Rebuilding one of my T-5's finally!

[jackchan]

well I pulled out my 88 LX's T-5 tranny today. I'll be cleaning it up and tearing it apart in the morning preping it for a overhaul. I have access locally to a rebuild kit, so I'll be trying to get it all torn down and rebuilt by 1:30 tomorrow afternoon. If I dont get it by 1:30 then I'll finish it after picking my son up from school, later in the afternoon. My ultimate goal would be to have it completely rebuilt and back in the car before tomorrow night when Its bed time.

I haven't rebuilt a T-5 in like 6 years.....so I'm not sure what I'll run into. I know at some point I will need to at least buy a dial indicator and magnetic base some time tomorrow, since I seem to have misplaced mine or loaned it out and havent gotten it back..........I'll try to post pictures of the rebuild on my new car domain pages! May take some time since I just opened that account!
laters
Jack

V-8 trans vs 4 cylinder trans....can you tell the difference?

 

[iapexl8r]

you could always cheat and get the g force dog ring kit. no synchros and synchro parts to deal with. I did one 4 months ago, it was surprisingly easy. Chris

 

[jrichker]

Here's some help, but you will need the Adobe Acrobat viewer for both of them. It is a free download – http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

You will also need a magnetic base and dial indicator to measure the endplay ($40). http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF?PMPAGE=1306&PARTPG=NNLMK32 The P/N 76444025 indicator set is for a 1" travel indicator. The 1 inch indicator is handy for measuring valve lift & other stuff with the valve train.

See http://www.ttcautomotive.com/English/onlineorder/product.asp to download a FREE service manual for T5 or Tremec 3550

 

[Rick 91GT]

We have found .000"-.002" preload on the front bearing (imput shaft) works best. Regular ATF also....

 

[jackchan]

thanks for the info guys. the G-force kit would be nice, but time is gonna keep me from waiting on parts to come in. I basically wanna get this thing rolling.Going out to get started on it right now. I have just one question, there is a thin assembly lube more like a lite grease that we use to use we rebuilding these things......I can't for the life of me remember what it is. I'm gonna ask the guy at the parts counter where I'm buying my rebuild kit.
this tranny wasnt making a whole bunch of noise and didnt have any major broken parts, it already has a steel bearing retainer....so hopefully I can get away with just a $169 rebuild kit, the dial indicator, and a tube of black RTV. I'll keep you guys posted.

 

[jackchan]

well guys I'm haveing luck! But its all BAD! the input shaft has two teeth broken off it. Probably because the PO powershifted every breath. And the output shaft is gaulded! So much for an easy rebuild!

gonna check on the price of a rebuild kit, input shaft, and output shaft, but I will just be suprised if it doesnt nearly come up to the price of a new Transmission.!
more later.......back at it!
Jack

 

[Rick 91GT]

The imput shaft, counter shaft, 2nd and 3rd gear, plus a rebuild kit comes in right about $550 in parts.....been there done that.

Check D&D Motorsports and Hanlon Motorsports they usally have the parts on the floor.

 

[jackchan]

going to buy parts now. (local store carrys T-5 parts cheaper than Hanlon and D&D actually, Clutch And Powertrain )I may try to get a used output shaft from the place I'm buying my kit from. $225 for output shaft, $55 for input then around $90 for rebuild kit. Guy says the output shaft comes with a couple sycros....and something else. Will see when I get there. I think he said another $12 for what the kit didnt have and the output shaft didnt come with. I may actually be in business for around $400 or so.
Guess I will bite the bullet and go on with it. If it didnt already have a good cluster, good 2nd and 3rd gear, and a steel bearing retainer.....I would not be rebuilding this thing!...........Gettin a chance to work overtime tomorrow and Sunday so ......that will help!
back at it.....well kinda, going to buy my parts and prolly gonna slip by hooters and grab a bite to eat before getting back at it.

