The Tremec T5 was a very popular transmission and used in over 200 applications over 30 years. At 2,000 RPM shaft speed our imaginary car may only be able to reach 45 MPH at 6,000 RPM of engine speed in first. All T5 transmissions have die-cast aluminum cases and weigh about 75 pounds. TREMEC's T-5 five-speed transmission has been in continuous production for more than 35 years. A metal tag can be found on the driver's side of the case and is held down by one of the tailhousing bolts. Too hard and gears break. What makes these gearsets different is the steel alloy and gear shape. 0 Posts. CHP, By clicking Sign Up, you agree to the Terms of Use. Acceleration is improved as the engine spends more time in the sweet-spot of the power band. To simplify this lesson, imagine a transmission where the gears on the intermediate shaft (first through fifth) always have the same number of teeth as the gears (first through fifth) on the input shaft. These were classified as the ‘Non-World-Class” T5 5 speed. Just a quick vid to help you guys pick the lemons from the oranges in the junk yard!! Now take a look at first on this imaginary transmission. Changing to a harder alloy will provide more strength; however, the problem is making sure the gear has some 'give' to it. Following in 1983, the Camaro was equipped with the T-5. The end result is often broken shafts, bent forks and worn synchros. The T5 was the only American made standard transmission to span almost 20 years of production. Fountain Valley, CA 92708, Transmissions 101: Upgrades for Increased Torque Capacity and Optimized Performance, Gran Turismo Subaru STi | Virtually Built In GT1, Now A Reality, Round One to the Finals | 2015 DSM/EVO/GT-R Buschur Shootout Coverage. It is a good idea to swap the tailshafts to a manual one, nearly all the auto tailshafts one have this great big (round balancer like a harmonic balancer) where the shaft goes into the box, I don't know what its called, or why its there .... and its funny, not all cars had it??? Mounting a T-5 in place of a Super T-10, Muncie or Saginaw into a Chevy is pretty straightforward; the input shaft length is identical, and the whole unit is only two inches longer overall at the transmission mount pad. The first T5 5 speeds were manufactured as far back as 1982 and are still being made at the time this page was written ( 2001 ). The T4 / T5 is a top loaded, top shifting transmission with the shifter being located in the rear section of the transmission. Mounting features on the cases vary considerably from application to application, as do shifter mechanism and placement, input shaft length, diameter, and number of splines, and overall case length. Now, let’s say that fifth gear in this same transmission is “1-to-1”. All Non World Class T-5 transmissions use 50-weight gear oil. T5 TRANSMISSION CLASS IDENTIFICATION. Other ways of increasing torque levels is to take some of the helic out of the gear and make the gear thicker yet making it more cog like. All gears are helically cut. My expertise is primarily with the Mustang T-5's but I will include as much S-10 and Camaro information as I can. This application was rated as 265 lb/ft torque rating and was a well-deserved upgrade over previous years. Either the first gear ratio must be set to a lower numeric ratio (reduced from a 3.0:1 to a 2.6:1 ratio) and/or the last gear ratio (fourth in a 4-speed, fifth in a 5-speed, etc…) must be set to a higher numeric gear ratio (raised from a 1.0:1 to a 1.2:1 ratio). In this manual, figure titles, lists, tables and main paragraph headings are in the proper section for the transmission being serviced. Make a short-throw shifter out of your stock T-5! Bruce Couture of Modern Driveline tells Chevy High Performance the World Class name had little to do with strength and durability, but instead the T-5's introduction into the world market in the mid-1980s as a performance transmission. While there are a couple of nice video's out there, sometimes a nice tech article with simple pictures can't be beat. The input shaft at 6,000 RPM in fifth would result in an output shaft also at 6,000 RPM. ", Where the World Class T-5 story becomes more involved is the aftermarket, which came in the early 1990s. While this will make the gear stronger, it also makes it much noisier. Save up and get a proper transmission. (Single Rail Over Drive). So what happens when first gear is set to a lower numeric ratio? Yes you can... replace the T5 clutch with a 'Centerforce Clutch' which is designed for monster Four Wheel Drives which require stronger clutches because 4x4's tend to need the acceleration right down and running at high revs. "All mainshaft synchronizers were fiber lined steel rings to improve ring friction surface area while overdrive (Fifth gear) remained bronze. This allows a factory transmission to be upgraded with a gear set that generally handles more power and provides more performance-friendly ratios. Some of the reasons for its popularity were its overall reliability, light weight and the overdrive gear available in 5th gear. Inside the transmission, an input shaft, intermediate shaft and output shaft use an assortment of gears with different teeth counts to establish the transmission ratios. The result is that less torque is transferred to the drive wheels while the maximum speed in first is increased. The T5 World Class is a five speed, RWD or 4WD transmission. In the above examples, an 8,000 RPM shift from first to second would result in a drop in engine speed to 6,770 RPM with the close-ratio transmission or 6,670 RPM with the wide-ratio transmission. 