Am I Nuts To Buy A Used Tko?

NIKwoaC · Dec 12, 2013

I'm on my third T5, and making more power than I broke any of the previous ones with. SO, I've been on the market for a new trans, and I've been teetering between an A5 kit or a TKO series transmission.

I WAS planning on buying new (or at least new gears with the A5).

However, a local guy is selling a used TKO 500 (10 spline input) for a somewhat reasonable price. Unfortunately I won't be able to test drive the trans, and his back story on how many miles are on it and how the car was driven are pretty much too good to be 100% true.

Now, I have enough practice rebuilding T5s that I'm not afraid of refreshing the TKO, if need be. I'm just afraid that it may end up being more money than it's worth if it's damaged.

I plan on draining the trans (if he hasn't already) and inspecting the fluid before I commit, but I really have no other inspection plans other than spinning it in all the gears and listening for clunky noises or grinding.

Any advice? Should I just forget about it and go new?

CarMichael Angelo · Dec 12, 2013

NIKwoaC said:
I'm on my third T5, and making more power than I broke any of the previous ones with. SO, I've been on the market for a new trans, and I've been teetering between an A5 kit or a TKO series transmission.

I WAS planning on buying new (or at least new gears with the A5).

However, a local guy is selling a used TKO 500 (10 spline input) for a somewhat reasonable price. Unfortunately I won't be able to test drive the trans, and his back story on how many miles are on it and how the car was driven are pretty much too good to be 100% true.

Now, I have enough practice rebuilding T5s that I'm not afraid of refreshing the TKO, if need be. I'm just afraid that it may end up being more money than it's worth if it's damaged.

I plan on draining the trans (if he hasn't already) and inspecting the fluid before I commit, but I really have no other inspection plans other than spinning it in all the gears and listening for clunky noises or grinding.

Any advice? Should I just forget about it and go new?

I would have to say that is entirely dependant on how much you are buying the TKO for.

NIKwoaC · Dec 12, 2013

madmike1157 said:
I would have to say that is entirely dependant on how much you are buying the TKO for.

Asking $1500 for trans and bell housing assembly. Have not tried to see if he'll wheel and deal yet, but that's ~1000 savings over going new.

A5literMan · Dec 12, 2013

TKO 10 spline for 1500$ with bell isn't a bad price if it checks out. But you can do an a5 for that price can't you? Strength wise it's also about the same if I remember right

NIKwoaC · Dec 12, 2013

A5literMan said:
TKO 10 spline for 1500$ with bell isn't a bad price if it checks out. But you can do an a5 for that price can't you? Strength wise it's also about the same if I remember right

Entry level A5 kit is $1600, which is only rated to 485 ft-lbs and would still require me to convert to a 26 spline clutch. If I'm taking the A5 plunge, I'm doing the $2100 575 ft-lb package.

hoopty5.0 · Dec 12, 2013

I don't see what the question is. If you have to rebuild it yourself, I think you still come out ahead.

RangerJoe · Dec 12, 2013

If I'm not mistaken, the A5 gear kit still doesn't come with your synchronizers and such. Seems like it was an extra expense last time I looked into it. That drove the price up about $300. The pluses are it weighs less, you can keep your shifter and bell housing. There is a member on here, 90mustangGT, who sold his fox and got out of the game. He had a TKO sitting around in his garage. I messaged him about it a year ago when I was looking for a trans. He took a little bit to get back to me, since he isn't really on the forum anymore. By the time he got back to me I had already bought my Gforce T5. He told me he was considering selling the trans to MPS Auto Salvage for $700. I tried to sell my Gforce so I could offer him a better deal, but I had no luck after a few weeks. It may be worth shooting him a message and see if he still has it lying around. When I was looking for my trans I ran across a few that were not what they were supposed to be. I got lucky with mine and it was good. I did buy it used.