I was buying this car to resale...but with all this tied up in it I may as well just keep it!
Jack

 

[jackchan]

ok I'm back on this transrebuild. I've been working every day since starting this project. I now have the trans clean and free of all parts, all dirt/greese (best I can anyways), and previous RTV (around shifter, tailhousing, front bearing retainer etc.). Only a few problems. The lock down piece that holds the cluster shaft in.....basically a huge washer with the 6 tabs you bend in on the bolt heads to keep em from backing out. Well it has a few tabs broken off. One of those bolts was stubborn so I had to weld another bolt to it and unscrew that bolt....
other than that its ready to install the new front cover/front cluster bearing race. Like I stated before its been a long time. Some things are coming back to me......mostly how aggrivating it is to fool with this kinda thing
pics tomorrow morning.
I stated my untimate goal would be to have it finished that first day........well since my work schedule is non stop...then throw in trick or treat, haunted houses,etc etc....for at least another week...I may not get this thing finished for another week......yea I know I'm slow!
anyways more later back at it!
Jack

 

[Euphoric306]

good luck man, ive got a spare output shaft lying around if ya didn't already buy a used one

 

[jackchan]

I went ahead and bought a new output shaft, but I will keep that in mind for my other T-5 build........I wonder if you can buy the retainer that holds the cluster shaft in? the one with the tabs on it.......that I broke off. Use too we had enough extra's laying around I could just grab some parts off another junk trans......but when we got out of mustangs ........all the spares went to my buddy and hes moved since then and there isnt any telling where those wound up........prolly scrap metal place.

I hate to tare down one of the 4 banger transmissions to use for parts......but that may soon happen.
i was gonna post a few pics but it seems I have used all my pic/band width up untill I go thru and delete some.......how in the world do you do that?

thanks
Jack

 

[Euphoric306]

hehe ive got that too, mines all rusty though from sitting out, most of the little parts and stuff i have so lemme know if anything comes up

parts i dont have - cluster shaft, a good input shaft (if you feel the need to bash the heads of some ebay jerks my broken shafts would be perfect) and most of the parts that come in a rebuild kit... you wouldn't wanna reuse them anyway

 

[jackchan]

i appreciate it......thanks
Jack

 

[jackchan]

well while trying to remove the bearing race that the front of my cluster rides in (in the front of the case) I poped a hole in it. Then to top that off I installed some RTV on the outter edges of the new one and while installing it busted thru it! First while taking the cluster out, one of the bolts stripped on the retainer that holds in the back cluster bearing/and race. So i did what I could I welded another bolt to it and backed it out. I went by the industrial fastner place today and bought 30 of those bolts like the one I stripped off. Wont have that problem again......price you wonder.........$3.50 total!
Jack

 

[Mustang5L5]

I always thought of rebuilding T-5s as fun. I had a blast replacing the output shaft, 2nd gear and the 1-2 slider my last transmission.

Sometimes i just want to browse EBay for a cheap junk T-5 and rebuild it for fun.

 

[jackchan]

if I had a couple days to get everything I need prepped and enough time to build it without interruption......wife, kids, work, dog, mother in law (oh wait I said that already (dog) LOL.
Jack

 

[Mustang5L5]

Hahaha i know how that feels. It took me about 3 months to rebuild a T-5 once.

That was only because I had maybe an hour or so here and there to work. I would leave, come back, forget what i did and have to refresh my memory.

 

[jackchan]

yep, its frustrating as heck! worst part is, I havent been inside one of these trannys in about 6 years.........so I'm having to relearn most of it. Sad but true........they say the memory is the first to go lol
Jack

in the beginning of the rebuild...

removing roll pin for 5th

removing tail housing bolts

 

[jackchan]

ok fellas......need some help. is there a trick to getting the dogs (inserts) to stay in while assembling 5th gear and the others!
Jack

 

[jrichker]

ok fellas......need some help. is there a trick to getting the dogs (inserts) to stay in while assembling 5th gear and the others!
Jack

Use rubber bands - the oil will dissolve them very quickly once things start turning.