T-45 Vs TR-3650

UpRise_5.0 · Aug 31, 2007

Hey,

Im looking at buying a 99 to 2002 Mustang GT.

I know halfway through 2001 Ford switched to the TR-3650.

Is it worth it to get a newer stang with the TR-3650, which I have heard has tons of problems with breaking, but slightly more power rating.

Or just stick with a T-45, that is cheap to fix, and seems to hold up fine?

And a T-56 is not an option haha.

Thanks

BennyBlown2v · Aug 31, 2007

The earlier 3650's are not ideal, they had some problems with the 1-2 sychros going bad. Later 3650's (late 03's and all 04's) had the "fix" already applied, and most of us have had little to no problems with them what so ever.

T45's are meh... Alot of people like then, but IMO they shift like crap, and break just as (if not more) often than 3650's. A friend of mine actually had a T45 in his cobra with no second gear or reverse, with only 40k miles on the clock! We swapped that puppy out with a 3650 and now it holds up to his ~400hp blower setup just fine!

I say drive both and see which one you feel shifts better!

Mossberg · Aug 31, 2007

T-3650 all the way.

I hate the way T45s feel.

They both shift like crap stock though.

Superhereaux · Aug 31, 2007

try to go as new as you can, i have an 'o2 and have a "reluctant" 2nd gear. nothing major, it's just not as smooth as the other gears

if the car you find has extended warranty then you can buy any 'o1+ and have Ford fix it

twogts4us · Sep 1, 2007

We have both, so I recommend with experience - TR-3650 all the way. I too have a 'reluctant' 2nd gear, but it's no biggie. The 3650 is notchy compared to the T45...which is like the proverbial baseball bat in a rain barrel....it feels way too loose.
To me, there is a HUGE difference in overall feel. The T45 feels cheap, honestly...and vague... The 3650 is precise, albeit sometimes at the cost of feeling notchy, it's world's better in my book.
Oh, and also - we've already had to have her T45 rebuilt...and if the timing were better, I would have swap it for a 3650.

98V6 K.I.T.T. · Sep 1, 2007

The 3650 is a better option, it's a better tranny on paper. At first the tranny really bothered me at first, but after the tri-ax shifter and some time, it's worn off. I need to flush the tranny which I've heard some times that helps alot. Although, I just figure down the road I'll be getting a T56, TKO, or a built 3650 so until then it's fine. I personally think stock for stock the 99/00 are really boring a plain, in 01 is when the new edge style really came to life for me.

PLUS let's not forget the one big difference that's not really said.....99/00 and some 01's (if I remember right) have a windsor block, new models have a romeo which is a better option in the long run.

SilverBullet00 · Sep 1, 2007

I drove my 2000 2 years before it got stolen. I HATE my 3650 in my 2002.. To me the T45 had a much better feel esp. after I put the MGW on it. Even with the MGW on my 3650 it still feels sloppy and i frequently miss gears.

HOWEVER, this could mean the previous owner beat the **** out of my tranny and the T45 was just in better shape. But, I really miss my old T45....

twogts4us · Sep 1, 2007

SilverBullet00 said:
my 3650 it still feels sloppy and i frequently miss gears.

HOWEVER, this could mean the previous owner beat the **** out of my tranny and the T45 was just in better shape. But, I really miss my old T45....

Yeah, that's hard to imagine a 3650 feeling sloppy compared to a T45...but how it has been treated certainly plays into it...

ToplessStang · Sep 1, 2007

If those of you that have a 3650 can have the TSB done, go for it.

There are many beefed up parts in the kit including bigger shift forks. The torque rating of the tranny goes up because of it. While your there, have them put in a high performance clutch and your good to go.

the98stang · Sep 1, 2007

They are both ****ty tranny's, as far as performance goes.

So if the 99 GT shifts like a dream and has lower miles than the 01+, buy the 99. And vise versa.

twogts4us · Sep 1, 2007

the98stang said:
They are both ****ty tranny's, as far as performance goes.

Respectfully disagreeing - both are good for the job they were intended to do. Throwing 500 ft lbs of torque at either one will make em $h1tty, sure, but otherwise, why the poor rating?

the98stang · Sep 1, 2007

twogts4us said:
Respectfully disagreeing - both are good for the job they were intended to do. Throwing 500 ft lbs of torque at either one will make em $h1tty, sure, but otherwise, why the poor rating?

That's why I said performance wise. If you want a tranny that can hold 500ft lbs of torque, obviously you won't want to buy a T-45 or 3650. They are good for NA stangs, but if you slap on a blower and beat on it, they won't last long.

