Just got a Tremec TKO 500!!!

[90mustangGT]

Just got home from picking it up from Mustangs Unlimited. I got the kit that comes with the bell housing, the driveshaft yoke, and fluid. It looks so nice sitting there in the box, but I bet it will look even better in the car. It just has a very sturdy well build feel to it. Now I won't have to worry about the tranny for a long time. By the time my car makes too much power for this one, I'll be switching to auto by then anyways. Hopefully I will be able to get it in tomorrow.

My grandmother loaned me the money to do this, I'm so lucky to have the grandmother I have. She has bailed me out of so many situations since I was a baby.

Anyone know about break in? Should I change out the fluid after so many miles?

 

[TT91]

awesome man, hope it goes in smoothly, good luck, 400-500 mile break in..

 

[90mustangGT]

awesome man, hope it goes in smoothly, good luck, 400-500 mile break in..

Cool thanks, do I have to change out the fluid, that stuff is $12 a quart.

 

[14yrsoldw/a91gt]

just gonna SAY AWESOME MAN I DONT KNOW ABOUT BUT I LIVE LESS THAN 5 minutes from mustangs unlimited. good luck with your new tranny

 

[Musclecarfan88]

how much did you spend?

 

[TT91]

Cool thanks, do I have to change out the fluid, that stuff is $12 a quart.

No, save the couple bucks it would cost you and blow your new 2000$ tranny....

YES CHANGE THE FLUID!!!

 

[stangbear427]

There's a Mustang's Unlimited in Georgia? I though the one in CT was the only one...

oh- congrats

 

[what_stanger?]

awesome!

i wish i had bought a tremec. i've still got a T5 thats working fine.
surprisingly with tons of launches too.

i haven't raced my car in so long i haven't modded it in over a year!

 

[90mustangGT]

I'll be sure to change the fluid after the break in. I paid about $1902.70 with tax out the door. The Mustangs Unlimited here is huge, my F-body buddies are so jealous we have a place like it around here. My T-5 seemed indestructable, so many powershifts and it took it like it was nothing until one too many.

 

[ECU5.0]

nice....got mine in a couple weeks ago and i love it. gonna change the fluid sometime this week too

 

[astronut1885]

I'm getting one in a few weeks from D&D Performance. I'm getting a new clutch disk, yoke, bellhousing, tranny, etc because I am going with the 26spline input instead of the normal one. I can't wait to get it into the car.

 

[bln92cpe]

I have a brand new TKO500 sittin in the box in my garage with the 31 spline yoke and alum. DS. My mechanic said he will install it for $250..I cant wait. I am still saving cash for this install..

 

[astronut1885]

Man, get a clutch allignment tool (5 bucks at most) and some friends and do it yourself. It's not that hard, just time consuming. I'll be doing mine in the driveway when I get it.

 

[sjrtx]

how good is the shifter that comes with these things? and can you use any aftermarket shifters with them?

btw-isnt the tko600 like 100 bucks or so more? why not get the strongest one?

 

[astronut1885]

the 600 is not more than an extra couple hundred, but it has different gear ratios that some people might not want. Also, the tranny has internal shift stops, so you really don't need an aftermarket shifter, and on top of that the review by 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords said the 500's shifter felt as good as any aftermarket. I don't even thing there's a shifter on the market for that tranny yet.

 

[fiveohh94gt]

i put the pro-50 handle on the stock tko600 shifter and it feels just like a pro-50 on a t-5, except the gears are closer

 

[ricer-roni]

I am about to switch over to a 500 since my T5 is nearing its end, and was wondering if the 500 still uses the same driveshaft as the T5 or if i would have to switch over to something else, just trying to get an estimate of cost.

 

[astronut1885]

Same D/S, but you have to put a different slip yoke on the tranny end, because the TKO has a 31 spline out put. I think the stocker is like 12 or soemthing low like that.

 

[bmo37]

Same D/S, but you have to put a different slip yoke on the tranny end, because the TKO has a 31 spline out put. I think the stocker is like 12 or soemthing low like that.

yep but the extra splines on the tko make it stronger, you and can also get the input shaft on a tko with a 10 spline stock style clutch or a 26 spline which is even stronger. I ened up paying $1550 for my tko500 and spent another $200 for the slip yoke and bellhousing. Also the tremec takes that expensive gm 3 syncromesh tranny fluid.

 

[90mustangGT]

Installed, first impressions

Well, got to work and it wasn't very busy so I pushed the 5.0 in and got on it. The only difference in the Tremec bellhousing and the T-5 Bell is that there are two boltholes that are in different locations, just slightly enough with one you couldn't just drill and tap a new hole to make it fit. Maby you could weld, drill, tap, a lot of work. Tranny went in easy, bolted right up and all the plugs and all went in easier than the T-5 because thier locations are more simple. The TKO 500 is alot bigger than the T-5, it barley fits in that hole. The Driveshaft Yoke is shorter, but wider. Ground down the spot welds on the crossmember mounts so they moved freely. (lots of sparks ) Then installed it, the TKO 500 is about an inch or two longer than the T-5 so it was as far back as it could go and the mount was as far back as it could go. Had to cut the hangers off the H-pipe because due to everything being further back, it was at least an inch from the headers. I tried to cut the hangers off clean and ended cracking the H pipe, I'll get it welded soon, maby just get a X pipe. The exaust still sits firm even with out the middle hangers. I'll get new hangers soon. Filled with GM Syncromesh. The shifter bolts were too big for my shifter handle, so I used two smaller bolts in the shop, will do it right later.

The sifter is much firmer, but still feels good, just have to use some muscell. I guess stronger tranny = stronger to shift. It feels good. I haven't gotten on it or hard shifted it yet, I'll wait until it has broken in first.

So the only problems I had were with the shifter handle and they don't tell you that your exaust hangers won't line up anymore.

I'm going to baby it for a while, but so far I'm happy. .