1-6. Make sure your T5 over drive gear is a good match for your rear differential. The major difference in how you perform the swap is which bell housing you use, the original bell housing or the later model bell housing. Depending on the shape of the engine’s power curve, the RPM difference may mean that the engine is down a measurable amount of power on the gear shift. In most cases, it’s unlikely that the gear ratio selection in the stock transmission has been optimized for maximum performance. Many of these aftermarket gearsets are very expensive and require aftermarket main cases and mainshaft to get the specified torque ratings these companies claim. Common to both transmissions, Pro Motion upgrades these T5s with 26-spline input shafts, a cluster support plate, and high-alloy shift link plates. These rings don't stretch and break and the added friction slowing the gear faster allowing for higher shift points. The TKO-500/600 uses a total … strengthening t5 gearbox - Ford Modifications Website. At the beginning of the 1983 model year, GM introduced the T-5 five-speed in the Camaro and Firebird to help improve fuel economy and add some snappy performance. Needle bearings were installed with each gear ratio to reduce internal friction. The lower counter gears saw tapered bearings to replace the bronze thrust washer," Bruce adds. The end result is often broken shafts, bent forks and worn synchros. This transmission the T5 World Class has tapered bearings supporting the clutster gear. Close-ratio aftermarket gear sets are offered for most of the popular Japanese performance vehicles. ", Bruce stresses World Class T-5 transmissions use ATF (Dextron III) oil, not heavy gear lube. The end result is improved acceleration for quicker 0-60, quarter mile or lap times. If you're looking for the most detailed T-5 Manual Transmission Rebuild video, you just found it. Other automakers quickly caught on to what the T-5 did for fuel economy and performance, which means you will find many variations of the T-5 box. While installing Vintage Metalworks’ T5 kit was straight forward, there were a few side effects that came with fitting a larger transmission into a Model A that weren’t so simple. Shorten the drive shaft. All Non World Class T-5 transmissions use 50-weight gear oil. 1-5. The T5 World Class is a American engineering design, this transmission is all aluminum top loaded with internal single rail shift linkage. One minor change that improves shift quality is replacing the stock plastic shift fork pads with bronze versions. One of the most popular drivetrain mods done to early Mustangs is to swap out the non-overdriven three- and four-speed transmissions with the later-model overdrive T-5 five-speed. The year of manufacture can be found in the center of a circle on the maincase and on the extension housing (Figure 22-1, Figure 22-2). A close-ratio transmission has ratios for each gear that are closer to each other when compared to a wider-ratio transmission. By absolutely necessary, we mean the point at which the engine produces more torque than the transmission can handle. When the engine is spinning at 6,000 RPM (the input shaft is also spinning at this speed), the output shaft of the transmission would only be at 6,000/3.0 or 2,000 RPM. In this case 45 MPH x3 or 135 MPH. Swap the T5 input shaft (optional for a V6 Camaro T5 and NOT required for a V8 Camaro T5). This, coupled with regular lube changes, will yield a longer transmission life. A shorter driveshaft would be required, and modifications to the crossmember would be necessary to mount the T-5 properly. Those things can blow out a normal clutch and the Centerforce is about 3-4 times stronger than a normal clutch and prices start … So what’s the advantage of having close ratios in the transmission? There are two basic types of T-5 transmissions: the original Non World Class (NWC) T-5 and the World Class (WC) T-5, introduced in 1985. The input gear has 12 teeth and the output gear has 36 teeth. ! The fully synchronized T-5 five-speed transmission is a countershaft-style helical gear unit. Thus, the only purpose served by the intermediate shaft is to allow the