Fox Life of a whiny T5 (Solved)

[93CalypsoConvert]

EDIT: This post has turned into me seeing how much money I need to dump into the T5 to fix the whine


Its coming up on two years since I rebuilt my T5. Still holding strong.

After the rebuild, it still had the common 1,2,3, and 5th gear whine. Even with every single bearing replaced, it still whines. I even replaced the input shaft, as it had visible wear on the teeth and heat discoloration on the race. I believe the transmission was run low on oil at some point before I bought the car. Its sounds like a blower in 1st-3rd. 5th gear is subtle, but there.

If anyone has experience with a whining T5, I'd love to know how long it lasted and what it did before it blew... Like I said, mine is close to two years already of frequent driving. I beat the out of it too, but no power shifting or racing. I keep full synthetic ATF in it. It doesn't get very hot either, even on long trips. I can leave my hand on it for a few seconds. Shifts easily and smoothly.

 

[Potomus Pete]

Maybe it's the synthetic ATf. I have read that dino oil is good. I would run that Red Line MT 90 in it. The stuff has performed well in fixing older Jeep five speeds

 

[93CalypsoConvert]

Maybe. Can't put anything thick in the World Class T5s though.

 

[nickyb]

Your could try a different atf. After I rebuilt mine I used reg. Atf and no wining at all.

 

[Potomus Pete]

Mine has Type F....I thought that was the gold standard

 

[Noobz347]

I have Kevlar synchros in my T5. It has whined since the day I got it and I was told before I bought it that it probably would.

It just sings along with the blower whine so... All good

 

[93CalypsoConvert]

I highly doubt changing the fluid would change anything. Whining is probably caused by improper gear mesh between input and counter shaft. I think in my case its damage to the main shaft. Its the only thing I didn't replace in my rebuild. A stretched case is another possibility, but I couldn't see anything visually wrong with it.

 

[CAMTWO1070]

Heres the T5 manual in PDF..............It has all pertinent info and troubleshooting guides...

Just know that if you dont align the bellhousing and get driveline angle right T-5's exhibit all sorts of issues and what causes the issues later on is worn engine mounts worn trans mount worn torque box bushings etc.....

Anotherthing to note is the old owner said he tried everything to stip a driveline shake since new and noone could figure it out so the car had under 39k miles ...Took the trans out and aligned the bellhousing and reangled the rear with adjustable upper arms and the car was pretty smooth after that so dont trust the factory did the right thing either...........LOL

Good Luck

https://www.moderndriveline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/T5.pdf

 

[Mustang5L5]

What was the condition of the mainshaft tip?

Running these T5s low on fluid, or too thick of a fluid leaves to starvation of the bearings, including the roller bearings between the input and mainshaft. When this heats up, it begins to gall the tip.

This is typically the cause of whine in every gear but 4th because the mainshaft and input are locked 1:1 in that gear. The whine will be loudest in 1st and R and a bit quieter in 2 and more in 3.

Only real way to repair it is to replace the mainshaft or install a hardened sleeve. I used to have a dwg file showing dimensions for a sleeve, but lost it. You can also have the tip machines down to accept the 93+ style pocket bearing.

There are other potential causes of whine, but I’ve found that’s the most common for whining in all gears but 4th.

 

[93CalypsoConvert]

It was pitted/galled. Maybe 5-10% of the surface was affected. I’ll see if I can dig up a picture.

Anyone know how long a galled bearing will last… Anyone know where I can get a sleeve?

If I can get one I’ll tear it out and fix it…
Also if someone had a spare T56 laying around I’ll gladly take it off your hands

 

[Mustang5L5]

I don’t know of anyone making sleeve kits for them. It’s pretty much a machine job task because you’ll need to turn the shaft down and then press on the machined sleeve. The fit needs to be precise and it needs to be the proper hardened steel. I’ve never done it personally

However looking on eBay, there’s a few mainshaft a without damage for around $250-300.

I’d imagine the machine shop route would still be more expensive.

No idea how much longer the shaft/bearings will last before it becomes catastrophic. Keeping fluid level where it needs to be will help, but the damage is done and may continue to build over time. Honestly, I imagine a lot of T5s at this point have been starved of fluid and have this sort of damage. Most folks just assume T5s are noisy because of this.

 

[93CalypsoConvert]

Had anyone ever considered running 10-30 motor oil in their trans? ATF is a hydraulic oil and has no ep rating like a motor oil does… Borg Warner chose to use ATF because it’s thin, right? I wonder if they considered motor oil. Motor oil may provide a better lubricating layer between teeth/bearings.

 

[Noobz347]

ATF was chosen for a lot of reasons including compatibility with seals, internals, and orifices.

Had anyone ever considered running 10-30 motor oil in their trans? ATF is a hydraulic oil and has no ep rating like a motor oil does… Borg Warner chose to use ATF because it’s thin, right? I wonder if they considered motor oil. Motor oil may provide a better lubricating layer between teeth/bearings.

I don't recommend it but... You can certainly try

 

[Mustang5L5]

ATF is thin and watery, and was chosen due to the need for lubricant to be able to travel through small passages to lubricate the internal roller bearings under the various gears. Gear or motor oil is just too thick.

ATF also works with the synchro material to provide the right amount of grip.

 

[nickyb]

If you need a main shaft I'd go to pic a part , tear one down to inspect the shaft.
You could get the whole t5 for less then $200

 

[93CalypsoConvert]

Good point. I’ll see what I can find.

 

[limp]

If you need a main shaft I'd go to pic a part , tear one down to inspect the shaft.
You could get the whole t5 for less then $200

Your taking a chance on getting another used worn out mainshaft from a T5 thats been run low on fluid again......

 

[93CalypsoConvert]

If it’s out of the vehicle, I can easily inspect the main shaft tip by removing the input shaft and housing.

Or I could just run mine til it blows…

 

[Mustang5L5]

Odds of finding a T5 in a boneyard these days?

I have no idea, but can’t be that high.


But if you do find one, a 4cyl T5 is the same

 

[93CalypsoConvert]

I thought 4 banger T5s were 4.00 1st gear and had lower torque rating.