.
I was considering slicks for the track because I just cant hook. I can see this taking some serious time off my ET. Someone else also recommended cheater slicks. What do you think about them?

Skyman is running his stock 89 T-5 with a pretty potent combo and slicks. I think he's pulling low 1.7's with 12.5@108ish in the 1/4. We'll have to see how it holds up to the N20, hehe.

The T-5 needs a good shifter. Don't miss shifts, and don't powershift the beejeezers out of it, and it can take quite a bit. IMHO, it's a better tranny than the Tremec 3550.

Unit, why do you say that?

The Tremec is rated at 400 ft. lbs. The stock T5 is somewhere around 325 ft. lbs or so? Plus, the Tremec has larger, stronger gear sets, heavy duty snycros, no cheap aluminum bearing retainer, stronger case (since last revision), etc., etc.

E

I've seen WAY more per capita posts on this board over the past 3 years about the 3550 failing, or problems with it than the T-5.

I don't care what the torque rating is on the T-5. Most people who are stock from 1987-1989 have engines that put out more torque than what the T-5 is rated for, but it holds up in WAY more cases than it fails.

From issues with the older cases cracking, to blowing up, to shift quality being total crap, and especially Tremec just outright refusing to back that product up.

I run low 11's @ 125 mph on ET Streets with s stock T-5 and a Centerforce clutch.

Let me also add that I have gone through a few of them in three years.

T56?
 

first off let me say i have NO probs with my T-5. i dont have the horsepower or torque that most of you have on this board! but i can tell you this, dont miss the 2-3 shift and DONT POWERSHIFT! that is where i see the most failing on the T5's. slicks dont help much either, but i seen some strokers with the T5 and slicks hold up pretty well. as for the Tremec, i hear mostly that you cant shift them. i dont have experience in that area, but i have drove one and it felt like i was driving with a Rockcrusher!
now not to change the subject, do any of you know or did a T56 conversion in your fox? what cars can i get them out of to bolt to mine? where do they sell them? the reason is i want something a little different. i know they are pricey, but just to be different. anyone know anything? info would be greatly apprecieated!

If your worried about your T5 breaking I wouldn't run anything more aggressive than drag radials, definitely get an aftermarket shifter like the pro 5.0 with positive stops, and walk it off the line instead of launching at 5 or 6 grand. I saw a guy grenade his T5 at Great Lakes Dragaway once, course he was running 10 inch slicks and launching on a 125 shot of N2O with a failrly modded motor.

I had a T5 and loved it. It shifted great, but was starting to go on me (cracked case, leaking fluid, snycros about gone, etc.) So, I stepped up the Tremec 3550 and love it too. This was after discussions on this board, with D&D Performance, with Hanlon, and others at the track. My Tremec shifts just as easy as my T5 did - no "3rd gear won't go" issues here. Also, once it goes into gear, it does feel much "notchier" (is that a word? :D ) than the T5 - but it has much larger gear sets, so I guess its a trade-off.

Call D&D Performance in Wixom Mich. They are very knowledgable and nice people to work with.

E

yes notchier is the word i was looking for! it just seemed very tight and notchier than the "looser" T5. maybe i wasnt used to it. as for the T56 info, THANKS!

The 3550 is a great trans. The case spliting thing is fixed and now has a bad rep like the trickflow heads. My 3550 was in my 79 when I was striking the 10 sec zone and it took the beating. The trans is now in my 93(daily driver) and it shifts as good as any T5. It is a little notchy, but most people like it because you can feel what the trans is doing.
T5= quiet smooth shifts + an ulcer and chewed finger nails at the track.
3550= good shifting "high performance" street trans + confidence at the track.

tremecs are great trans..the unit itself is great but the assembly of it on some units is questionable..my 2 year old tremec is startig to grind 2nd gear..my buddies 2 year old tremec i ran a 11.7 in 2 days ago wheels up in the air powershifting the f;ck out of it..
another freind bought one and took it apart 2 weeks after owning it cuz 2nd it was hard top pull shifter from 2nd gear..after he totally disasembled it and put it back togetther the way is was soposed to be made he said it was awsome..

its a strong unit that just need to be built better..thats it in a nutshell

I'd had no problems with my T5 with a mild engine and a 125hp shot of nitrous, but after I put the new heads/cam/headers in I hadn't even put 200 miles on the new parts, got a little anxious, rapped it out in 2nd, into 3rd, and BANG!, there it goes. I think I destroyed the aluminum input shaft bearing retainer. I've never power shifted the tranny, but I have launched a couple times with the nitrous on M/T ET Drags.... I'm just going to do a rebuild and put it back in, I can't afford what I want right now (T56).

-Tim

Well my motor isnt heavily modded, but it can beat on the t-5, i have gone through one, i think my old one just got worn from hard daily driving, and i starved it on fluid one time

Now my new rebuilt one, i keep the atf changed in it frequent, have a motorsport clutch, and have been doing 5k launches on e.t. streets, with a stock shifter, i just granny shift so i dont miss 3rd, i have only missed 3rd once in my new t-5, my old one I missed it alot, and i think thats why the cluster broke in half.