Joe

stangboy · Dec 12, 2013

It's hit or miss when buying anything used. If the tranny is actually in as good of shape as the guy is telling you then it's worth it. But you may run into a situation that a buddy of mine is dealing with now. He bought a used TKO600 that was "hardly used" and it seems as if it wasn't broken in good because he said it's very notchy and 3rd gear is impossible to shift quick, and I'm not even talking about power shifting. He took me for a ride in his car with his new Ford Strokers Dart 427 and as he's going through 1st and 2nd everything seemed fine but when he went to put it in 3rd it wouldn't even go in until the rpms came all the way down. I think the PO beat on the tranny straight out of the box. I've always heard that if you don't break Tremecs(3550, TKO500 & 600) in easy for the 1st few hundred miles then it will be very notchy. Back in 2001 when I bought my 3550, slightly used, it must have been broken in right because when I put it in my car it shifted great and once I put a Tri-ax shifter on it all shifts were effortless. I NEVER had a problem with that tranny and I beat on it daily for over 4 years.

jetmech807 · Dec 12, 2013

I have almost 60 miles on my 600 and driving like and old man sucks, damn it.

NIKwoaC · Dec 12, 2013

I have actually thought about making him sign a paper that says I can bring it back if I find something broke haha. We'll see if that flies.

hoopty5.0 · Dec 13, 2013

Thats not a bad idea. If he says it works, he shouldn't mind signing his name to it. Although to protect himself, he'd probably put a time limit for return on it if he were smart.

jrichker · Dec 13, 2013

Unlike the T5, a Tremec 3550/TKO's top covers that can be removed without totally dismanlting the transmission. That will allow you to inspect the innards for damage.

replacement for T5 - handles racing environments with ease

See http://www.ttcautomotive.com/English/onlineorder/product.asp to download a FREE service manual for T5 or Tremec 3550/TKO
http://www.tremec.com/anexos/TRPM-TKO-0711_145.pdf
You will need the Adobe Acrobat viewer which is also a free download – http://get.adobe.com/reader/

CarMichael Angelo · Dec 13, 2013

I see jrichkers' computer as having the home screen completely covered w/ links to schematics, flow charts, and drive train components.

I'll bet he invented Google.

stangboy · Dec 13, 2013

madmike1157 said:
I see jrichkers' computer as having the home screen completely covered w/ links to schematics, flow charts, and drive train components.

I'll bet he invented Google.

No, he probably has them organized in folders, of folders in his 'My Documents' folder....that is titled 'Car Stuff'.

srtthis · Dec 13, 2013

and all of this is why i bought a C4

NIKwoaC · Dec 13, 2013

jrichker said:
Unlike the T5, a Tremec 3550/TKO's top covers that can be removed without totally dismanlting the transmission. That will allow you to inspect the innards for damage.

replacement for T5 - handles racing environments with ease

See http://www.ttcautomotive.com/English/onlineorder/product.asp to download a FREE service manual for T5 or Tremec 3550/TKO
http://www.tremec.com/anexos/TRPM-TKO-0711_145.pdf
You will need the Adobe Acrobat viewer which is also a free download – http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Dude, you are the man. After the robot apocalypse comes and the human race barely survives, you're going to be that dude holding out on a remote island somewhere with all the knowledge to rebuild earth (or at least all the Mustangs).

srtthis said:
and all of this is why i bought a C4

Come hell or high water, my '86 will always have 3 pedals.

srtthis · Dec 13, 2013

you can have 3 pedals... but only use 2

A5literMan · Dec 13, 2013

You could bite the bullet and put in a 6 speed. Never worry about it again no matter what power you end up making.

srtthis · Dec 13, 2013

A5literMan said:
You could bite the bullet and put in a 6 speed. Never worry about it again no matter what power you end up making.

not really a buddy of mine had a 26splined T56 in his turbo cobra and had started to twist the input shaft on it. hes going to a TH400 now

NIKwoaC · Dec 13, 2013

A5literMan said:
You could bite the bullet and put in a 6 speed. Never worry about it again no matter what power you end up making.

Meh, the T56 is heavier, more expensive, and requires more conversion effort. It would be neat to have 6 gears, but that's about the only thing that appeals to me about that. If I somehow manage to break a TKO 500, I can always upgrade to 600 specs.

Am I Nuts To Buy A Used Tko?

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the guy doing it does every local racers rear end

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