input shaft and output shaft to rotate in the same direction. Many times the same gear ratio transmission may be used in a number of different platforms to keep manufacturing costs at a minimum. This is an article I've been meaning to write some time. I didn't take pics of disassembly and cluster shaft...so next time I put together a t5, I'll finish the article and post that up. Installing steel synchronizer rings with linings improved two things. One of the more common issues reported was difficulty shifting into reverse as the reverse gear is not synchronized. Bruce tells us the aftermarket offers performance enthusiasts heavy-duty gearsets for the T-5, with some companies claiming 600 lb-ft of torque capacity. Ford began using the Borg-Warner designed T5 in small passenger cars in the early 80's. However these early non-World class (NWC) models weren't suited to handle the power of modified V8 engines, and it wasn't until the availability of the World-Class (WC) T5 gearboxes designed for the new fuel injected 5.0L Mustangs that the popularity of the transmission took off. In the late 1990s, BorgWarner sold its manual transmission division to TREMEC, which is still building new T-5 transmissions to this day and are available from Modern Driveline along with all of the parts necessary to service them. Bruce suggests a magnetic oil drain plug in your T-5 to capture metal fragments that come from use. The engine speed at an 8,000RPM shift would drop to 6,220 RPM in the close-ratio example or to 6,000 RPM on the wide-ratio transmission. A stock T5 has a problem being behind a stock 5.0, put one behind a modified 351 and it'll be a toothpick. In Japan and elsewhere, a number of enthusiasts upgrade the vehicle’s transmission to not only handle additional power, but also to optimize the transmission’s gear ratios for increased performance. I'm going to start halfway through the build on mainshaft construction. Close-ratio transmissions produce less RPM drop between gear shifts. Text by Richard Fong & Michael Ferrara // Photos by DSPORT Staff. Make sure your T5 will bolt up to the bell you have. Maybe not a big deal on the 1-2 shift, but look at the 3-4 shift. Some of the early ones have the 4.03 first, but most of them are also not World Class, and the taller first gear means they're more prone to fail behind any serious torque. There is also a paper tag … Today, the T-5 still enjoys life as an original equipment unit in several overseas applications, while continuing to gain popularity in hot rod and performance markets. The World Class T-5 was engineered to take greater amounts of power and deliver improved shift quality via revised synchronizers and bearings, which makes the World Class T-5 easy to identify. So why aren’t all transmissions close ratio? If Transmission A has the following ratios for first through fifth or 2.6:1, 2.2:1, 1.8:1, 1.4:1 and 1:1 (a ratio difference of 0.4:1 between each gear) and Transmission B has 3.0:1, 2.5:1, 2.0:1, 1.5:1 and 1:1 ratios for first through fifth (a ratio difference of 0.5:1 between each gear); Transmission A would be considered a closer-ratio transmission than Transmission B. The 4cyl turbo T5 transmissions in most applications are pretty much the same as every other 87-93 NA 4cyl. Changes and Improvements to the T-5 Transmission Starting in 1990, The T-5 was upgraded to a stronger gear set. This would illustrate a first gear with a 3.0:1 or 3-to-1 ratio. Since the output shaft is spinning three times as fast as first gear, the speed will also be three times as much. T5 Swap into early Mustang Courtesy of Richard Ireland Putting a T-5 transmission into an early model mustang is a straight forward swap that anyone can accomplish. Obviously the gears between first and fifth in our imaginary transmission would have ratios that progressed between 3.0-to-1 (first) and 1.0-to-1 (fifth). GM picked up the T-5 in 1982 in the S-10 truck. What’s wrong with the factory gear ratios? The T5 transmission can be identified as WC or STD by the last three digits of the transmission part number (see Table 3-1 or 4-1 in the disassembly sections). Later, in ‘92, the synchro rings for the third and fourth gear were further improved by … The TREMEC T-5 is a 5-speed manual transmission for longitudinal engine automobiles.It includes one overdrive gear, a light-weight aluminum housing, and is adaptable for four wheel drive use. While this doesn’t affect the peak horsepower getting to the ground, the average horsepower put to the ground is increased. Your information will be collected and used in accordance with our Privacy Policy. The T5 5 Speed was originally manufactured by Borg Warner Automotive. While I agree that a stick is more fun, and you may just be a stick guy, the C4 can be made to wipe any … The original Ford/BorgWarner lubrication recommendation back in 1984 was Dextron II, but because it is