Trans Questions.......

GT40Pony

Member
Apr 13, 2014
36
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Hey I have a 1990 notch (like most of you know) and I know for a fact that my 2nd gear Synchronizer is pretty much toast. I have been driving it as is and the grinding ti into gear. When it is in 2nd, i can hear a rattling within the transmission only in 2nd. My question is if I rebuild the transmission, would a basic rebuild kit from LMR work or do i need a whole new shaft??
Thanks!!!
 
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There is not really a good way to tell until you disassemble the transmission. I had the same issue with mine and bought a Ford Racing rebuild kit. When I disassembled it, the dog teeth on the second gear were worn beyond repair so it would not engage in second anymore. I ended up installing a completely new gear set when I finally got around to rebuilding. Mine did not have any rattling, just would not go into second anymore. You could try to put it in second gear with the engine off and parking brake released and see if you can move the car backward, which mine did. My T5 world class only cost me a total of $320 to rebuild.
 
OK ill give that a try. Mine does go into second but I can tell the synchro is no more. It engages but only at a certain rpm. Otherwise it with fuss and grind then grab. What rebuild kit did you use??
 
I used the Ford Racing T5 world class rebuild kit. I bought it off ebay for $220 I think. If you are not sure what T5 you have, an easy way to tell is by looking at the countershaft front bearing race. World class T5's have a Timken race, which is stamped on the face of it.
 
T5 identifier information.

On the tail shaft of the transmission, there will be a stamped aluminum tag. The tag will have a number on it that you can cross reference to the chart below. There is no other way to find out what type of T5 it is without disassembling it. All the rest of the numbers on the outside of the T5 case are part numbers which are not unique to any particular T5 model.

Remember that 94 - 97 T5's have a longer input shaft (about 11/16” longer) and can only be used with a 94-95 bell housing unless you modify or replace the input shaft.

T5's used with a 4 cylinder have a 3.93 first gear, reduced torque ratings and an input shaft pilot diameter that is smaller that the T5 used for V6 & V8 engines. The pilot diameter is .59" compared to the .668" used on V6 & V8 T5's. It requires a different pilot bearing to be used with a V6 or V8. The pilot bearing you need is for a Ford Ranger diesel from AutoZone part #14672


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See http://www.ttcautomotive.com/English/onlineorder/product.asp to download a FREE service manual for T5 or Tremec 3550/TKO
You will need the Adobe Acrobat viewer which is also a free download – http://get.adobe.com/reader/

See http://www.hanlonmotorsports.com/ or http://www.ddperformance.com for parts

http://www.hanlonmotorsports.com/ also has a video on how to rebuild your T5 or Tremec. It costs about $20, and is worth every penny of it.

I did a Tremec 3550 rebuild, and it wasn't that difficult. The video was an immense help, and I would recommend viewing it. At $20, it will give you an opportunity to look and decide for yourself if you think that it is something you want to try to do.
 
There is no other way to find out what type of T5 it is without disassembling it.

My T5 was out of a wrecking yard and was missing the tag. When it came time to rebuild it, I did some research on the internet and found helpful information for "identification without a tag". A world class T5 will have a Timken front bearing race like I stated, or a race that looks machined. A non-world class will have kind of a dome shape to the front race for the countershaft that resembles a freeze plug.
 
Sure will!!! I am looking for a 2nd trans to rebuild and make perfect. Unfortunately I cannot have m car down that long so I am looking for one that needs rebuilt. And where can I look to see what gears I have in the rear end?? I believe it is still factory gears. Mine is a 1990 5.0 5speed LX Coupe. Thanks!!!! Here is a recent pic of my Lady!!
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Sure will!!! I am looking for a 2nd trans to rebuild and make perfect. Unfortunately I cannot have m car down that long so I am looking for one that needs rebuilt. And where can I look to see what gears I have in the rear end?? I believe it is still factory gears. Mine is a 1990 5.0 5speed LX Coupe. Thanks!!!! Here is a recent pic of my Lady!!
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If your gearing is factory, it may have 2.73's. There will be a tag on one of the cover bolts, and it will have something like 2L73 stamped in the lower left of the tag. If there is no tag, you can use tape on the tire and drive shaft to determine the axle ratio without removal of the cover. Count the number of rotations of the drive shaft to one rotation of the tire. For example, if the drive shaft turns 3 3/4 turns for one tire revolution, then it has 3.73 gears.
 
Oh and updates on the car. Started body work. I am learning on my car. Tell me what you guys think. I know it's not even close to being done yet. The overspray is taken care of so just ignore that little bit. lol
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