Ok lets to this G-force vs TKO-500

the t-5 g-force and their regular racing trannys are different in design unless your neighbor put a t-5 in his car.......


Based on driving one, a buddies car, and beating the snot out of it, and just taking it easy.... I like the g-force a lot...smooth when it needs to be, but you don't have to be afraid to beat on it....

2 cents

jason

If you dont plan on doing anymore crazy HP modifications (like forced induction), I think you should go with Gforce. Your HP level wouldnt cause any T5 weak case problems and its lighter and cheaper (since you will be keeping alot of your stock parts). The only thing Id be skeptical of is Gforce's terrorible customer service (I have no first hand experience about this).


But if price is no object, Id get a Viper T56 with the 0.50 overdrive (I think it was .50).

WhiteDevil said:

Well price is an object its just there is a 500 dollar difference between to two so now thats less of an object. Also next summer has plans for a 347 stroker so does that change anything?

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When you total the actual final costs up, you might find that the difference is less than $500 -- the G-Force only seems cheaper at first because everything is ala carte, it adds up quickly. Personally I'd get a TKO500.

Dave

94GTNJ said:

If you dont plan on doing anymore crazy HP modifications (like forced induction), I think you should go with Gforce. Your HP level wouldnt cause any T5 weak case problems and its lighter and cheaper (since you will be keeping alot of your stock parts). The only thing Id be skeptical of is Gforce's terrorible customer service (I have no first hand experience about this).


But if price is no object, Id get a Viper T56 with the 0.50 overdrive (I think it was .50).

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Tony at Astro performance told me that they see more problems with Tremec cases than with the T-5. They sale both g-forces and tremecs too.

I second that Viper T56....anyone wanna give donations?

Hmmm tough decision. I would find people who actually have a gforce setup and see what they say about it.

Based on what i know, i would go TKO.

If i was in your shoes, i would be looking for a t56.. Ive seen quite a few used ones, and those can take a serious beating and they are silky smooth.

yellow1995Cobra said:

they are silky smooth.

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Liar! . (hahaha... at least when compared to a T-5)

I really love my t56. I dont think anything shifts as nice as a stock t5 though. But you gotta make the trade off too know your tranny can handle all the power....

Anyways dave, where have you been? still have both stangs or did u sell the 03?

I don't think it was any louder than a tremec, i have driven a TKO, and it wasn't as notchy or as loud

if your planning a 347 get the tk-500 or even the tk-600 since its almost the exact price and holds an additional 100ft/lbs.

yellow1995Cobra said:

I really love my t56. I dont think anything shifts as nice as a stock t5 though. But you gotta make the trade off too know your tranny can handle all the power....

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I admit, the T-56 has grown on me. And it's been so long since I've driven my '95, I can't remember how smooth the T-5 is . These days it seems like the T-56 has come down a little -- Dark Horse Performance has it for about 2200 bucks for a 94/95 swap kit ... that's not too bad at all.

Anyways dave, where have you been? still have both stangs or did u sell the 03?

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Still have them both. Too lazy to sell the 03, too lazy to finish de-modding the '95, and I don't know what I would want to buy anyway. I'm kinda thinking I won't do anything until I see how the GT500 is going to play out.

Dave

I started researching 5-speeds over a year before I was ready to buy. I questioned two local Mustang shops, D&D Performance and the local transmission hot shot. When my T5 finally broke, my first choice was to get a stock replacement. After talking with these people again, I decided to weigh my options based entirely on the facts...

Reasons I wanted a Tremec TKO500:
Long successful history with Mustangs
Proven strength
Plenty strong for my car
Many people have them

Reasons I didn't want a Tremec:
3 rail shifting mechanism - Hit or miss on the satisfaction on this, a lot of owners don't like the way it shifts. I personally didn't think it was that bad but I also didn't bang on the tranny either.
Extra weight (30lbs to be exact) -My car will never make 400rwhp, so weight is very important to me.
Required conversion to Fox spec drivetrain setup -moved the shifter forward in the console - not by much though.
I've watched good drivers' shift times increase at the track when going to a Tremec.
Requires a new shifter
Contrary to popular belief, they break

Reasons I wanted a G-Force:
T5 shifting characteristics
T5 form factor - bolts right up (with a new clutch disc)
Plenty strong for my car
Close ratio gearset with a nice tall 5th (2.94, 1.94, 1.34, 1, .59) - Makes 4.10's very streetable.
G-Force makes an input shaft specific to the 94-95 cars

Reasons I didn't want a G-Force:
Not much of a history - fairly new to the market
They break

I got the G-Force because my pros/cons ratio favored the G-Force. My only concern was that the GFT5 is relatively new compared to the Tremec. I was never concerned about the GF breaking because a bad driver can break anything. The form factor was more important to me than a history. G-Force knows that they are going to be compared directly to Tremec and therefore, would not be doing themselves any favors by putting out a crappy product. Tremec OWNS the Mustang aftermarket 5-speed space and G-Force will not cut a niche fore themselves by suckering people or ripping them off. I understand there is a certain comfort in sticking with the established product but I personally am one to give the new guy a chance, especially if they are willing to go the extra mile and make an input shaft that fits my car.

BTW: I am the one who made "the video" and I can attest that the noise level is nothing. The exhaust level is now louder than the transmission. That video was made the day after I got the GF installed, the tranny had like 8 miles on it. The tranny sounds loud also because the mic on the camera is on the front, boosting the tranny noise while not picking up much of the exhaust.

Bottom line, the two biggest reasons I went with a GF over a Tremec was 1)Form Factor and 2) Shifting characteristics. If these two areas aren't important to you, then get the tried and proven 5-speed - Tremec. Trust me, as torn as you are between the two, if you get the G-Force, you will always have that question in the back of your mind,

"Did I make the right choice?"

I voted for 3.73s....

WhiteDevil said:

Nobody- How long have you had your G-force so far? What kinda of mods and power level are you pushing? Any track time or hard launches? And just how have you liked it so far?

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I have put 3,000 miles on it so far.
I am only making 242hp/285tq at the wheels N/A. I also run a 100shot at the track but I have not dynoed it on the nitrous.
I have taken it to the track and have made several passes with it.

I am still shifting it gingerly because I am trying to work up the guts to powershift again. So far, it hasn't given me any cause to regret my choice. The tranny is loudest under engine braking. The first time I heard the whine, I was pretty happy. Now I barely notice it and I even have showed off the sound to friends and they are always a little disappointed because it's not as loud as they had expected. When the tranny is cold, the first shift into 2nd gear is hard. Every shift after that is fine. Every gear is easier to shift into than my stock T5, but it could have been because the old one was beat up. The toughest part of owning a G-Force is explaining what a G-Force is and why I didn't get a Tremec.

Here is a video of my attepmt at speed shifting the G-Force. The 1-2 shift is at 6k rpm, the 2-3 & 3-4 are at ~5k

Please right-click and save.
http://www.zerort.com/mustang/g_Force_Hi_RPM.wmv

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

-Gabe

Go with the TKO...I've got abot 2000 miles on mine so far...I could not ask for a smoother shifting trans.