I hate to have to pay to have someone put one in for me. I have another thread about my tranny went out, the T5 and i hate to get another T5 they suck from what i have been told. I want to get the Tremec TKO, or 500, or 600. How hard is it to swap in a new tranny. I know i need the tranny and bellhousing. Do i have to get the spacer for the crank and all that other stuff. i was told when i got the car that it has a ACT clutch in it. Can someone list how hard it is, how long it will take an avg person. Thanks!
REPLACING TRANNY. WHO HAS DONE??
- Thread starter FastStang1587
- Start date
It's not that tough but it is time consuming and much much easier to do on a car lift with a trans jack. From what I hear (I've not ever seen one personally) the new tremeks are a direct replacement. If you're mechanically inclined then as you get under it and look to see what needs to be done to get the tranny out then you'll figure it out pretty easily. Get a Hanes or a Chilton for all the torque specs. Pull your center console and shifter out up top before you raise the car. Index your driveshaft. Plan to replace the clutch and throwout bearing and pilot bearing when you do the swap. It's a good idea to support the back of the engine when you pull the tranny mount as well. You may also want to evaluate your rear main seal while you have it all apart depending on how long yours has been in.
Edit: The whole thing will probably take you 6 or 8 hours if you've never done one before.
quick tip: if you have the stock H pipe installed you might want to consider cutting (shortening) the H pipe hangars before you remove it. It'll make reinstalling it a whole bunch easier.
Edit: The whole thing will probably take you 6 or 8 hours if you've never done one before.
quick tip: if you have the stock H pipe installed you might want to consider cutting (shortening) the H pipe hangars before you remove it. It'll make reinstalling it a whole bunch easier.
giddyup306
Founding Member
- Oct 22, 2002
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If it's just you I suggest finding a helper or two. Maybe someone that has done a trans swap before. It's not to fun fighting a 92 pound transmission by yourself when you have 12" to work under the car.
On jackstands, on your back, bellhousing and all.... OMFG what a PITA. I would try to get some quotes on an install.
I have the TKO 500. Install wasn't bad at all but that was on a lift. The Tremec will be heavier than a T5.
I have the TKO 500. Install wasn't bad at all but that was on a lift. The Tremec will be heavier than a T5.
unless you can get a car lift, its damn hard by yourself.
i did a new clutch and transmission with my cousin, who has done it a few times before. the removal of trans and clutch is fine, putting it back in is another story. picking it up by yourself is a bitch as mentioned, with about 12" of room. then you have to hold it and try lining it up perfect, and pray it falls in.
we ended up using a jack for support and wiggling it in, works but it was a pain in the ass. it is borderline paying someone the $250ish to do it again or doing it myself.
you should replace the throwout bearing and pilot bearing as mentioned also.
i did a new clutch and transmission with my cousin, who has done it a few times before. the removal of trans and clutch is fine, putting it back in is another story. picking it up by yourself is a bitch as mentioned, with about 12" of room. then you have to hold it and try lining it up perfect, and pray it falls in.
we ended up using a jack for support and wiggling it in, works but it was a pain in the ass. it is borderline paying someone the $250ish to do it again or doing it myself.
you should replace the throwout bearing and pilot bearing as mentioned also.
ECU5.0
Banned
with a tko youll need a new bellhousing, crossmember and clutch (depending on if you get the 21 spline or 10 spline input shaft) youll also need a new slip yoke for the driveshaft because the output shaft has a different spline count. i would have done mine but my parents wanted someone to do it, just in case something happened we would have somewhere to take it and complain.
When mine went out, I had it rebuilt as a T5-Z, so far I've beat the snot out of it and it still feels good as new. Was cheaper then a Tremec, plus I didn't have to change anything. Took me and hour and a half to get the car running again my first time through. But I was using a lift. 
Im going to put in another T5 for now. It has 60-80k on it, and has 30 day warrenty, mine now has 130 and it was well used.
How hard is it going to be to swap the tranny's? Not hard from what you are saying. I also have the Pro 5.0 Shifter, and i think that is what messed up my trans the first time. What do i have to do to set it so i dont mess up my syncronizers? Thanks for ur help
How hard is it going to be to swap the tranny's? Not hard from what you are saying. I also have the Pro 5.0 Shifter, and i think that is what messed up my trans the first time. What do i have to do to set it so i dont mess up my syncronizers? Thanks for ur help
If you get a good set of jackstands, or rather, 2 sets, you can jack up both front and back of the car high enough to sit down underneath it (albeit stooping). I originally got a Mustang because I heard how easy it was to work on. Working on the car is a hobby for me and my buddys, so paying someone to do the easier tasks is a horrifying thought. If you do your homework, you should be able to do the change in a day or so. That day will include a lot of reverifying torque values, figuring out how to get out the old pilot bearing, being scared to pound in the new pilot bearing, so on and so forth. After that, the next one will take much less time. The hardest part will be getting off the hpipe, and breaking the bellhousing bolts, and getting out the old pilot bearing. After that, it's cake. BTW, you would adjust the stops on the shifter by loosening the bolt until it touches the lever, then back out a half turn or so, and lock down the nut. Row through the gears, and make sure the lever stays the same distance away on every gear (relatively the same distance).