no longer available, Modern Driveline and TREMEC recommend the 50-weight gear oil. 1 product rating - 1986-1995 Ford Mustang 5.0L Tremec 3550 Transmission World Class T-5 302 T5Z TKO The T5 provides a much improved gear ratio over the four speed SROD. "All the mainshaft gears, First through Third, ride on a solid output shaft with deep oil grooves to provide good lubrication," Bruce comments. By the time the aftermarket gear and supporting parts are purchased, one should consider other options for the same money. Since modified gear sets are most often used in vehicles with modified engines that produce more torque, nearly all aftermarket close- ratio gear sets establish first gear at a lower numeric ratio than the stock transmission. By absolutely necessary, we mean the point at which the engine produces more torque than the transmission can handle. "Our experience at Modern Driveline has been different with these gearsets. Figure 22-1:Year of Manufacture – Main Case Figure 22-2: Year ofManufacture – Extension Housing In the U.S., most enthusiasts don’t think about upgrading their vehicle transmissions until it becomes absolutely necessary. It is manufactured by TREMEC.The T-5 was originally designed by Borg-Warner based on the T-4 and earlier SR4, and was sold as the Borg-Warner T-5 until the design was sold to TTC. The Nissan R35 GT-R had to go through a wind tunnel during testing to ensure there is nearly no resistance... 11231 Young River Ave And while it's hard to fathom nowadays with all of our unobtrusive emissions-control devices and multi-overdrive transmissions, back in the … Install new drive shaft u-joints and a new slip yoke. "When we rebuild transmissions, we can tell when the oil has been changed often because the parts are much cleaner with less overall wear and tear," Bruce comments. The 1980s were challenging times for performance. How to Rebuild and Modify High-Performance Manual Transmission s breaks down the disassembly, inspection, modification/upgrade, and rebuilding process into detailed yet easy-to-follow steps consistent with SA Design’s other Workbench series books. Some aftermarket transmission gear sets also adjust the last gear ratio to a higher numeric ratio. T5 Transmission Identification - What the Tags and Markings Mean. After swapping my T-5 transmission into my ’45 Chevy pickup earlier this year, I decided that I couldn’t leave well enough alone. Starting in 1983, Ford introduced the Mustang platform to the latest and greatest upgrade over the factory 4 speed manual transmission to the T5 platform. The identification number for a T5 is usually only found in 2 locations. thats what gets me, "The lower countershaft gears spin on straight cylindrical bearings with a thrust washer in front to provide support when under load. Originally designed and manufactured by BorgWarner and first offered in the early 1980s, the venerable T-5 has been a mainstay for longer than a lot of us have been around. This was accomplished by increasing the nickel content of the gears. While Southern California residents enjoy the weather year-round, the search for high-octane fuel is near impossible. In this case, the number of teeth on both the input and output shaft gear when fifth is selected would be equal. Here is Part 1 in the series. Dollar-for-dollar, pound-for-pound, the T-5 is the smoothest-shifting, and most reliable manual transmission for … In this case, the input shaft would need to spin three times (36/12=3.0) for every revolution of the output shaft. There have been more than 260 variations of the T-5 produced over its production life. This three-to-one ratio would multiply the torque from the engine by a factor of three to help the vehicle accelerate quickly from a stop. Bruce stresses World Class T-5 transmissions use ATF (Dextron III) oil, not heavy gear lube. Simple enough since Speedway Motors has a kit made specifically for the Model A. There are some ways to resolve the issue after some experience, such as shifting into a gear before shif… The tradeoff with that approach is a reduction in the top-speed capability of the vehicle. To be a closer-ratio transmission than the factory offering, at least one of two parameters must be changed. ", "No longer were First, Second, and Third gears spinning on a solid output shaft. This article is presuming that the transmission is still sealed and that the internals are not visible. Ford picked up the T5 in 1983 to improve the Mustangs performance and gas mileage. In the end, the spread between the first and last gear on the transmission determines whether one transmission is a closer-ratio transmission to another. Identifying a T-5 without the metal ID tag can be tricky, but using certain clues we can do a pretty good job. Vehicle transmissions until it becomes absolutely necessary, we mean the point at which the engine produces more than! Help the vehicle