I also dislike them because of the recalls and problems. Many of them are defective and notchy. I just think ford could have made a better tranny for our year mustangs. I mean, look at the T56. Strong as an ox, and capable of holding tons of torque. Why didn't ford use that tranny for the 99-04 GT? Probably to keep costs down

Superhereaux · Sep 1, 2007

the98stang said:
I mean, look at the T56. Strong as an ox, and capable of holding tons of torque. Why didn't ford use that tranny for the 99-04 GT? Probably to keep costs down

that's EXACTLY why Ford did it

they could have given us the T-56, forged internals, more power, bigger wheels, bigger brakes, a nicer interior, IRS, etc. (sound familiar?) on every Mustang but a run of the mill GT would have cost well over $30k instead of a little over 20

BennyBlown2v · Sep 1, 2007

Superhereaux said:
that's EXACTLY why Ford did it

they could have given us the T-56, forged internals, more power, bigger wheels, bigger brakes, a nicer interior, IRS, etc. (sound familiar?) on every Mustang but a run of the mill GT would have cost well over $30k instead of a little over 20

Or they could have done what GM did with the fbody's - given them motors, half a drive train, and the rest crap Ford did a pretty good job, the overall initial quality on a new edge stang is very good IMO, and the S197's are exceptional for a domestic.

Mustang5L5 · Sep 1, 2007

On paper the 3650 is the better trans. It's stronger rated at 360 ft-lbs compared to the t-45's 330 ft-lbs.

Both have their strenghts and weaknesses. The 3650 has a notchy 1-2 shift and the t-45 tends to lock itself into reverse from time to time requiring tearing into the trans to fix.

Having driven both, they both shift like junk compared to an older t-5 (used in the 5.0's) but i prefer the 3650 in my '03

kylebgt · Sep 1, 2007

UpRise_5.0 said:
Hey,

Im looking at buying a 99 to 2002 Mustang GT.

I know halfway through 2001 Ford switched to the TR-3650.

Is it worth it to get a newer stang with the TR-3650, which I have heard has tons of problems with breaking, but slightly more power rating.

Or just stick with a T-45, that is cheap to fix, and seems to hold up fine?

And a T-56 is not an option haha.

Thanks

umm where did you read about 3650's breaking?? I would trade my t-45 in for a 3650 in a heartbeat.
Reliability and strength t-5<t-45<t-3650<t-56
Unless you are planning on forced induction and or lots of passes at the track a t-45 or 3650 will be plenty sufficient.

98V6 K.I.T.T. · Sep 2, 2007

the98stang said:
That's why I said performance wise. If you want a tranny that can hold 500ft lbs of torque, obviously you won't want to buy a T-45 or 3650. They are good for NA stangs, but if you slap on a blower and beat on it, they won't last long.

I also dislike them because of the recalls and problems. Many of them are defective and notchy. I just think ford could have made a better tranny for our year mustangs. I mean, look at the T56. Strong as an ox, and capable of holding tons of torque. Why didn't ford use that tranny for the 99-04 GT? Probably to keep costs down

Well....Ford didn't build the tranny.....Tremec made it. Tremec also makes the T56 and TKO's. These are same tranny's used in Vipers as well as some other vehicles. So don't blame Ford....blame Tremec. The 3650 is a fine tranny for most street applications. Many GT's have blowers in the 350-400 hp/tq range and do fine with the stock tranny. The T5/45 would definately need a performance build.

Mustang5L5 · Sep 2, 2007

For a stock GT, the 3650 is more than strong enough to handle it's power. That's all Ford was concerned about.

You start throwing 500HP at it, you are gonna break stuff.

CENTENNIALSTANG · Sep 2, 2007

My 3650 I broke the 3rd 4th synchro and bent the shift fork. My mechanic claims if you get the quadrant adjuster and set it up right you wont brake it as fast.

Rusty67 · Sep 3, 2007

ToplessStang said:
If those of you that have a 3650 can have the TSB done, go for it.

There are many beefed up parts in the kit including bigger shift forks. The torque rating of the tranny goes up because of it. While your there, have them put in a high performance clutch and your good to go.

Is there any way to get Ford to perform the TSB service if you are out of warrenty ? I know if is a long shot. MY dad's Bullitt needs a new 2nd gear synchro for sure. He beat the crap out of that trans tho. Is there a TSB upgrade kit or do the master rebuild kits include the newer/better parts ?

T-45 Vs TR-3650

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