t5 gonna blow up?

65notch · Feb 14, 2006

im about to order my t5 and converstion kit and im reading all these problems with the t5's and how people say you need to baby them...
im thinking again about what to do. if im going to dump this much money into a converstion i dont want a tranny to go out on me. is there anything i can do to the t5 before i put it in to make it better? something easy, i dont want to dissamble the entire thing.
or is there a different option that is around the same price range?

LUCAFU1 · Feb 14, 2006

you have to pay to play.
if you drive like a granny then youll be fine. me a beat all my cars up, and thats why i have to replace everything, but I only do it once. depending on what your plans are depends on what you need. but dont ever expect to go fast and save money. i found out that it is almost impossible.

68stang351 · Feb 15, 2006

It also depends on shift technique when you are driving it hard. I've had a 4 cyl T5 last 2 years behind my windsor with its share of hard driving. I mean I drove the hell out of it. It finally just ripped about half the teeth off the second gear. Took 2 years to tear it up, now I'm on a T5Z for about 2 years now and haven't had a single problem.

5.0ina66 · Feb 15, 2006

I'm beginning to think a T5z with a billet shaft retainer and aftermarket shifter would be good to 400ftlbs, considering how much of an improvement both of those make on a normal T5.

I also have a crazy theory that such a tranny would stand up to being launched on slicks, but I don't have enough disposable income to be able to test that theory. Maybe someone here could test my theory?

Sicarius428 · Feb 15, 2006

The z is definately the way to go if you are going to get a t5 but should still treat it nicely. I just got through rebuilding mine(non Z) and I'm pushing maybe 300ft lbs. Fortunately the rebuild is pretty easy and there is an aftermarket company called g-force which if and when you blow up your tranny, builds a kit to make the t5 handle 500-600 hp.
Kevin

rbohm · Feb 15, 2006

the T5 has an undeserved reputation for breaking, though not totaly undeserved. they will break, like any transmission will, when you run too much power through them, and treat them poorly. i have seen non world class T5's live for several seasons behind low 10second cars. these guys truely beat on their trannies, and if they live there, then the problem isnt the trans so much as the driver. there are people that can make the dagenham last behind 1000hp big blocks, and there are people that can break lenco's with a stock geo 3 cylinder engine. you can make your T5 last if you learn to flick the shifter from gear to gear, rather than ram it from gear to gear. also make sure your clutch adjustment is correct, and keep it that way. otherwise you end up grinding the synchros to dust, and that will break a trans as well.

65notch · Feb 15, 2006

5.0ina66 said:
I'm beginning to think a T5z with a billet shaft retainer and aftermarket shifter would be good to 400ftlbs, considering how much of an improvement both of those make on a normal T5.

how much do these retainers run? and does the trans have to be torn down to install this?
what will a shifter do to improve the tranny?

rbohm · Feb 15, 2006

65notch said:
how much do these retainers run? and does the trans have to be torn down to install this?
what will a shifter do to improve the tranny?

the bearing retainer he is talking about is easy to replace as it is an external bolt on. aftermarket shifters have stop bolts(well most do) that you set to limit the throw of the shifter to avoid bending or breaking the shift forks in the trans.

68stang351 · Feb 15, 2006

5.0ina66 said:
I'm beginning to think a T5z with a billet shaft retainer and aftermarket shifter would be good to 400ftlbs, considering how much of an improvement both of those make on a normal T5.

I also have a crazy theory that such a tranny would stand up to being launched on slicks, but I don't have enough disposable income to be able to test that theory. Maybe someone here could test my theory?

I launch hard on drag radials. I've launched at 4500 before with no sign of wheelspin, and my T5 seems to be fine. I normally launch at around 2500 to 3k.

Sicarius428 · Feb 16, 2006

I have a V8 T5 in my 5.0 and I was able to crack the 3-4 shift fork, 1-2 slider and 2nd needed replacing. Granted it had 130k on it but I only had 1000 on my H/I/C and was able to break it. They really seem to be hit or miss. I've never taken mine to the track or launched hard from a stop. Hard shifting did mine in. The shifter won't keep your tranny from blowing up but it will make you shift better with less chance of a miss shift. Do a search on the MGW shifter. It is an awesome shifter and the steeda tri-axe and pro 5.0 are also really good too.
Kevin

57fairlane · Feb 17, 2006

the T-5 discussion is endless.

Its like picking a straw . . . Some last a while but most don't.

I have seen a world class t-5 go 6.90s @ low 100s in the 1/8 (granny shifting) and I have seen numerous t-5s break behind bolt-on 5.0s (personally rebuilding 2 out of the 30 something I have seen blow up on the street or strip). So the range is 6.90s to 9.0s 1/8 mile wise.

If you have a mild 289 and don't plan on dropping the clutch from 5000 on slicks and powershifting, you should be fine.

The G-force on the other hand is a joke.

5.0ina66 · Feb 18, 2006

57fairlane said:
The G-force on the other hand is a joke.

Really? That's contrary to everything I've seen & heard about them, and I played with one at UFO Columbus a few years back and I liked it (but I never drove one). I'm sure there's a story behind that, care to elaborate?

Shakin66 · Feb 18, 2006

I had a t5 ready to install in my car but since I am hoping for over 400HP I decided to go with the t-56. It didnt cost that much more to install since I was redoing my floors anyway. I can tell you this much about the differents in weight. I can carry a t5 by the shifter when its out of the car with one hand and there is no way you could do that with the t56. Its is heavy and much larger. I hope to have the car on the road very soon. If you are interested in one the guy I bought mine from had 3 brand new ones and could put yall in touch.

69Rcode_Mach1 · Feb 18, 2006

Shakin66 said:
I can carry a t5 by the shifter when its out of the car with one hand and there is no way you could do that with the t56.

Can you say bent shift forks?

Either way the T-56 is very heavy the T-5 seriously almost weighs nothing. Try dropping a C6 on your chest that one is very fun.

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