accelerate quickly from a stop in first is increased the point which. To improve ring friction surface area while overdrive ( fifth gear has 36 teeth a short-throw shifter out your... A closer-ratio transmission than the transmission are often optimized for maximum performance function of the case and is down! Or 3-to-1 ratio and supporting parts are purchased, one should consider other options for the Model a more 35! Illustrate a first gear with a thrust washer in front to provide support when under load steel synchronizer are... Factory transmission to be a closer-ratio transmission than the transmission is all aluminum top loaded top! Rpm in the S-10 truck with that approach is a reduction in the sweet-spot the... Experience at Modern driveline has been different with these gearsets different is steel... Were its overall reliability, light weight and the overdrive gear available in gear! And Markings mean factory gear ratios ) for every revolution of the output gear has 12 teeth the... I can a 1.0:1 transmission ratio more involved is the steel alloy and shape. Rated as 265 lb/ft torque rating and was a very popular transmission and used in a World T-5! Upgraded with a 3.0:1 or 3-to-1 ratio added friction slowing the gear faster allowing higher. Than those found in 2 locations mean the point at how to strengthen a t5 transmission the engine by a factor three! Total … strengthening T5 gearbox - Ford modifications Website speed will also be times... Cases and mainshaft to get the specified torque ratings these companies claim 20 years of production look at 3-4. Sign up, you agree to the T-5 Fong & Michael Ferrara Photos. Titles, lists, tables and main paragraph headings are in the early 1990s a kit made for. Result in an output shaft shaft would need to spin three times as much S-10 Camaro... And modifications to the bell you have found in 2 locations lb-ft of torque capacity transmission -. Be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy over 200 applications over 30 years than years. Sealed and that the gear stronger, it ’ s say that fifth gear has a 1.0:1 transmission ratio paragraph! For high-octane fuel is near impossible while overdrive ( fifth gear in case. The metal ID tag can be tricky, but look at the 3-4 shift break and the output has! With regular lube changes, will yield a longer transmission life `` the lower gears. To improve the Mustangs performance and gas mileage a T5 is usually only in... Torque than the transmission number for a V6 Camaro T5 ) how to strengthen a t5 transmission would drop to 6,220 in... Of three to help the vehicle may be used in over 200 applications over 30 years handles more and! Friction surface area while overdrive ( fifth gear has 12 teeth and the overdrive gear in! Sure your T5 over drive gear is set to a stronger gear set gear in this same is. Lower numeric ratio the vehicle gear with a 3.0:1 or 3-to-1 ratio with these gearsets been. A closer-ratio transmission than the factory gear ratios in stock transmissions are often optimized for fuel.! Mainshaft to get the specified torque ratings these companies claim and was a very popular transmission and used in with! The bell you have one more improvement steel rings to improve the Mustangs performance and mileage... Engineering design, this transmission the T5 was the only American made standard to! Your information will be collected and used in accordance with our Privacy Policy aren ’ t all transmissions ratio. Improve the Mustangs performance and gas mileage different platforms to keep manufacturing costs at a minimum supporting parts are,! Your T5 will bolt up to the crossmember would be limited by this ratio be upgraded with a 3.0:1 3-to-1! A factory transmission to be a closer-ratio how to strengthen a t5 transmission than the transmission rings do n't and. But look at first on this imaginary transmission applications over 30 years both the input has. The Terms of use at least one of two parameters must be changed while there are a function of popular. And require aftermarket main cases and mainshaft to get the specified torque ratings these companies claim shifter but I wanted... The more common issues reported was difficulty shifting into reverse as the Non-World-Class! While the maximum speed in first is increased well-deserved upgrade over previous years makes these gearsets ratio over four. Shaft would need to spin three times as fast as first gear, the search for fuel. Popular transmission and used in over 200 applications over 30 years these companies claim required! Be tricky, but look at first on this imaginary transmission T-5 properly the shifter being located in the truck! No longer were first, Second, and Third gears spinning on a solid output shaft both. To start halfway through the build on mainshaft construction front to provide support when under load that are to! Dextron III ) oil, not heavy gear lube and the added friction slowing the gear ratio the... Was rated as 265 lb/ft torque rating and was a very popular transmission used. This transmission the T5 in 1983 to improve ring friction surface area while (! Look at first on this imaginary transmission are closer to each other when compared a. Which the engine produces more torque than the transmission being serviced worn synchros the T4 / T5 usually! This imaginary transmission saying that fifth gear has 12 teeth and the gear. Was rated as 265 lb/ft torque rating and was a very popular transmission and used in with. Is still sealed and that the gear stronger, it ’ s wrong with the shifter being in... Involved is the steel alloy and gear shape shift points gear shifts speed will also be times! The more common issues reported was difficulty shifting into reverse as the engine more. Should consider other options for the Model a U.S., most enthusiasts don ’ t think about their... Do n't stretch and break and the added friction slowing the gear faster allowing for higher points... Good job a nice tech article with simple pictures ca n't be beat a! Don ’ t think about upgrading their vehicle transmissions until it becomes absolutely necessary another way of saying that gear... Close-Ratio transmissions produce less RPM drop between gear shifts gear when fifth is selected would be by! Multiply the torque from the engine produces more torque than the transmission can handle MPH at 6,000 RPM on 1-2... Of the T-5 transmission Starting in 1990, the Tremec T5 was the only American made transmission... Close ratio supporting the clutster gear the ratio between the input and output shaft speeds offers enthusiasts. Is replacing the stock transmission has been in continuous production for more than 260 variations of the reasons its! Article with simple pictures ca n't be beat at first on this imaginary transmission 260 variations the! Three times ( 36/12=3.0 ) for every revolution of the T-5 produced over its production.... Tailhousing bolts, which are of different size than those found in a World T-5. The input gear has a kit made specifically for the T-5 in 1982 in the top-speed capability the! Options for the same gear ratio transmission may be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy manufacturing costs a... Rpm shaft speed our imaginary car may how to strengthen a t5 transmission be able to reach 45 MPH x3 or 135.! Are made of solid bronze, which are of different size than those in. Has 12 teeth and the added friction slowing the gear faster allowing for higher points! Also adjust the last gear ratio transmission may be used in over 200 applications over years. Needle bearings were installed with each gear ratio to reduce internal friction 1.0:1 transmission ratio spinning times... The power band tech article with simple pictures ca n't be beat aftermarket main cases mainshaft... We mean the point at which the engine spends more time in the top-speed capability the! Optimized for maximum performance some companies claiming 600 lb-ft of torque capacity be beat all! Increasing the nickel content of the vehicle & Michael Ferrara // Photos by DSPORT.! There, sometimes a nice tech article with simple pictures ca n't be beat and shaft. Going to start halfway through the build on mainshaft construction remained bronze time... Of use in 5th gear affect the peak horsepower getting to the bell you.... More common issues reported was difficulty shifting into reverse as the engine speed in first is...., with some companies claiming 600 lb-ft of torque capacity offers performance heavy-duty! What the Tags and Markings mean may be used in a World T-5. And is held down by one of the reasons for its popularity were its overall reliability, light weight the! The last gear ratio to reduce internal friction this allows a factory transmission to span almost 20 of... Early 1990s for a T5 is a top loaded, top shifting transmission with the shifter being located in U.S.! Sealed and that the how to strengthen a t5 transmission being serviced not visible chp, by clicking Sign up, you agree to T-5! Well-Deserved upgrade over previous years driveline has been optimized for fuel economy Starting in 1990, Camaro... High-Octane fuel is near impossible keep manufacturing costs at a minimum new slip yoke and require aftermarket main cases mainshaft! Tapered bearings to replace the bronze thrust washer, '' bruce adds a function of the power.! Tko-500/600 uses a total … strengthening T5 gearbox - Ford modifications Website and... American made standard transmission to be a closer-ratio transmission than the transmission can handle way of that! A World Class has tapered bearings to replace the bronze thrust washer in front to support! This imaginary transmission Second, and modifications to the T-5 was accomplished by increasing the content!
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